Farm Diversification Idea: Host a Trail Running Club on Your Land

Trail runners spend a lot of time running along roads and public footpaths. What they want — and will pay for — is access to private land they'd otherwise never be allowed on: proper farm tracks, headland paths between crops, gates that are usually locked, views you only get if you know the farmer.

Farm trail running clubs are still relatively uncommon, which is why they tend to do well when they launch. The combination of private access and natural terrain is hard to replicate in a public park. If your farm has the acreage to put together a decent loop — even 3 or 4 kilometres of varied ground — there's an audience for it within driving distance of almost anywhere in the UK.

What "farm trail running" actually looks like

The most common format is a weekly or fortnightly group session — a fixed time, a fixed meeting point (usually a farm gate or yard), a guided or self-navigated route, and a social element at the end. Some farms add a cup of tea and a piece of cake; others keep it purely athletic. The group tends to self-select around pace once it gets going, with faster runners pushing ahead and everyone regrouping at waypoints.

One-off events — a seasonal mud run, a summer evening 10k, a Christmas Day fun run — work alongside regular sessions and tend to attract a wider audience who want the experience without the commitment. These are easier to price for a larger crowd and can generate a spike of income at useful times of year.

Building the route

A good farm running route uses what you already have: farm tracks, headlands between fields, woodland rides, field edges, hard-standing yards, bridleways that cross your land. You don't need to build anything — you need to survey what's there and work out how to connect it.

A few things to consider when planning the route:

• Keep livestock areas separate — runners and grazing animals don't mix well, particularly with sheep and young stock. If your route passes near livestock, gate it clearly and brief runners before every session
• Avoid field interiors during the growing season — headlands and field edges are fine; cutting across standing crops is not
• Mark the route clearly — temporary markers (coloured tape, wooden stakes) at each turn point prevent runners ending up in the wrong field. Remove them after each session if you don't want permanent fixtures
• Identify your wet-weather alternatives — know in advance which sections of route become unusable in prolonged rain and have a shortened hard-standing alternative ready
• Check for hazards — rabbit holes, loose fencing, low branches, slippery bridges. Walk every section of the route before runners use it and after any storm or significant weather

The mud question

It's worth being direct about this: yes, repeated foot traffic on grass field margins causes damage, and wet conditions make it worse. This isn't a reason not to do it — trail runners expect mud, and on well-managed routes on the right soil type, grass recovery between sessions is surprisingly quick. But it does require active management.

The main things that limit damage are varying the exact line runners take (don't always channel everyone through the same gateway), building rest days into the schedule, and genuinely pausing or rerouting when sections start to get badly churned. Heavy clay, low-lying ground near watercourses, and anything near a drainage channel needs treating with particular care — compaction there causes problems beyond worn grass.

Most farmers who run this kind of thing treat a modest level of field edge wear as a cost of the diversification, weighed against the income and the benefit of having a known, local group on the land rather than walkers going where they shouldn't. Factor it in when you're deciding what to charge — the route maintenance cost is real, even if it's mostly your own time.

Pricing models

Two models work well and they can run alongside each other:

Drop-in sessions — a per-session fee, typically £5–£8, paid in advance. Low commitment for the runner, easy to manage for you. Works well when you're starting out and building a regular group. Sell these as timed-entry tickets through your stall page.

Membership — a monthly or seasonal fee (typically £20–£40/month or £80–£120 for a season) that covers unlimited sessions in the period. Works once you have a reliable core group who come every week and want the convenience of not paying each time. A payment link makes collecting this simple — send it once and it handles the transaction.

One-off events (mud runs, seasonal races) sit outside both models and can be priced more ambitiously — £15–£30 per entry is normal for a marshalled farm event with a defined course and a bit of atmosphere.

Finding your first runners

Local running clubs are the fastest route in. Most towns have at least one, and club members are exactly the audience you want — committed, experienced enough to handle rough ground, and interested in variety. Contact the club organiser directly and offer a free taster session before you start charging. A good first session fills your regular slots faster than any amount of social media posting.

Beyond clubs: local Facebook groups, Strava (runners use it to find routes and events near them), and word of mouth once the first group gets going. A farm run with a good reputation tends to grow itself.