Merton College Sports Ground, Oxford
On Sunday 28th June 2026 we will host a celebration of 150 years of Oxford University Cross Country Club.
We are planning an informal, family-friendly day with something for everyone. In the morning, we will organise optional group runs departing from Merton Sports Grounds, before gathering at Merton College Sports Ground for a relaxed afternoon together.
At the sports ground, there will be parking facilitates and changing rooms available after the run. We will have a barbecue, drinks, music, garden games, and we have arranged a small exhibition showcasing the club's history.
Tickets for the event are now available. Please feel free to bring along your family and partners. Under 12s are also welcome to attend for free.
When
Sunday 28th June
Time
Group Runs - 11.00am
Barbecue and summer party - 12.30pm - 4.00pm
REGISTRATION OPEN
Iffley Road Track, Oxford
Bannister Miles returns for its third edition on Bank Holiday Monday 4th May. Whether racing in the Community Mile, on the track, or spectating throughout the afternoon as some of the country's best athletes push their boundaries of speed and endurance, we would love to welcome you to this OUCCC-organised event.
St Edmund Hall, Oxford
Annual dinner will follow on from Teddy Hall Relays, for which entries will be open on Opentrack. It is a highlight of the calendar, where we celebrate achievements and look forward to the year ahead.
The dinner will entail a three course meal with wine. Continuing tradition, there will be speeches by the Captains and an awards presentation. After the dinner, we will head to Vincent’s Club for drinks.
When
Wednesday 11th March
Time
Alumni pre-drinks at 6.30pm
Dress code
Black tie (Blues blazers encouraged)
Iffley Road Track, Oxford
The format remains unchanged from previous years, comprising a relay of 4 x 4.35 mile (7km) scenic legs around the centre of Oxford, with races starting and finishing at the iconic Iffley Road Track.
There will be a wide range of category prizes as well as tea served afterwards in Cricket Schools.
When
Wednesday 11th March
Time
Registration opens - 11.30am
Race starts - 1.30pm
Entries close
Wednesday 4th March
Wimbledon Common, London
This Hilary we have a match against Thames Hare & Hounds. We have a very strong relationship with Thames and have in the past had many matches against them. So we thought what better way to celebrate our 150th year than to challenge them to a match.
The aim of the match is to provide some friendly competition and a reason for people to come back and race with each other. Whether you want to be all guns blazing at the front or just use it as a training run then you are more than welcome.
As such, we have decided that we will format the race as a single mob match with an overall winner but also separately calculated women’s results and age graded results.
The race is open to all current students and alumni (no matter your age!). Alumni are welcome to race for OUCCC or Thames (if you are a member of Thames).
After the race we plan to visit the King’s Head pub, Roehampton, which for many years was the start/finish line for the Varsity Match.
When
Saturday 28th February
Time
Race starts - 12.30pm
Entries close
Thursday 26th February
Nags Head, Covent Garden & Wimbledon Common
The committees of Oxford University Cross Country Club, Cambridge University Hare & Hounds, and The 1876 Trust are delighted to invite you to a reunion marking 50 years of women’s Varsity participation and celebrating the lifelong friendships forged by our two clubs.
We are delighted to say that over 50 alumni have already signed up in addition to Oxford University's Vice-Chancellor and former Olympians from both two clubs. However, spaces remain available.
The weekend’s events are open to everyone, women and men, young and less young, Blues runner to Mob runner and everything in between!
Should you have any questions about the events, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
When
Friday 5 December 2025
&
Saturday 6 December 2025
Time
Alumni reunion - 7:00pm
Varsity 2025 - from 12.00pm
Entries for Old Gits
Free - In advance at the link above.
On Friday 5 December, a reunion reception will take place for all OUCCC and CUHH alumni in a private room in the Nag’s Head pub, Covent Garden. There will be drinks and a buffet dinner, with the historic pub providing a perfect backdrop for an evening of celebration and reconnection.
This will be a paid-for event with discounted tickets available for younger alumni. Spaces are limited to 120 and will be distributed between OUCCC and CUHH alumni on a first-come, first-served basis. We expect this event to sell out, so early registration is recommended.
Thames Hare & Hounds will host the Varsity Match,embracing the 33rd Alumni Race, 49th Ladies’ Race, and 134th Gentlemen’s Race. To mark 50 years since Oxford and Cambridge women first raced at Shotover, an expanded Alumni Race is planned over a bespoke course on Wimbledon Common. Entry will be free, and we hope as many alumni as possible will participate
South Parks
We will be hosting a contingent of around 60 people from Trinity College Dublin on Saturday 8 March, with a return trip to Dublin planned for either this autumn or next spring. The match will be comprised of selected men’s and women’s teams of eight, as well as a mass participation race open to all. Teams will be open to student, community, and alumni members alike. There will be a dinner and social in Oxford on the Saturday evening.
If interested in participating in any part of the proceedings – whether racing or not – please complete the sign-up form. Any questions, contact Jared Martin at jared.martin@stx.ox.ac.uk.
When
Saturday 8 March
Time
Races - 12.30pm-3pm
Social - Evening TBC.
Location
South Park, Oxford
Iffley Road
The format remains unchanged from previous years, comprising a relay of 4 x 4.35 mile (7km) scenic legs around the centre of Oxford, with races starting and finishing at the iconic Iffley Road Track.
There will be a wide range of category prizes as well as tea served afterwards in Cricket Schools.
When
Wednesday 12th March 2025
Time
11.30am (registration opens)
1.30pm (race start)
Entries close
Wednesday 5th March 2025
St Edmund Hall
Annual dinner will follow on from Teddy Hall Relays, for which entries will be open on Opentrack. It is a highlight of the calendar, where we celebrate achievements and look forward to the year ahead.
The dinner will entail a three course meal with wine. Continuing tradition, there will be speeches by the Captains and an awards presentation. After the dinner, we will head to Vincent’s Club for drinks.
When
Wednesday 12th March 2025
Where
St Edmund Hall, Oxford
Dress code
Black tie (Blues blazers encouraged)
Douglas
In 2024, Oxford revived its participation at the Isle of Man Easter Festival of Running following a brief post-covid hiatus. An extremely enjoyable weekend was had by current and alumni members alike. At the afterparty, it was agreed, only partially in jest, that we would have 100 current members and 400 hundred alumni at the event in 2025. Sign-ups for this are now open. The club will be organising accommodation and alumni are very welcome to join, as is the case with many of the other universities that take part.
Complete the attached form by 30 December 2024 if you could like to avail of club-organised accommodation. If you would like to attend but would prefer to make your own accommodation arrangements, let us know you are coming anyway so that we can look out for you.
When
Friday 18 - Sunday 20 April 2025
Where
Port Erin/Peel/Douglas, Isle of Man
Other information
Transport should be booked independently. There are boat and flight options to the mainland from several cities in the UK.
South Park
It was cross country running that brought us all together initially. So what better way to reconvene than a free, alumni cross country race in Oxford’s beautiful South Park as part of Cross Country Cuppers.
Race details:
To get to South Park, there are a variety of public transport options, including the X7 bus from the train station. If driving, nearby carparks include St Clement’s and Union Street while there are a small number of spaces at the entrance to Headington Hill Park. If not racing, the course and venue also provide great opportunities for spectating while marshals are appreciated. Both club tents will be erected, in which personal belongings can be stored and kept dry. All ages and speeds are welcome!
Post-race, there will be an opportunity to wash and change at Iffley Road Sports Centre.
When
Saturday 26th October - approx. 10.00am
Where
South Park, Oxford
Vincent's Club
Following on from Cuppers, join us in Vincent's Club for an informal lunch and the launch of the 150th Anniversary Campaign. Lunch will be served in the upstairs dining room, in which the campaign launch will also take place.
Please let us know your meal preferences by signing up via the linked form. There is no dress code.
When
Saturday 26th October - 12.30pm
Where
Vincent's Club, Oxford
Merton College
We cordially invite you to our alumni garden party on Sunday 5th May 2024. The event forms part of a broader celebration of 70 years since Sir Roger Bannister ran 3.59.4 for the mile at Iffley Road Track. The garden party will take place in the Fellows Garden, Merton College (one of Sir Roger’s alma maters).
In attendance shall be the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, members of the Bannister family and alumni stretching back to the 1950s. There will be food, drinks, music, and photography, nestled within the historic gardens of Merton College. With alumni from the last 70 years attending, it promises to be an enjoyable and historic gathering, celebrating Sir Roger’s life, as well as the sport and clubs for which we all share a passion.
© The 1876 Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1207635)
