The Gaddesby Gallop is a 5 1/4 mile cross country race held on the last Saturday before Christmas. The race was originally held in 2002 along a route between Gaddesby, Barsby and Ashby Folville – devised by Jeff Bodycott and Dave Ford. The course was slightly lengthened the following year and officially incorporated the dew pond – through which eventual winner John Collingham had led the race the previous year. Th
e route also incorporates a length of 4′ diameter drainage pipe and a wade along a length of the Gaddesby Brook.
Past winners include Gemma Steel, now a member of the Great Britain Cross Country team, who held off Sally Newman in 2006 despite running with one stockinged foot having lost a shoe halfway round the course.
The race was revived in 2011 by Lance Shaw and Jeff Bodycott. The winner, Mark Powell of Wigston Phoenix, set a course record time of 30:04. Lance and Jeff intend the race to be an annual event from now on and are looking put together a trophy with the name of all the previous winners to take pride of place in the Cheney Arms.
Gallop 2002 Gallop 2003 Gallop 2004 Gallop 2005 Gallop 2006 Gallop 2011
