9k Run Sedgemoor: Stunning Loop Through Cheddar Gorge

Route Overview & Local Insights

This 9.2km loop through the heart of Sedgemoor offers a quintessential Mendip Hills running experience, blending challenging elevation with breathtaking limestone scenery. With 317m of ascent, the route is categorised as hilly, making it a fantastic session for runners looking to build strength on varied gradients. Starting from Birch Hill, you’ll navigate a mix of paved sections and rugged trails as you sweep around the rim of Cheddar Gorge and through the atmospheric Black Rock nature reserve. The descent via Pulpit Rock provides not only a technical test for your legs but also some of the most iconic panoramic views in South West England.

Cheddar Gorge is a site of immense prehistoric significance, famous for being the discovery site of "Cheddar Man," Britain's oldest complete skeleton. As you run past the towering 450ft cliffs, you are traversing a landscape carved by meltwater floods over the last 1.2 million years. The area is a haven for local wildlife; keep an sharp eye out for the feral goats that expertly navigate the crags or the rare peregrine falcons circling overhead. Running here feels like a journey through deep time, where the ancient carboniferous limestone creates a natural amphitheatre that has drawn explorers and athletes for centuries.