Round Leighton Buzzard Relay
Saturday 18th July 2026
As part of the celebrations for LBAC’s 50th year, the club is hosting another edition of the Round Leighton Buzzard Relay. The event was run for club members virtually in 2020 and in person in 2021, but this year will see it opened up to some of our favourite neighbouring clubs too.
What is the Round Leighton Buzzard Round?
It’s a relay race that comprises of 4 legs that together complete a single lap of Leighton Buzzard. Teams of 4 will navigate their way round the route as quickly as they can.
The route
For those fortunate enough to take part in the 2021 edition then you will know the route already, but if you are new to the RLBR or need a refresher, the legs are as follows:
Globe to Tiddenfoot – Leg 1 – 3.8 miles/6.1km
Tiddenfoot to Astral – Leg 2 – 4.5miles/7.2km
Astral to the Star – Leg 3 – 5miles/8km
The Star to Globe – Leg 4 – 3.1miles/5km
There will be volunteers at each of the handover points to make it clear where these happen, but the remained of the route will be unmarked. As such we suggest you recce your leg in advance and/or have the route on a watch or phone in case you need it.
Prizegiving
Following the completion of the round there will be a prize giving at the globe (the start and finish of the round). Please join us to congratulate the winning teams and raise a glass to the last 50 years of Leighton Buzzard Athletics Club.
More details will follow with the prize categories, but fastest teams and a handicap system will be implemented to allow prizes for all.
Please feel free to share and tag @LeightonAthlete in any photos of the event.
2020 Edition
In April 2020, deep in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the lockdown took hold and parkruns and racing competitions were cancelled, a couple of members of the club decided that once we were allowed back outside again, we should take full advantage of the countryside surrounding Leighton Buzzard.
A circular route of Leighton Buzzard was devised and split into 4 routes and a plan to turn it into a virtual (and in the future, potentially real!) relay competition.
Teams of 4, with two men and two women each, were put forward and were given a window of May to August to record their fastest time on their nominated leg. Some went straight out and did a few tester runs that day, some dilly-dallied and did nothing for nearly 4 months, but at the end of it all we had a set of results and winnings teams and individuals.
The biggest positive from the event was that so many of us discovered new trails almost in our own back gardens, but also to actually have an aim or a target to work towards in a time when it was much needed.
Well done to all those who ran and those who picked up a prize.
Full results (and prize winners) can be found here with a summary below.
Team
| Fastest Team | ||
| Team | Overall Time | |
| 1st | The Marmite Scrolls | 01:49:51 |
| 2nd | Grim Reading | 01:57:53 |
| 3rd | Team Paul | 02:05:22 |
| Fastest Team (age graded adjusted) | ||
| Team | Overall (adjusted) Time | |
| 1st | Grim Reading | 01:51:22 |
| 2nd | Legs Miserables | 01:57:05 |
| 3rd | The Liz Miller Band | 01:59:01 |
Individual
| Fastest | Age Graded Fastest | |||
| Leg 1 | Jo Sharples | 00:21:24 | Warren Rose | 00:19:58 |
| Leg 2 | Paul Andrew | 00:24:12 | Paul Andrew | 00:23:22 |
| Leg 3 | Will Eastman | 00:25:30 | James Bell | 00:24:18 |
| Leg 4 | Ian Grimshaw | 00:33:00 | Ian Grimshaw | 00:30:11 |
| Long John Silver Award (most times one leg) | Valentina Ferrari | 6 times | Leg 2 |
| The Chris Dimmock Round | Paul Griffiths | 02:05:48 | |
| Last Chance Saloon | Steve Sharples | 31/08/2020 – 1.30pm | 10.5 hours before deadline! |