Run Archery European Cup comes to the home of Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest, Edwinstowe

Competitors from all across the continent will descend on the home of Robin Hood this weekend, for the 2024 Run Archery European Cup.

Archery GB are this year hosting the cup at Sherwood Forest, Edwinstowe, an area long associated with archery thanks to Robin Hood.

More than 80 participants from across Europe will compete in the event — a new, growing discipline of archery which blends accuracy and athleticism.

The competition will run from Friday, October 11, to Sunday, October 13, and among the competitors is two-time Olympian archer Tom Hall, who took a ninth place finish for Team GB in the Paris Olympic Games.

Organisers Archery GB have teamed up with the RSPB, which manages the 450-acre Sherwood Forest reserve, Edwinstowe Cricket Club and Newark and Sherwood District Council, to bring the event to the world-famous Nottinghamshire woodland.

Arran Coggan, head of sport development at Archery GB, said: “We are thrilled to invite the public to join us in this historic and enchanting location, known for its rich history and natural beauty. We hope that you enjoy your time with us, and we are sure that the event promises to be a remarkable gathering of talent, skill, and sportsmanship.”

The event is free to watch — including the finals between 1.30pm and 3pm on Sunday, October 13, when the champions will be crowned — and spectators are advised to bring a camping chair or picnic blanket if they want to sit and watch.

In Run Archery competitors run distances of up to four kilometres with their bow in their hands and shoot arrows over a distance of 18 metres in a secure range.

The event at Sherwood Forest will include a mixture of individual, team, and mixed team sprint races, including relays.

The sprint routes at this event will follow the boundary of the Edwinstowe Cricket Club ground in Forest Corner, while the four kilometre races will see competitors running around the cricket pitch, before joining the bridleway and Major Oak trail in the forest.

Hollie Drake, RSPB senior site manager for Sherwood Forest, said: “We’re thrilled to have been selected to host this prestigious event in the Run Archery calendar.

“It seems like a natural fit for this event to come to this special woodland, which inspired the stories and ballads of the world’s most famous archer.

“We hope our visitors this weekend will be just as inspired to take up the sport themselves after watching some of the action.”