About the Stonehenge Stomp
What is the Stonehenge Stomp ?
The Stonehenge Stomp is an event held once a year (normally the last weekend in January) where walkers and runners come together to cover one of the various routes available while taking in the lovely countryside around the Stonehenge area.
Everyone is welcome to attend and join in: Runners, ramblers, walkers, families, dog walkers - there is something for everyone.
It is truly an event open to all.
There are different distances available to suit all abilities which are 5km (pushchair friendly), 10km, 20km, 30km and 40km.
Runners should note that this event is not a race and is not timed. There will however be a cut-off time for the event.
When & where is the Stonehenge Stomp?
The 36th Stonehenge Stomp will be held on Sunday the 28th January 2024 starting and finishing at the Amesbury Sports Centre.
Challenge yourself to complete 10, 20, 30 or even 40 kms of scenic trails in this ancient landscape - with views of Stonehenge from all routes.
Does the Stonehenge Stomp help support Charities?
Absolutely! We believe in supporting our community and local charities. Each year some of the profits go to support several local charities who benefit from the funds raised by The Stonehenge Stomp.
Please watch out for information on our News page to find out more.
Do I get anything for completing a Stomp?
Once you have completed a Stomp and you have returned back to HQ to book back in, you will receive a Stonehenge Stomp sew on badge.
The badges are unique every year - how many can you collect ?
Also available for a minimal fee are certificates showing what distance you completed with your name - these are available when booking back in.
History of the Stomp
The first Stomp event took place in 1989 and it has always been held on the same date, the last whole weekend in January.
Originally the Saturday walk, The Woodhenge Womble did not start until late afternoon and many people completed it in the dark. The Woodhenge Womble still takes place but now starts at 2pm from Durrington. (See The Amesbury Walkers website).
In the early days the people who helped included local air cadets and although many helpers have been and gone over the years, we still have some originals helping us today.
In the early 1990’s Amesbury Sports Centre had a bar and walkers would go into Amesbury for a meal on the Saturday night and come back to the Centre for a beer and some socialising with friends, some of whom had not seen each other since the previous Stomp!. Overnight accommodation was provided in the Centre, you brought your own sleeping bag and chose your spot in the Gym Hall. Everyone was up and about by six am and waiting for a cooked breakfast. Some were a bit bleary eyed, especially the cadet groups who had been playing about half the night!
By about eight am everyone had got themselves sorted, signed on and ready to go. Over the thirty years we have been pretty lucky with the weather, usually cold but once you got going it wasn’t too bad.
The Stomp route has stayed basically the same over the years, occasionally we have had to make changes due to weather conditions and the expected footfall over National Trust Ground. All four routes pass through the same checkpoints so if you are not having such a good day you can always drop back to s shorter distance.
In most of the thirty years we have averaged around the five hundred entrants, there are one or two people who have completed all the events and are looking likely to make it thirty one. There has been a lot of commitment to the event over the years and especially from the local landowners who have allowed us to place controls for the walk on their land.
2018 saw the thirtieth anniversary of the event and members of CoSARC came on board to run things with help from some of the Amesbury Walkers. 2018 was possibly a bit frantic with many old and a lot of new faces coming along to celebrate the walk.
2019 was another fantastic Stomp with many new faces and with the event growing and adapting - it certainly seems to be an event that has grown in popularity.
Plans are already underway to make 2020 even better. The Stonehenge Stomp is truly something special where you can come along and enjoy the event in this historic landscape.
Keith Burningham (Amesbury Walkers)