Tetbury Woolsack Races

The Tetbury Woolsack Races are run on Gumstool Hill in Tetbury on the late May bank holiday Monday, when runners carry sacks of wool up and down a slope of 1 in 4. In 2026 they were on Monday 25 May, from 10am to 5pm. The pattern gives Monday 31 May 2027 for the next races, but that date is still to be confirmed: when we checked in October 2026 the organisers had not announced it.

How the woolsack races work

Men carry woolsacks of about 27kg and women and the youth teams sacks of about 16kg, made for the races by the British Wool Federation. Since 1999 the course has been about 220 metres; the original, about 256 metres, ran from the Royal Oak at the bottom of the hill to the Crown at the top. There are relays for teams of four, individual races and a youth relay for 14 to 17 year olds, and plenty enter for the fun of it. In 2026 the first race was at 11am and the men's individual race, the last, at 3pm; entries closed on 19 May, and none are taken on the day.

Away from the hill the day has a market, food stalls, a fairground on Chipping Street and entertainment on Millennium Green and at the Market House, where the trophies are presented.

Where the woolsack races come from

The official races began in 1972. They draw on a local story: the tale goes that in the 17th century, when Tetbury grew rich on wool, drovers drank at the pub at the foot of Gumstool Hill, now the Royal Oak, then ran up to the Crown with a sheep or a sack of wool on their backs to impress the women of the town. The landlord of the Crown, quoted on the organisers' website, says the races began, like many such ideas, in the pub. They were not run in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

Getting there and parking on race day

In 2026 the middle of Tetbury was closed to traffic and parking from 7am to 7pm, including Gumstool Hill, Church Street, Silver Street, Market Place, Cirencester Road and Long Street, with diversions signed from 6.30am. In 2026 three event car parks charged £4 a car for the day: St Mary's Primary School on St Mary's Road (GL8 8BW), Tetbury Hospital on Malmesbury Road (GL8 8XB) and Tetbury Town Football Club at Preston Park (GL8 8FY). The West Street car parks (GL8 8LL) charge their usual rates and have the disabled spaces; a few more on Long Street are reached through the road closure by the Visitor Centre, where Blue Badge holders show their badge.

Staying in Tetbury for the races

The Royal Oak sits at the foot of the course, and the Snooty Fox and the Close Hotel are a few minutes' walk from the hill; there are more in where to stay in Tetbury. Before the first race, the Tetbury town walk takes in the Market House and St Mary the Virgin, and Westonbirt Arboretum is a short drive south-west.