FAQs  

How much is entry?  

Entry to the race is £38 for adults and £15 for the children’s race. This does include entry to the zoo for the day if you wish to spend some time here after the race. There is also a discount for your supporters of 20% but they must all be together when they purchase their tickets. The discounted supporter tickets are available on the day; you cannot purchase them in advance. 

 What age is the children’s run for?  

The ‘Zoom’ is for 4–12-year-olds.  

How old do you have to be to enter the adults race?  

You must be 16 to enter the adult race. 

Can 16- and 17-year-olds sign up themselves for the adult race?  

They can but they need a parent or guardian to fill in the waiver on the form.  

 I am a wheelchair user and have specific access requirements, can I take part?You are welcome to take part in your wheelchair; the route will be through the zoo and on closed roads around the local area. You may wish to scope out the route to see if it is suitable but in theory there is nothing to stop you taking part. 

What time do the runs start? 

The adult run is scheduled to start at 8.30am and the children’s ‘zoom’ at 8.45am. If there are any changes to this you will be notified by email ahead of the day, so please keep an eye on emails! 

Can I go straight into the zoo after I’ve finished the run?  

That depends how quickly you complete the run! The zoo fully opens at 10am but you will be able to access the area adjacent to the main shop from 9.30. You can see our elephants and rhinos from there. Don’t forget there will also be our event village where there will be activities and food and drink options to keep you entertained and where you can re stock on energy for the day! 

Will I see any animals?  

Some of our animals may still be in their houses at the time of the race but you will certainly be able to see lots of animals if you make use of your free access to the zoo after the race.  

Can I dress up as an animal or in fancy dress? 

Seeing people dressed as animals can cause distress to some of our animals, so it is not something we can permit. You can however get your face painted and our amazing team will be in the event village on the day should you wish to do so.  

 Can I run with my child? 

Yes, we are happy for an adult to accompany a younger child if they would like to do so and you do not need to register to run the race to do this, just let us know when you register your child and provide the details requested.  

Can we bring the dog? 

You can bring your dog along with you provided you have someone to look after them whilst you take part in the run. We ask that all dogs are kept on leads and any mess picked up. Chester Zoo is very mindful of animal welfare, so it is prohibited to leave dogs in your car and any dogs found in cars may be reported. Please note that dogs are not allowed near the main entrance area or in the zoo, so if you wish to take advantage of your free ticket, you will need to leave your dog at home.  

Will there be toilets? 

There will be plenty of toilets both in the event village and around the zoo itself for you to use.  

Can we watch race from inside zoo? 

Due to activity within the zoo getting ready for the day, we cannot permit non-runners inside the zoo until the normal opening time. The exception to this is people who are accompanying their children on the Zoom. 

Will there be food and drink available?  

There will be plenty of hot drinks and food available on the day in our event village or of course we have a wide choice of restaurants and kiosks in the zoo should you choose to use your free entry.  

Is there parking?  

Yes, there will be plenty of onsite parking in the zoo's main car park, which is adjacent to the event village, so you can leave any bags etc in your car.  

Is there anywhere to leave bags?  

Yes, there will be a small bag drop area although we recommend that if you bring your car, you leave any belongings in your car. Please note any bags are left at your own risk and Chester Zoo cannot be held responsible for any loss or theft of bags if you leave them at the bag drop or in your car. 

Is water provided?  

You will be able to top up on water in our event village and once along the route but in line with our sustainability policy regarding single use plastic, there will not be any water bottles available. We recommend you bring your own bottle to fill up! 

 Are there photos being taken?  

Our photographers will be there on the day so keep an eye out on social media. There will also be a place for you to take pictures. If you do not want your picture to be taken, please let us know on the day.  

 Where will the money raised for the race go? 

This year the money raised through the run will all go towards our working in fighting EEHV, the virus that targets and kills young elephants both in zoos and in the wild. This work has made huge strides forward in the past few years with a vaccine now in the trial stage and the amazing survival story of our young elephant Indali back in 2019. This is all due to the work carried out by our scientists and conservationists in conjunction with other teams, none of which can happen without the support and donations made by the public. 

 Do I have to raise sponsor money and is there a minimum amount? 

We would love it if you took part in the Run for Nature at Chester Zoo and raised sponsor money for our work in combatting EEHV the virus that kills young elephant. There is no minimum amount and it is not something you have to do. There will however be a free t shirt for anyone who raises more than £60 and there are prizes for our highest fundraisers!   

 How do I get my t-shirt if I’ve raised the £60 sponsorship?  

We will be handing out t shirts on the day. We will be keeping an eye on those people who hit the target so will have a list but if you get to £60 the day before or even on the day, just bring along proof and you will be able to claim your reward. 

 How can I raise money? 

You can raise money by using the fundraising page that has been created for you on Enthuse. You can add a message about why you are doing the run to personalise it, add your training progress and send out to family and friends who may want to get behind you and support our cause. Seeing those donations come in can really help with motivation for the big day. There are of course other platforms but Enthuse is the easiest for you as it is already set up once your go through the registration process.  

You can of course always take part in other activities, please ask for a copy of our fundraising pack if you might be interested in doing this! 

 Can I run the race for another charity? 

We would love it if you took part in the Run for Nature at Chester Zoo to help us raise money for our work in combatting EEHV the virus that kills young elephants. The event is very much about saving these incredible animals and raising awareness on the issue. If you wish to run to support another charity, there are other races in the area where you would be able to do this.  

 I am a member so I don’t get benefit of free entry, why isn’t it that much cheaper for me?  

By way of a thank you, when we first launched, we gave our members a limited early bird 10% discount not available to the general public. This is very much a fundraising event to raise money to support our incredible conservationists in the work they do to combat EEHV that virus that kills young elephants both in zoos and in the wild. By taking part you are supporting this vital work. 

Why is there an admin fee? 

The service fee is to ensure that as much of the money raised as possible goes toward our work in combatting EEHV. We appreciate and value your support in this.  

Why are you using Enthuse?  

Enthuse is a platform used by many charity runs, including the London Marathon to manage the registration and communication process. We love that you can also manage your fundraising there too in a ready-made page: it keeps things simple for everyone. 

Can we use another platform? 

Of course! We also have a Just Giving account and we have set up and event and campaign page for the Run for Nature at Chester Zoo. We don’t actively monitor any other accounts but respect your choice on this. We do however recommend using Enthuse for the smoothest journey. 

I registered on Just Giving for my fundraising, why am I getting two emails? 

By using Just Giving for your fundraising, you are registered on two platforms for this event that cannot communicate with each other, and this may result in your getting some duplicate communications about your fundraising. You can always choose to opt out of this should you wish. 

What time do I need to arrive? 

Please ensure you arrive at least 30 minutes before your timed run. This is to ensure we can check you into the event village and make sure you have everything you need before you start! 10K will start at 08:30am (participants to arrive for 08:15am latest) Zoom will start at 08:45am (participants to arrive for 08:30am latest)  

 What should I bring on the day?  

You should bring a water bottle as there will not be water out on the route. You can fill your bottle in the event village prior to the race though! If you are planning on spending the rest of the day in the zoo, do wear some comfy shoes as those sore feet won’t get much of a rest! 

 Do I need to train?  

You should certainly do some training and we have put together a training plan which we will be sending out and we hope will help you! 

 Is there an emergency contact number? 

The emergency number for the day is 07706 251517. A member of our event control team will have that number on the day. 

 Will my run time be tracked?  

Yes, your time will be tracked for the 10k but not for the Zoom. Race times will be available after the event through the Chester Zoo event page. 

Will there be a cut off time?  

The aim is that the roads will re open at around 10.30am so runners should aim to have finished by then. We will have to begin to close down the Event village around that time to allow for the normal opening of the zoo.   

Can I contact you by email?     

Yes, if you have any questions that are not covered here, please send an email to [email protected]