THE RAMBLERS
EAST DORSET GROUP

Purbeck Plod

The Purbeck Plod is a 25 mile challenge walk starting and ending in Swanage. It was introduced in 1965 and ran yearly through to 2002. Our Group re-introduced the walk in 2008 adding the options of a 25 mile run and a 16 mile walk. You can see the route here. The challenge isn't just in the distance. There are a lot of climbs along the way. On the 25 mile route these add up to about 4,300 feet and on the 16 mile route, they add up to about 2,700 feet.

Each year we ask East Dorset Group members to provide some assistance. Please contact us if you would like to help.

Purbeck Plod 2012

The 2012 Purbeck Plod will be held on 24th June. The entry form is here. Please send your completed copy with your cheque for £5 to the address given on the form. Please contact us if you haven’t received your route description within 3 weeks.

The closing date for postal entries is 15th June 2012.

Purbeck Plod 2011

The 2011 Purbeck Plod took place on Sunday 26th June. Have a look at some photographs of the event. If you are in a picture that you don't want to appear, please contact us and we will take it down. You can see what a misty morning it was, although it eventually turned into a really hot day.

We were delighted that 200 people turned up at the Pier at Swanage ready to test themselves on this hilly route. As usual, a few changed their minds about the distance they could go once they got to Kimmeridge, some retiring and others taking advantage of our shorter 16 mile walk.

Once again we have to thank our marshals and other helpers who sat outside for many hours or worked for 8 hours in a hot kitchen turning out tea and pasties.

If you would like to see the results you can look at them in name order or in time order for the 16 mile walk or time order for the 25 mile walk or run. If you come across something you think is inaccurate, please let us know and we will endeavour to put it right.

Lost property

Lost property from the Purbeck Plod will be kept for 6 months and then disposed of. Currently there is one lens cap in the lost property box. Please contact us if you believe it is yours.

Purbeck Plod 2010

The 2010 Purbeck Plod took place on Sunday 27th June, organised for the third year running by the Ramblers, East Dorset Group. Many of our participants were there for the third time and were able to greet the checkpoint marshals on the way round as old friends.

It was a really hot day and we were competing for attention with a certain World Cup match but we were delighted that 175 people turned up at the Pier at Swanage ready to test themselves on this hilly route. A few changed their minds about the distance they would go and took advantage of our shorter 16 mile walk simply because the weather was so very hot.

Once again we have to thank our marshals, who also gave up the chance of watching football, and sat outside for many hours while Plodders ran or trudged through.

Our 2 fastest runners went round in 4 hours 11 minutes and 4 hours 12 minutes respectively, half an hour ahead of the other runners. If you would like to see the results you can look at them in name order or in time order for the 16 mile walk or time order for the 25 mile walk or run. If you come across something you think is inaccurate, please let us know and we will endeavour to put it right.

If you have any comments on the 2010 Plod, please let us know.

Purbeck Plod 2009

The 2009 Plod took place on 28th June. We were lucky with the weather again although it was rather hot in the more sheltered spots. Fred Daldry, who was part of the original organising committee for the Purbeck Plod 40 years ago, opened the event for us this year. 123 people started off from Swanage Pier, the runners an hour behind the walkers at first, but catching up and overtaking them at various points along the way.

If you would like to see the results you can look at them in name order or in time order for the 16 mile walk or time order for the 25 mile walk or run.

If you have any comments on the 2009 Plod, please let us know.

Purbeck Plod 2008

East Dorset Group's first Plod! After many hours spent organising everything from a detailed route description to supplies of food and drink, it took place on Sunday 15th June. 149 walkers and runners started from Swanage Pier on a beautiful summer morning. More than half of the entrants were local but many people made the effort to come from further afield, arriving from many parts of England and Wales. We even had one entrant from France and one from Spain!