Half Marathon | explorr Festival 2026

The honest Deeside test. Rolling gravel and forest, real climbing, then 6 kilometres of riverside trail to run it home. A distance to get properly stuck into, with the festival waiting at the line in Banchory. 21km across the forests and gravel of Royal Deeside, one lap of the terrain the marathon runs twice. It climbs where it should, opens onto sweeping views, then hands you six kilometres along the River Dee to the finish. A half you run for the adventure, not the splits. Take on the half and see the best of Royal Deeside in a morning. Steady climbs, forest gravel, five feed stations and a festival finish. Starting on Dee Street, the first 1km rolls out on traffic-free tarmac before the gravel begins to climb towards Scolty Woodland car park. The work has its rewards straight away: big open views across Scolty Hill and out over the River Dee as you go up. A stretch of rolling gravel offers some reprieve before a punchy climb to the first feed station at 4.4km, refreshments waiting. From there, rolling gravel tracks open up sweeping Deeside views before the route heads deeper into Blackhall Forest towards the second feed station at 8.5km. Next comes an adventurous stretch through Slewdrum Forest, managed by the Birse Community Trust, before the trail drops you back towards the River Dee and the third feed station at 14km. What follows is the best of the day: 6 absolutely stunning kilometres hugging the River Dee, past quiet fishing beats, a mix of smaller trails and wider tracks, fresh river air carrying you on. Feed stations at 18km and 19.5km keep you going towards the Red Bull Flying KM, 1km out, your last chance for some bragging rights before the same finish as every explorr run: King George V Park. Like all off-road courses, the route runs slightly over the advertised distance, so expect a little more than 21km on the day.