It’s with huge regret that we have taken the decision to cancel the Hooley 5K 2023.

With the impact of storm Babet hitting areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England across the course of Thursday and Friday and continued strong wind conditions and continued rain on Saturday we feel that it is the only safe and responsible course of action.

Various areas are on yellow and amber weather warnings, including a warning for wind in the north and northwest of England throughout the day on Friday, during the period when many people would be travelling,

Notwithstanding the impact of wind on racing conditions, we have received advice from the management at Strathclyde Park that they can’t guarantee the course will be open on the weekend due to anticipated flooding from the River Calder on Thursday and Friday. The anticipated rainfall will be falling on already waterlogged ground following storm Agnes two weeks ago, which caused significant flooding and closure of the Loch for two days. The flooding brings a significant amount of debris into the Loch as well as a pollution risk.

On a balance of risks we have taken the decision to confirm the cancellation today in order to give people time to adjust their plans prior to their anticipated travel and not make a potentially risky journey when there is a high likelihood that the event won’t be able to go ahead on the day.

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has given up their time in the planning of this event, those who had committed to volunteering over the weekend, along with those who entered this edition of the race. We will reconvene and let you know plans for future editions.

Best wishes
The Hooley Organising Committee