Come and join in with the Salmon Run 2024
An Olympic gold medallist will join runners along the River Exe on Sunday 29 September to highlight the journey of the endangered Atlantic salmon from sea to spawning ground.
Now in its third year, the annual Salmon Run, organised by Tidelines and supported by Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT), offers people the chance to complete a 50-mile ultra run from sea to moor, a 5km fun run or take part in a 5km community relay race.
And this year, all registered runners can fundraise to support our work helping fish to navigate the region’s rivers, while anyone can make a donation.
“In the past, thousands of salmon completed an epic trans-Atlantic journey up the Exe to spawn, with the river’s original name Isca meaning river of fish.
“Now numbers of returning fish are in the hundreds or less and the species, cited on the IUCN Red List of endangered British species since 2023, is facing extinction in our river.
“We are calling for runners, joggers, walkers and nature lovers to take part and share their love for the river, their community and this amazing species to celebrate its life cycle journey and its ecological and cultural significance to Exeter and beyond.”
Ultra runners will travel 50 miles upriver from Exmouth to Exmoor, passing through Exeter and Tiverton on the Exe Valley Way.
Relay teams will run the same route in seven sections, passing a symbolic hand-crafted salmon baton called Samantha from hand to hand, while people of all ages and abilities can join the event at Exeter’s Riverside Valley Park for a 5km leg of the relay.
One runner and London 2012 Olympic gold medal winner in the Men’s Canoe Double Slalom, Etienne Stott is supporting the event.
He said: “By bringing people together, connecting them with the places they run through and nurturing empathy with other beings, we can understand, protect, and act with greater awareness of the natural world and what is at stake from the climate and nature crisis.”
WRT continues to support the event through its Strategic Exe Weirs (SEW) project.
Adrian Dowding, SEW project manager said:
“As runners make their way from sea to source, they will witness some of the challenges these amazing fish face.
“And as in-river barriers hinder this iconic species, through SEW we are working towards a free-flowing river Exe to make the journey easier for adult salmon to successfully spawn in the upper reaches.”
Along with WRT, Tidelines is assisted by Wild Running and Friends of the River Exe and has assistance from the Devon Environment Foundation, Aviva Crowdfunder, and Sideshore.
The run leaves Exmouth at 7.30am, passing through Exeter’s Riverside Valley Park between 9am and 11am (approx.), and this year there is an opportunity for people to fundraise for WRT to support its work restoring and protecting the health of the River Exe.
To find out how to book a place, visit tidelines.uk and to donate or create a sponsored fundraiser as a registered runner go to donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/salmon-run-2024