Herriot Hospice's first Moonlight Glow Walk sets off from Thirsk Racecourse on the evening of Saturday 3 October: about 5k after dark, through the centre of Thirsk and back to the course.
Checked 1 October 2026 against the hospice's own event page and FAQ. It is on what's on in Thirsk, and we're at 87 Market Place, 15 to 20 minutes' walk from the start.
The evening, in order
The event village. The night starts here, at Thirsk Racecourse. Walkers come in by the Grandstand, Paddock and Picnic Enclosure entrance on Station Road. Register, get a hot drink, find the food, and use the neon face-painting and glitter hair stations if you have come to glow properly. There is music and a warm-up before the start.
Sign-in. Everyone is signed in and ready half an hour before the start.
The walk. Out through the centre of town and looping back round to the racecourse. The hospice puts it at between one and two hours.
Back at the course. Medals, more music, a cup of Yorkshire Tea, and signing out, which the hospice asks everyone to do so it knows all its walkers are back.
The times for each part of the night and the ticket prices are on the walk's What's On page, which links the hospice's own event page.
Who it is for
Anyone. Some people will walk in memory of someone, some for a relative the hospice looked after at home, and some because it is their local hospice and a good night out. The hospice's new in-patient unit, Herriot Hospice at The Lambert on Chapel Street, took its first patients this year. The hospice's own figure is that 120 in sponsorship can pay for an evening of care for a patient there.
Adult and 12 to 17 tickets come with a T-shirt to walk in and a medal at the end, and a paid younger child's ticket includes the medal. The free place for the very youngest does not include either. Bright clothes, neon and glow sticks are the dress code, and a glow pack can be added when you book. Teams of six or more get a discount from the hospice, which is worth asking about if you are walking as a family or a workplace.
If you would rather give things than walk, the hospice's own shop is one of the eight on the Thirsk charity shop trail, on the Market Place.
Getting there
From our door it is west along Station Road, flat, 15 to 20 minutes on foot, which is the same walk as any race day. There is parking at the racecourse subject to availability, and the hospice encourages anyone nearby to walk rather than drive. Coming by train, the station is a short walk from the course, and our guide to getting around has the rest.
Before you sign up
It is an October night outside. The hospice suggests a long-sleeved layer under the T-shirt, a waterproof and good shoes for muddy paths. It runs late, and the venue is loud and dark in places, so think about how the youngest in your group will be by the time you finish. A pushchair is possible but a carrier is the better idea, because some paths are bumpy. Dogs are not permitted. The toilets are at the racecourse, at the start and finish.
You can register at the racecourse on the night, until the walk sets off, if there is space. It costs more than booking online, which the hospice closes at noon on Friday 2 October.
Where we fit
We close at four on a Saturday, well before the village opens, so make us the late lunch before you walk. The menu has soup and the sconotti, which is a sensible thing to have eaten before 5k in the dark. If you are a team of six or more, book a table and eat together first.
The same Saturday is the opening day of the pumpkin festival at Monk Park Farm, so pumpkins in the day and a glow walk at night makes a whole day of it.
