Oxenhope Straw Race at Oxenhope Village

The Oxenhope Straw Race takes place every summer in the Pennine village of Oxenhope, near Keighley. It was started by two men who made a bet about racing from one pub to the next carrying a bale of straw.

It has gone from strength to strength, raising around £470,000 to date. The money is raised by teams collecting sponsorship for completing the course, often in fancy dress but also the more serious athletes competing for a good time, whilst carrying a bale of straw and visiting each of the local pubs in the village. It is great day out with a real carnival atmosphere!

The sponsorship money is collected in by the Straw Race committee, and in November it is distributed to local charities. Various other fundraising events take place throughout the year to add to the total money raised. In 2019 we were able to make donations in excess of £9,000 to several local charities.