Take on the Exeter COSY Routes Challenge and complete 26.2 miles, a marathon distance, around the city of Exeter in your own time.

Or if the full distance feels too taxing, choose one of the shorter individual routes which vary from four to seven miles.

Sign up in advance – registration fee £20 – and receive a bespoke medal (sent on receipt of entry) with email updates and photos as you tick the miles off. You can also buy a COSY T-shirt - £15, technical fabric, printed in Exeter - to wear whilst undertaking your challenge and with pride when you finish.

If you sign up today you'll receive a voucher for a free cream tea for two to enjoy at Topsham Museum. We have 50 vouchers to give away and still have some available for prompt entrants.

On the route you'll discover hidden gems, enjoy stunning views, follow quiet footpaths between the hustle and bustle. See the city as never before!

Exeter COSY Routes is an inclusive wellbeing project created for Exeter Dementia Action Alliance, encouraging people of all ages and abilities to be fit and active, by self-guided walking and running on mapped routes around the city. There are gentle options for people with limited mobility, those living with dementia and their carers.

The full route takes in every compass and hill viewpoint around Exeter, along a mix of footpaths, quiet lanes, field tracks, over stiles, through woodland, paved and some unpaved roads, along the city’s suburban fringe, and into neighbouring village communities.

It bridges the river and canal, goes under and over the M5 motorway, crosses both London rail lines, and passes churches, pubs, and businesses.

COSY is an acronym for ‘Circle Of Somewhere Yours’ as that’s what this all-encompassing route is.

Whether you take on the full challenge over months, weeks, days or in one strenuous go, you’ll gain a new awareness of the city and complete a marathon in doing so.

You can track your progress on GPS or input data manually. If you link your Garmin it will automatically record any run/walk wherever it is and register for the route completion - so you may prefer to add details manually to avoid this. Technical T-shirts in men’s, women’s, and children’s sizes available to buy priced £15, including postage and packing. 

You can enter as individual or as part of a team, perhaps a running or walking club, a workplace, family or friends group. If registering with a team you can track each other's progress. You can also opt to make your profile and details private and personal so they can only be seen by you. 

The full COSY route breaks down into eight individual routes of between four to seven miles. Following these will give you full circular walks, notching up 47.5 miles in total. You can enter here to do all or part of any of the routes. All route details are on the COSY Routes website www.exetercosyroutes.wordpress.com 
 

All proceeds from challenge registration and T-shirt sales will go towards the awareness raising and community wellbeing work of Exeter Dementia Action Alliance.

This challenge will remain open and continue through to World Alzheimer's Month in September 2022, giving ample time through lighter evenings and hopefully better weather to complete.