On Thursday 22nd September 2016 Canterbury City centre played host to the second Canterbury Hop Pocket Race. The Canterbury Hop Pocket Race challenges only the strongest and best teams to carry a filled Hop Pocket along a 500m route. The event involves a team of 4 carrying a full size hop pocket against the clock. The Hop Pockets are filled to a weight of 70 kilos for the mens and mixed teams and 50 kilos for the ladies, this is no simple challenge! Teams are set off at timed intervals, and all times collected at the end of the event. Following the event, Beautiful Town Music in association with Canterbury Connected BID, delivered a programme of folk, roots and country music to celebrate the Hop Pocket Race.
2016 Results
Men’s Race – Trophy sponsored by Redsell’s Hop Farm
| Position | Team Name | Team Number | Time |
| 1 | Good as Gold (Goody Ales) | 4 | 00:02:04 |
| 2 | Canterbury Historic River Tours | 3 | 00:02:05 |
| 3 | Burgess Hodgson Accountants | 18 | 00:02:15 |
| 4 | Humulus Lupulus | 7 | 00:02:19 |
| 5 | The Bell & Crown | 11 | 00:02:27 |
| 6 | The Pound | 8 | 00:02:31 |
| 7 | Kreston Reeves | 2 | 00:02:34 |
| 8 | The Jolly Sailor | 1 | 00:02:43 |
| 9 | Abode Canterbury | 10 | 00:03:07 |
| 10 | Pybus Opticians | 13 | 00:03:19 |
| 11 | Canterbury Brewers | 9 | 00:03:24 |
| 12 | Regal Estates Super Team | 14 | 00:03:31 |
| 13 | Nandos | 12 | 00:04:36 |
Mixed Race – Trophy sponsored by Kreston Reeves
| Position | Team Name | Team Number | Time |
| 1 | Crossfit Stone Towers | 6 | 00:02:50 |
| 2= | SuperStars | 3 | 00:03:39 |
| 2= | Canterbury McDonald’s | 15 | 00:03:39 |
Women’s Race – Trophy sponsored by Barretts
| Position | Team Name | Team Number | Time |
| 1 | Burgess Hodgson Accountants | 17 | 00:02:50 |
| 2 | KITCH | 16 | 00:03:31 |
Novelty Awards
| Best Dressed | Best Effort |
| Nandos | SuperStars |
Photos
To have a look at what happened in 2015 click here.
Why a Hop Pocket Race?
Kent has a long and steeped history in producing Hops and Beer, and we felt that it was about time this was celebrated! September is a particularly special month for Hop Producers, as it gives them the annual three week window to produce Green Hop Beer– beer produced from fresh, as opposed to dried, hops. The taste is simply unique, but sadly unlike traditional beers, Green Hop Beer cannot be stored in the same way, and so disappears as quickly as it arrives! The Canterbury Food and Drink Festival (23-25 September) and local pubs will both be offering Green Hop Beer during September-make sure you try a taste!
The event was being organised by Canterbury Business Improvement District which works on behalf of businesses in Canterbury City Centre to make it a vibrant, exciting, well connected and successful business community; a profitable place in which to do business.
Route
The race will start outside Barretts Jaguar Showroom at the far end of Canterbury High Street and will continue up the High Street until the finishing point at Longmarket Square (by Jack Wills) – 500metres.
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