The FoPV Duck Race 2027
Easter Monday
Here they come again!
We have been organising the Duck Race in Endcliffe park on Easter Mondays since 2009. To find out more about this years race, please scroll down this page.
This year we are raising money towards improving the Endcliffe Park entrance at Hunters Bar.
Please read the information about Online Sales before clicking on the button below to buy your racing ducks.
Phone number required for issuing prizes
Online Sales*
Family of Six Ducks - £5
From now until 2pm on Race Day.
Due to the popularity of the event, and the multiple points of sale, some duck numbers may have multiple owners. In the event that these are among the winning ducks, all the owners are contacted and offered a prize.
With online duck sales you need to buy a 'virtual seat' in one of our 'Virtual Grandstands'.
Each seat is allocated a group of six ducks, for example;
Stand A, Row A, Seat 1 [AA1] (Ducks 1 to 6),
Stand A, Row A, Seat 2 [AA2] (Ducks 7 to 12) etc
These numbers are repeated in each Grandstand SO avoid buying the same seat number in different stands.
Lucky Ducks!
Each Stand contains 4 lucky seats that have a bonus 7th duck
To buy your ducks click on the button below.
To find the duck numbers allocated to a seat, enter the seat number in the 'Find Duck Numbers' search bar below
Seat numbers are preceded by the Grandstand Letter i.e. AA1
* We have been unable to find an automated online solution that allows us to sell multiples of six ducks, which in turn sends the buyer a list of those duck numbers. We have adapted this system, which is designed for the sale of physical event tickets, and allocated groups of numbers to each 'virtual seat' so that you can look up the numbers allocated to each virtual seat in the search box below. This may appear complicated, however it is currently our best solution.
Other ways to Buy your Racing Ducks
In Person - From [date]
At both Endcliffe Park and Forge Dam Cafes.
You can also buy them on the Race Day from the stalls at the Start Line, and near the Endcliffe Park Cafe.
Individual Duck - £1
Family of Six Ducks - £5
There will also be multiple QR code posters in the park on Race Day, which will bring you back to this page where you can buy ducks online.
About The Race
The Duck Race itself starts at 2pm on Easter Monday
Come and help us all count down to the spectacular start and watch our racing ducks launch into the river. See below for the route.
The first race was in 2009, as a fund raising event for Shepherd Wheel. It proved to be a popular event and has been run every year since, with the exception of the two Covid years.
Using a unique launching tower built in 2015, the FoPV Duck Race releases 2500 numbered plastic ducks into the River Porter just below the weir above Holme Wheel Dam. They float down the river for approximately 500 meters, where they are captured in a specially designed finish line between the café and the Playground. 40 ducks are captured in a wire tube in the order they finish the race, where they are kept secure until the official list of winning ducks is produced, checked and verified by the FoPV Duck Race Committee. The remaining ducks are scooped back up and put back in their boxes and over the following weeks will be cleaned and made ready for next year.
Bring your camera and take plenty of photographs and video, and we would love to see them. You can send them to pictures@fopv.org.uk
The winning duck numbers and owner names (Not including contact details) will be posted on this website a few days after the race. All owners of winning ducks will be contacted in the days immediately following the race, using the details provided at the point of purchase.
Stalls open from 11am:
The Course
The Duck Race kicks off just above Holme Wheel Dam, where the footbridge crosses the river, with views of the launch from all sides. Follow the action as the ducks race approximately 500 metres downstream to the finish between the café and the playground. With plenty of space on both banks, pick your spot and cheer as the winning duck enters the finishing ‘tube’!
The full course can be seen in this map.
Personal Care
The Porter Brook is an urban river. As it flows from its moorland origins through rural areas and into the city, it receives water from a number of sources, as other urban streams do. Along the way, the water may come into contact with wildlife and domestic animals, run-off from farmland, and surface water washed off roads and buildings. During heavy rainfall, or when blockages overwhelm the network, a mixture of rainwater and untreated wastewater may also enter the river.
To help look after your personal hygiene, and especially that of young children, please try to keep river water away from any cuts or wounds. If you do come into contact with the water, please avoid putting your hands near your mouth. Afterwards, it is advisable to wash thoroughly and/or use hand gel.
Take a Sneaky Beak at the 2026 Race Prizes so far;
£100 VOUCHER PAGETS BUILDERS MERCHANTS
£70 VOUCHER RINGINGLOW ARCHERY
2 MATCH DAY TICKETS SHEFFIELD UNITED
DAY TRIP FOR 2 MAXFIELD TRAVEL
FIREHOUSE FITNESS 6 MONTHS MEMBERSHIP
CASE OF HENDERSONS RELISH
ABBEYDALE BREWERY ALE AND GLASSES
MEAL FOR 2 RISING SUN
MEAL VOUCHER STAG’S HEAD
VOUCHER ENDCLIFFE PARK CAFÉ
WILDLIFE TRUST CHILDRENS WILD PLAY
POLLARDS SELECTION TEAS AND COFFEE
VOUCHER FROM GREEDY GREEK
CROSSPOOL SPAR VOUCHER
COFFEE & CAKE FOR 2 LA PATISSERIE
FAMOUS SHEFFIELD SHOP ORNAMENT
FAMILY EXPERIENCE AT PLANET POT
VOUCHER FROM BEAUTY CARE
VOUCHER FROM PETAL ACCESSORIES
VOUCHER FROM SHARROW VALE HARDWARE
VOUCHER FROM PORTER BROOK DELI
2 BOTTLES OF WINE FROM THE TIMES WINE CLUB
VOUCHER RHYME & REASON
YORKSHIRE CREPE COMPANY VOUCHER
SALON 60 LODGE MOOR VOUCHER
PEAK FRUITS SELECTION
SKATEBOARD FROM PULLINS AMUSEMENTS
HOUSE PLANT BROOKHOUSE FLORIST