Where is it?
Sywell Country Park, Northampton is run and managed by Northamptonshire County Council.
Parking costs up to £5.20 depending on how long you stay. There is a café and toilet block near to the HQ on site.
The What 3 Words location is here
Sywell country Park (NN6 0QX) is on the outskirts of Northampton and 13 minutes from Junction 15 of the M1 and Junction 8 of the A14. The closest train stations are Northampton and Wellingborough.
What’s a 6 hour event?
I’ve made a short video here to try to explain a little.
It is an event that enables all abilities of runner to run together (or hike/walk!). Ultimately you can run as many 5k laps as you wish in the time limit. You can run one lap in 20 minutes, pick up your medal, flapjack and beer and go home! Alternatively you can head out on your 15th lap at 14:55 and finish in 6:30 having covered over 50 miles! It’s completely up to you.
There is no pressure from us, but we’ll also see if you want one more lap! The format is great for people looking to run further than they’ve ever done before, do a long training run for future events or to enjoy a sociable event with your friends.
Course description
Sywell Country Park is a great venue with good ground underfoot all the way round the reservoir. The overall elevation is only around 150ft with a good chunk of that the climb up the damn wall at the start of each lap! The rest of the lap is gently rolling in places. The time of year means the woodland sections might be “grubby” underfoot but road or light trail shoes would suffice. there are areas with relatively new stone pathways that may be uncomfortable with minimal shoes.
What does it cost?
We operate a tiered pricing approach. The earlier you enter, the cheaper the event but never ever will you pay a booking fee!
Before 03/04/2024 £35
After 03/04/2024 £40
Unaffiliated entrants pay £2 extra. Why not join your local running club or sign up the Big Bear Brigade and save 10% off entries for ever!
How far is the race?
You decide! The 3.1-mile lap at Sywell Country Park means your race can be 5k or, given the relatively flat nature of the course, potentially 50+ miles! You decide how many laps you are going to do on the day within the 6-hour time limit. If you're looking to cover a marathon distance you'll need to complete 8 laps (and a mini lap) and a half marathon will be 4 laps (and an even smaller mini lap!).
What’s an Altra try-on event?
Our friends at Altra will be coming along with a complete set of a few different models of their amazing foot-shaped shoes for you to try out on the trails! Simply take your size out for a lap or 3 and see what you think.
I, Paul, am I a big fan of Altra and have been wearing them pretty much exclusivly since 2018. They are different (in a good way!) and so being able to go for an actual run on actual trail is a great opportunity. The lapped format means if you don’t get on with them it’s just one lap of discomfort - not your whole event!
No catches, no hard sell and no ruined event! We’re just trying to add something else to your day.
Has the event been run before?
Yes, many times! You can find the previous results here.
I’m unsure what to expect at a 6 hour event?
We’ve made some videos to try and help newcomers understand Big Bear Events and 6 hour events a little more here. We’ve got lots of videos on our You Tube channel that might help you see what we’re all about!.
I’ve heard you do nice medals. What will it look like?
Once it’s in our hands we’ll share the design with you!
I’m not that fussed by a medal, drink and flapjack…
In that case our partnership with Trees Not Tees may be of interest! When you sign up to this event you can select to have no finish line swag and instead we’ll donate the cost of this to Trees Not Tees who will plant a tree in their Scottish woodland on your behalf! You can find more info about this initiative here.
Can I run with my dog?
No, our canicross season finishes in March.
Is there a gpx of the route?
The route gpx can be found here or visit plotaroute.com here. The route may be subject to last minute changes and there will be plenty of markings up on race day so you do not need to have this - but I know some of you like to anyway!
I really want to take part in the event but the day isn’t convenient for me! What can I do?
We’ve partnered with our friends at Skamper to offer On-demand events! It’s not quite the same as being there on the day but it’s the next best thing! Using the Skamper app you can be directed around the route on a day of your choosing. When you sign up we’ll send you the medal in the post that was given out on the day of the event. This way when you finish you’ll be able to claim the medal you’ve earned for the run straight away! Why not load your car boot with snacks and goodies, get some mates to join you and have your own Big Bear event!
Full details on our Big Bear On-Demand events is here.
I still have questions…
Then why not join our Big Bear Events Facebook group and ask our ever so experienced runners in there or email us directly here. We want you to enter with the confidence you’ll have a great (if not tiring!) day so are happy to answer any question we’ve not covered off here.
