Won’t it be dark?
We hope so! you need a head or chest to torch to run in this event. No torch no run.
Can I run with my dog?
Yes!!
We had canicross at our series last year and it was a great success. We request that your dog be lit up (lights on it’s harness rather than wrapping the dog in Christmas lights!), you keep your leads short and be considerate of the other runners. We’ll start the canicross runners off a couple of minutes before the main field. Please read our general canicross rules here.
We’ll confirm the exact timings for this closer to the event but it is likely the canicross start time will be around 18:50.
Please make sure you enter the Canicross race when you click on the enter button above.
Who are Gato Sports?
They are our event partners. They are a sportswear company that specialise in great kit and accessories, especially night time running with lots of excellent reflective and lit items. Coventry Runner are our local stockist.
What is the series?
This is the first event of our Gato Sports Head Torch 10K Series. All the events are midweek evenings and at Salcey Forest. If you enter all 3 there is a discounted entry. You can enter all 3 via the buttons on this page. If you run in all 3 there are awards for series winners.
Course description
Ground conditions will depend very much on the weather closer to the event. It is fundamentally on crushed stone however with tree detritus the ground can become a bit slippy and mucky. The route is fully marked and essentially a 2 lap course. Salcey Forest is flat,
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 18/10/2021 £19
After 18/10/2021 £24
Series entry only £51
Save 10% by joining the Big Bear Brigade!
Where is it?
Salcey Forest is a Forestry Commission site with a cafe and toilets near Northampton. Use the post code NN7 2HX for Sat Navs.
You do have to pay to park (between £2 at the time of writing). That said, be a hero and car share, save money and the world!
It is 18 minutes from Northampton and 9 minutes from Junction 15 of the M1. The closest train station is Northampton.
How far is the race?
10k! This might seem a bit pointless to mention given the name but this is different to a normal Big Bear Event. You'll get the same love, a medal and some goodies but you can't run all night!
Permissions
Permission for this event has been obtained from Forestry England.
I’ve heard you do cupless events?
Yes, but not for this event. Unlike our other events we will have some biodegradable cups with water/electrolyte available on the course and we will have hot drinks available before and after too. If you have a foldable cup you can bring, even better but we don't insist on it for our short races.
Has the event been run before?
Yes! We won a Racecheck Gold Award for our December edition in 2018 and held a very successful 3 part series in 18/19. We love it here!
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.
The Gato Sports Head Torch 10K - Race 1 is the first of our 3 part night time 10K series. It is a 10K event around Salcey Forest. You’ll be running around the forest in complete darkness with just your head torch to lead the way. A magical experience for those those that are new to night events. Expect the same hospitality and friendly atmosphere as we offer at all of our events, but over a set distance!
