Where is it?
Salcey Forest is a Forestry England site with a café and toilets near Northampton. Use the post code NN7 2HX for Sat Navs . It is here on What 3 Words.
You do have to pay to park (between £4-£8 at the time of writing). That said, be a hero and car share, save money and the world!
The number 33 bus stops inside Salcey Forest and goes between Northampton and Milton Keynes (obviously it doesn’t run at midnight…!).
It is 18 minutes from Northampton and 9 minutes from Junction 15 of the M1. The closest train station is Northampton.
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.
It the start time a type? It says 6pm…
Cool ey?! You’ll start in the summer sun and if you decide to keep going you can get a dusk lap and many in complete darkness. Of course you could always run a few laps in daylight, take a long break, get a “golden hour” lap in and then head out for a another in the dark. You don’t need to keep running or moving for the whole event, much like our day time ones. You do you!
It’s a great format for anyone who wants to try night trail running, you’ll have run the route for up to 3 hours in daylight, so you’ll know it a bit and we’re on hand to look after you every 5k. It worked brilliantly in 2023.
Anyone starting a lap after 8pm will need to carry a head torch. Even if you’re a 20 minute 5k runner - you wont be with a broken leg and light fades very quickly in the woods. It’s for worst case scenrio stuff, not to increase your performance.
Course description
The route is along well maintained pathways. There isn't a meter of asphalt and the pathways are mainly crushed stone or very well trodden open forest floor. Obviously being in the middle of a forest the narrower ones are covered in tree detritus and can become a bit muddy and grimy, especially when wet. On a dry day road shoes will be perfectly acceptable, on a wet day trail shoes may be a better bet as some parts can become a bit slippy.
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 09/05/2024 £35
After 09/05/2024 £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 3.5-mile off-road loop means your race can be 5k or even over 80K and anywhere in between. You decide how many laps you're 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 7 laps (+ a little out and back) and a half marathon will be 3 laps (+ an out and back).
What are Petzl doing there?
We’re very excited to have Petzl, the leading head torch manufacturer, join us for this event. They’ll be along with some of their amazing head torches for you to try on the night.
You’ll be in the perfect place to test out just how much better they are than the competition.
Has the event been run before?
Yes! We’ve run many times at Salcey Forest and held a female only Owl Challenge in 2023 (the 2024 edition is open to all). 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.
