Women’s only event…
The Owl Challenge will be a new type of event for Big Bear, a day/night event starting at 6pm and finishing at midnight and a women only event.
The day/night should be great fun! With the 21:30 sunset the event will be roughly half in daylight, half in the dark. This will give you a few laps to get familiar with the route and then a few laps in the dark. If the format works well expect one of these every year, most likely at Salcey Forest, not necessarily female only though. With a 18:00 start time too it’ll be open to a lot more people who may have to work M-F 9-5. Apart from the start time the rest of the event will be the same, food and drinks for everyone to keep you fuelled – but with ever fading light!
The bigger difference is making this a women only event. This is something new for me and Big Bear and I’m not familiar with many other women-only events around either. To be clear, I’m very proud of the atmosphere, attitude and support at all of my events. They aren’t macho - testosterone filled duels with alpha males battling it out like some gladiatorial event. I see an inclusive, supportive and encouraging atmosphere at all of my events regardless of ability or gender. I think anyone who has been to a Big Bear Event would see the same – if not I want to know so I can address it!
What I’m looking to do is to put on one of our award winning 6 hour events with just women. That is to say there wont be pink fluffy medals, a prosecco bar or straighteners in the toilets. It’s not that sort of thing and that isn’t what I’m trying to do! There will be a well-marked course, friendly welcome, all the jaffa cakes you can eat and a beer and medal at the end. As there always is! This isn’t about changing the events but allowing women a space to come and run with other women. There are plenty of women only running groups and other women only spaces outside of sport. I see this as a small continuation of that. I noted the huge success of women only swims at Cliff Lakes over the summer where over 200 women would sell out the lake every week. It didn’t mean I wasn’t welcome as a male at all the other sessions. It just helps some women take that first step. As contradictory as this may seem, it’s not about excluding men so much as welcoming more women.
My hope is that any women who come to the Owl Challenge as their first Big Bear event will see it as a friendly, supportive group of people and then come along to all of our other events and experience the same. It’s a supportive step for those who may (for many very legitimate, personal, reasons) be concerned about being at a mixed gendered event, particularly at night. It’s also for women who have run with us many, many times. I need you there to set the Big Bear tone and atmosphere! The atmosphere of any event is driven heavily by it’s participants so please make sure you come along and support it if you’re a Big Bear regular.
The idea of picking this day/night event is also to try to encourage (give a space to) women around running at night. (**I’m conscious of mansplaining here so I’ll try to be careful!) Running through the woods away from towns or pubs, is very different to running the streets in town at night. It’s brilliant though so I’m hoping some women might experience it for the first time at the Owl Challenge.
If you’re looking at running longer ultras, 50 miles or more, then running at night is something you’re very likely going to be doing. I’m hoping that the event will be attended by some experienced women runners who are happy to guide/support some of the less experienced night runners. Running at night in the forest is glorious – it isn’t the same as running past a pub at 11pm on a Friday…
That’s it really. I can’t solve society’s ills, I’m not throwing blame at anyone, accusing “men” of anything and I love the atmosphere at my events. It might be me and 5 women. Who knows!? If the women only aspect works then it might be something I try again. If the day/night set up works then the Owl Challenge will happen again in 2024 and be open to all.