A 50 mile & 12 hour challenge
South East Kent was home to a rich mining heritage and one of the legacies of that was a huge spoilage area outside of what was Betteshanger Colliery. In recent years this has been totally transformed in to what is now known as Betteshanger Country Park.(Formerly Fowlmead Country Park - hence the name of the event!)
Betteshanger Country Park, near Deal in East Kent, has a lovely set of leisure paths/bike trails around the site that we've combined in to a 5.52 mile loop for this event, 9 laps will make up the 50 mile distance. For those who "just" want to run a Half or Full Marathon distance we'll have short out and backs to make up the correct distance.
This event is ideal for...
- Those looking for a mid range ultra on a quality surface,
- Those who want to step up to mid range ultras but without the complications of trail ultras, next to no navigation, no kit required, an aid station every 5 miles and straightforward logistics.
- Those who aren't sure if they can run 50 miles. There are no DNF's at this event, anyone may drop down to 12 hour challenge at the end of any lap or if you are timed out, likewise, you'll be dropped down to the 12 hour challenge.
- Those looking for qualifiers for other challenges. This is a 50 mile run with a strict hard 12 hour time limit.
- Those looking for a confidence boosting run before longer challenges. If you can complete 50 miles in the 12 hours here then that's an awful big step towards 100 miles in 30 or 32 hours.
- Those who like their bling, we're going to have the best 50 mile medal in the land! For those in the 12 hour challenge we'll have a selection of Betteshanger Marathon, Betteshanger Challenge and Fowlmead Challenge medals to choose from.
The route isn't completely flat with around 125' of gain per lap, so over the 9 laps of the 50 mile course that's going to be about 1100' of gain.
It's our aim that this event makes an impactful difference to the Betteshanger Country Park in a positive fashion and as such £7.50 from each entry fee will be donated directly to the Park to aid them in maintaining this lovely environment.
Please explore the race and consider joining us!
Course Information
The course runs around the leisure paths trails at Betteshanger and an out an back to the park entrance. The surface is a high quality gravel surface in the main, a mile of tarmac and then with the odd patch of potentially muddy bits if they're wet but overall it's an excellent running surface.
Overview of the route
Close up of the route at the park entrance, going around the triangle and statue
The route is viewable on MayMyRun here.
There are slopes rather than hills, so its not totally flat, each loop has maybe 100 feet of elevation rise, but there are some lovely woods to run by, ponds, grasslands, wet lands and some wild life to spot too! If its wet there might be a chance of some mud but the trails are high quality and drain well.
The route is suitable for either road or trail shoes. (If its dry I would go for old road shoes)
Course Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Parking
There is infinite parking for our purposes at Betteshanger.
We'll have more runners than spaces in the overflow area where we are set up in as the field is quite small, however the main car park is open and there is tons of space to park cars a few yards off the race line.
Where is the event?
Betteshanger Country Park , A258, Deal, Kent CT14 0BF (Map). Please click here for our Betteshanger information. (Please note that the venue is also known as Fowlmead Country Park)
When do I get my race number?
You'll pick this up on race day morning from the race base camp on race morning.
Are there time limits?
Yes, a strict 12 hour time limit. You must finish your last lap 12:00:00 after the start. This is a hard limit, 12:00:03 and that lap doesn't count...
Do you have secure baggage facilities
No. But you're free to leave bags at the start/finish. There will always be someone around but we can't guarantee their security, in the event of rain we can't guarantee things won't get wet. You'll be able to park close to the start/finish don't forget.
Trail shoes? Road Shoes?
Either should be fine. The running surface is very good, if it's wet then maybe err towards trail, if its dry err towards road. The site drains very well being built on shale from the old mine.
Is the course closed to the public?
No. We are using the Betteshanger Country Park which is part of a network of local footpaths, cycle paths and trails and is shared with ramblers, dogwalkers, horseriders and cyclists. However the cyclists do have their own dedicated trails so shouldn't be too much of an issue. Runners do not have the right of way and need to be considerate of other users of the land. Please don't litter, we'll have a bin at the base camp and another on the far side of the course so please deposit any rubbish in these..
Are there any facilities at the start/finish area?
There are toilets, a cafe and a kids playground.
Can I use an ipod or mp3 player on the course?
Yes. Though please be aware that you are running on public footpaths with the general public so make sure that you pay attention to cyclists, people, dogs, horseriders, wildlife and so on.
The entry fee is a little more than normal – why is that?
We are holding this event by kind permission of the Betteshanger Country Park. £7.50 of every entry fee will be donated to the Park to assist in the maintenance and development of Betteshanger Country Park.
Location Information
Please visit our Betteshanger information page for general parking, directions and local area information about public transport, hotels etc.
General SVN FAQ
