Hever Castle Festival of Endurance - Sun 4th July 2021

After the huge success of the inaugural event in the 2018 Series, the Full Marathon and Half Marathon returns to the atmospheric Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle. With over 1000 competitors taking on long distance challenges, spectators will support you on two or four loops of the iconic run course, taking in both Hever and Chiddingstone Castles and Kentish villages steeped in history.

The Marathon and Half Marathon and will see competitors undertake 4 laps (2 laps Half Marathon) of a spectator friendly almost entirely off road 10.5K circuit. Starting a few yards from the main castle drawbridge competitors will head off around the formal gardens of the estate before handrailing the lake for 0.5K and then heading up through Park Wood towards a corner of the estate called Thresher’s Field and the first of two well stocked Feed Stations. A brief road section to Lockskinners is followed by a stunning country section of interconnected paths and tracks taking in the high point of the course at Stocks Wood and a water station in the strictly private Belhurst Nature Conservation Trust woodland area. A couple of woods and fields later competitors arrive at the hamlet of Hill Hoath and shortly afterwards the picture post card National Trust owned village of Chiddingstone where, just inside the gates of the castle by the same name, they will find the 2nd of the two Feed Stations. A brief trot across the frontage of Chiddingstone Castle, a small road section and then a gorgeous woodland gallop sees participants regain the Hever estate from where they left it at Threshers Field and the 1st Feed Station. Finally, a 2K circumnavigation of the Hever Lake and a brief traverse of the formal gardens will see runner complete their first lap. After a further lap runners turn right into the finishing straight and cross the finish line with the castle as a backdrop, to receive their medal and the now famous finishing line banquet!