The Festival of Endurance Hever Castle

3.8km/180.2km/42.2km – Full iron distance race

Set in close proximity to London and in the heartland of Henry VIII’s old hunting grounds, each leg of the Bastion has been designed to offer the ultimate physical challenge to athletes but in the most beautiful setting. The Bastion, which were the final strongholds of medieval castles, features an iridescent 3.8km river and ornamental lake swim, a true toughie of 180km bike course with 2,700m of climbing and a 42.2km trail run that takes place largely off road and incorporates the gardens of both Hever and Chiddingstone Castles. You won’t get a personal best over this distance but you will have the bragging rights to arguably one of the toughest and most iconic races of its kind anywhere in the world.

1.9km/90km/21.1km – Half iron distance race.

Those taking on The Gauntlet swim the unique 1.9km loop of the infamous Hever Castle lake and a tributary of the river Eden. The 90km cycle (2 loop course) winds its way through the stunning High Weald of Kent and over the Ashdown Forest. The running tracks and bridle paths, passing by historic local villages, offer a strong off road element. This super-tough course may not give you a chance of PB but you will have undertaken a huge challenge of one of Europe’s most beautiful courses

Distances

• 1.9k swim: 60k cycle: 4k optional run (Laps 1:1:1)
• 3.8k swim: 120k cycle: 4k optional run (Laps 2:2:1)

After the unique swim you’ll head out on the fully marshalled and signed bike course with supported feed stations. This circular cycle route will take competitors out of Hever Castle, up through the High Weald of Kent before passing through and over the Ashdown Forest and into the village of Maresfield. After a quick tour of the village competitors retrace their steps to the top of the forest before returning to Hever via the historic and quintessentially English villages of Groombridge, Fordcombe and Penshurst. Finishers have the option of finishing with a gentle 4K run that circumnavigates the lake and stunning grounds of the Hever estate.

Distances

• 1.9k swim / 10k run (Laps 1:1)
• 3.8k swim / 21k run (Laps 2:2)

After the unique swim (1 or 2 loops), competitors will then embark on the 10k/21km run course, which follows largely off road tracks and bridle paths between Hever Castle, through the historic local village of Chiddingstone, before finishing right in front of the Castle.

Distances

10.5k / 45k / 4k (Laps 1:1:1)

21k / 90k / 10.5k (Laps 2:2:1)

After a unique run (1 or 2 laps) through the glorious Kent countryside and around the private estates of Hever and Chiddingstone Castles, cycle up to the highpoint of the Ashdown Forest (1 or 2 laps) before finishing off with further laps of the beautifully manicured gardens and local network of paths and trails.

Hever Castle & Gardens, Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG

Hever Castle is situated three miles South East of Edenbridge off the B2026 between Sevenoaks and East Grinstead in the village of Hever. Situated 30 miles from London in West Kent, exit the M25 at junctions 5 or 6 and follow the Brown tourist signs. Also well signed from the Hildenborough exit of the A21.

With such a busy event we urge you to check your journey time and allow plenty of time to access the car parks. All car parks are in adjoining fields to the event.

On approaching to the venue, be sure to follow the yellow triathlon car park signs. DO NOT FOLLOW YOUR SAT NAV.

Please follow directions from marshals.

It is roughly 10 – 15 minutes walk to the event village.

The weekend will continue the festival theme with live music, entertainment, a variety of locally-sourced foods, refreshments for competitors and spectators alike, and an array of retail outlets and concessions.

Spectators will pay a fee for car parking and entry in to the grounds.

Fully supported with 6 stocked feed stations, this is a beautiful, hilly, mostly off-road 50 miler taking in the South Downs and Ashdown Forest. Starting at Eastbourne Pier, the start of the official South Downs Way, passing Beachy Head and the rolling Seven Sisters and skimming the edge of the Glyndebourne estate, runners follow a series of footpaths along the Sussex Ouse Valley Way all the way to the Ashdown Forest. The descent from the forest brings you through stunning countryside with the home run though the village of Chiddingstone and on to Hever Estate.

1.9km/90km/21km – Middle distance triathlon.

The Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle will host the Triathlon England Middle Distance Triathlon National Championship. Want to become an English Champion? Make sure you’re eligible here. We have been re-awarded the English Middle Distance Championships which are due to take place on the same calendar weekend, Sunday 4 July. 2021.

We organised a hugely successful socially distance event at Hever Castle in September 2020 for over 4000 participants and their supporters. This has given not only us, the Industry but most importantly our participants, the confidence to return to racing in 2021!.

We want to reassure all participants that we’ll continue to work closely with governments, governing bodies, venues and suppliers to ensure that our 2021 events are run in accordance with current health and safety guidance.

Our increased health and safety measures cover 5 key principles of education; touch point reduction, density reduction, athlete self-reliance and enhanced hygiene.

Should we be require to put on a socially distanced event, participants will still get the full race experience but with individual rolling starts, 1 competitor every 10 seconds (sometimes greater), restricted time on site either side of your race and possible limit on spectators per athlete only.

We will prepare venue specific documents to send to all participants ahead of the event. These will include details on how to prepare pre-event, arrival timings and movements, swim, cycle, run, festival village and exit.

Swims: 1 mile, 2.5 km, 5 km

Runs: 50 miles, 42.2 km, 21.1 km

Cycle Sportives: 90 km, 180 km

Trophies and prizes for Open and Age Group categories for Triathlons, open categories for rest of races

Prize money for Bastion and Gauntlet