TrailFest - Holdenby House

Get ready for an unforgettable day of adventure at TrailFest, hosted by Big Bear Events! On Sunday, September 13, 2026, join us at the breathtaking Holdenby House in Northamptonshire for a celebration of trail running suitable for all abilities. Whether you’re an experienced runner tackling a 50 km ultra or a newcomer ready to conquer your first 10K, we have the perfect distance for you. Choose from four exciting options: 10K, half marathon, marathon, and 50 km, all set against the scenic backdrop of this historic estate, which dates back to 1583. TrailFest promises a fun-filled atmosphere where participants can challenge themselves while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow trail runners. The course features traffic-free trails winding through stunning woodlands, offering picturesque views of the rolling Northamptonshire hills. With generous cut-off times and a supportive community vibe, this event is designed to make trail running accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Mark your calendars and prepare for a day of fitness, fun, and fantastic memories at TrailFest!

What is TrailFest? It’s a day of moving around wonderful woodland for all abilities, speeds and experiences. Whether you’re an experienced ultra runner keen to get an early season 50 km in or a newbie trail runner looking to do their first 10K TrailFest is for you! We’ve got 4 distances for you to chose from 10K, half marathon, marathon and 50 km. A distance to suit everyone! The idea of the day is to bring everyone together and to experience the fun of trail running in an amazing forest. Being around others doing what seems impossible can often make it seem a lot more possible too!! If you want to come and run your personal best or bimble about with your mates we’ve got the perfect distance for you. We’ve got vey generous cut off times too, to try and remove some of those barriers to new people trying out the sport. Where is it? Holdenby House is a private estate in Northamptonshire, 4 miles North-West of Northampton. It consists of a private house and gardens and working farmland. To suggest it’s got “some history” would be a bit of an understatement! It was built in 1583 for Elizabeth I and at the time was the largest house in England. Although she never visited James I and Charles I both stayed at the house. Fast-forward to today and “only” 1 wing remains of the original house, full of Elizabethan grandeur. Parking is free, it’s on grass used all year round for parking. We’ll have clear directions from the road on where to go. It is 15 minutes from from Junction 18 of the M1, use the post code NN6 8DJ for Sat Navs. It is 7 miles (15 minute drive) from Northampton train station and 5 miles (11 minutes) from Long Buckby train station. No buses service the area. Can I run with my dog? Not at these events. As the event is run under a UK Athletics/ Trail Running Association license there are no dogs allowed at any of the events. Course description The different distances all use the same parts of the course. The complete course is within the grounds of the Holdenby estate so is traffic-free trail. The route starts and finishes between the Basecourt Arches (in 1647 this was where King Charles I was taken by Cornet Joyce eventually leading to his execution!). Once you leave the formal setting you'll go around the outside of fields, a mixture of farm track and field edge. Half-way through the lap is a small wood that is rarely trodden so you’ll be ducking, weaving and leaping over branches and logs. Throughout the course you’ve got amazing views over rolling Northamptonshire. If the weather is dry and has been dry road shoes will be fine as the ground will be hard. If it’s been unseasonably wet or we’ve had downpours with 24hours of the start, trail shoes are advised. The overall elevation of each distance is listed below. There is one noticeable hill but it is mainly the deceptive rolling Northamptonshire hills. You don’t realise it but you’re going up and down all the time! Only 1 other event currently uses Holdenby House for running and they don’t use this route, come and try something brand new! I will be creating a video in the Spring - winter conditions of the course bare little resemblance to late summer! VIDEO COMING SOON 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! 10K Before 28/06/2026 £20 After 28/06/2026 £25 Half Marathon Before 28/06/2026 £35 After 28/06/2026 £40 Marathon Before 28/06/2026 £52 After 28/06/2026 £57 50K Before 28/06/2026 £64 After 28/06/2026 £74 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! If you were on our Very Important Bear mailing list you could have also saved 20% before the event was launched! Can I run as many laps as I want? Not at this event. This may seem an odd question to answer but given the majority of our events are 6 hour lapped events it’s one I’m sure people will have! Also, to be clear, it’s trail running - it’s a trail event. The 10k may measure a little long… or short. The marathon might be 26.7 miles, I mean it’s only 26.2 miles as the queen wanted to see the finish in 1908! I try to get it as close as possible but it’s trail running - a bit of “tax” (extra") or “aggressive cornering” (less) is to be expected. The main point is you are all overing the same distance on the day"! What are the timings for each event? 50 km Registration Open – 07:00 Event Start – 08:00 Marathon Registration Open – 07:00 Event Start – 08:30 Half Marathon Registration Open – 08:00 Event Start – 09:00 10 km Registration Open – 08:00 Event Start – 09:00 Can I have crew or pacers? Yes and no. You can have crew, they’re really helpful for longer events but you cannot have pacers. To be clear, that means no-one can run with you or walk alongside you for any period of time except in the final 100m or so. We actively encourage spectators and supporters but they must not move along the trail with you. They can pop up all over the course though - or just stay in the cafe all day! There is a large grass area near the HQ that can be used to put a gazebo up if your team, club, or supporters wish to. Just let us know beforehand if you plan to do this.