The England Event – Nottingham, Saturday 13th October 2012
2012 will again see the MH Survival Series travel to cities in Wales, England and Scotland. National pride is at stake as we invite Survivors from across the Land to front up to the challenge. Notts is where it all began back in 2008 and this has always been a popular event, with nearly 5000 participating in 2011. Do your bit and answer the call for Olde England!
Please Note: Each year, we announce the Nottingham date which is PROVISIONAL until the Football Fixtures are released in the summer. This relates to the availability of the Nottingham Forest Stadium (which is a popular part of our course) and to car parking for Nott'm Forest home matches at Victoria Embankment, from where we base Survival. If a Saturday home game is announced, Survival will move by 1 day to Sunday 14th October 2012. If no home game is announced (as has been the case for the past 4 years as this is traditionally a FIFA International Fixtures weekend) then the event will occur as advertised on Saturday 13th October. Should we have to move the date of the event from Saturday to Sunday, we will of course let all entrants know as soon as possible.
About the City
Nottingham. Robin Hood. Maid Marion. 3 women to every man. The birthplace of the VCR recorder. The home of Boots the Chemist. The oldest football club in the league. The oldest pub in the land. The wily Sheriff. Junction 25 on the M1. Get there on the 13th October 2012 and we'll show you around, Survival-style!
We chose "Notts" as the inaugural location for the MH Survival of the Fittest because it is such a superb location for an event of this nature. The course here is our “greenest” and it’s pretty flat too, allowing for some fast running sections linking up awesome obstacles. When it’s over, you'll be beamed into a world of good times down town as you get to know why Nottingham is consistently voted one of the top nights out in the country.
Event Location
The event village for the 2012 event will again be located at Victoria Embankment next to the River Trent at Trent Bridge, just outside the city centre. From here you can just about see 3 stadia - all within a square mile of you. There is the legendary Trent Bridge cricket ground just over the bridge; the Notts County ground around the corner and of course the Nottingham Forest stadium - which you will be coming face to face with later, during your adventure. The river Trent itself will wind its way with you through the course. At the event village, you will have access to specially arranged free parking on the Embankment and you are only a short distance from the city centre shopping and nightlife. The event will start and finish in Victoria Embankment, beside Trent Bridge.
Nottingham Course
The 2012 Nottingham event will be run on predominantly the same course as the 2011 event. Our route map will be updated and re-loaded to the website soon. The course in general follows the river Trent out of the city and back in again. Highlights on the route include Nottingham Forest Football ground and the National Watersports centre at Holme Pierrepont. Along the way, our obstacles litter your path. In 2012, expect more obstacles and tougher obstacle zones as we continue to stretch the challenge of Survival.
The course information presented at this stage is provisional and is subject to change. There may be variation in the obstacles you actually face; either in the order in which you face them or certain amendments or modifications made to the obstacles themselves for weather or other reasons.
The Notts Survival course is part urban and part "rural". It’s a very green course and pretty flat which is good for you, as at nearly 12km in length, this is a long 10k too! We start with a really pleasant run out of the City Centre, along the river Trent using paths and minor roadways, connecting you with the National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepoint and back into the city again, via Adbolton Lane and the Nottingham Forest Football club ground. As for the obstacles; first up and even before leaving the event village you will tackle our trademark hay bale wall. Once you have scaled it, you will run out of the event village to cheers from other racers and your supporters, cross the river Trent and front up to the next obstacle in the vicinity of Lady Bay Bridge. This is called "PK:" It's fast, fun and extremely entertaining. Having free-run through the parkour zone, it's out into the fields and along the southern side of the River Trent until you come face to face with the Tissot Assault Course Challenge.
Following this, it's time to get wet. Very, very wet. You will enter the National Watersports Centre (www.nationalsportscentres.co.uk) and make your way to our river crossing. Having crossed it, you slide back into the water and complete a traverse of a small lake with the help of a knotted rope. With safety swimmers and kayakers on hand you are never far from help if you do bottle it here. But keep your head above water and keep plodding onwards as you’re half way round now and it's time to turn around and make your way back towards the city.
Out of the Watersports centre now and back onto minor roads that bring you back into the city. Next stop will be the Roadworks slalom. Our team of engineers and tradesmen will be on hand to coax you through the roadworks; don't be caught out by the traffic lights and make sure you are focused on finding your way through the Herras fence maze.
You'll then come out into the open expands of parkland again and find yourselves at the "Urban Jungle." Think Kings of Dogtown – but for those of you who have seen the cult film which has inspired our obstacles, don't worry - you won't be skateboarding empty swimming pools. You WILL be negotiating an urban streetscene over parked cars, under urban street furniture and maybe even laying down some moves on the half-pipe too. This zone was a highlight last year and we will be going the extra mile this year in making this zone even bigger and even more “streetwise.”
Having re-claimed the streets, it's down to Nottingham Forest Ground for the For Goodness Shakes stadium climb. This is not the highest stadium in the land, but it DOES have a huge amount of steps. Enjoy the peacefulness of the place and imagine the roar of the terraces as you literally roar over the terraces!
Now you are homeward bound and you proceed back over the river on the route you left on; the final 2 obstacles await you in the event village itself. Having exerted yourself physically all the way here, you will now have to focus mentally on the penultimate challenge; theland Rover obstacle. Once you have engaged with this beast, you're on a glory lap of the field until you see quite possibly the most intimidating obstacle of the lot; the Men's Health Wall. This is where it all comes to a head; 12km of hard fought terrain, 9 obstacle zones and 1 to go. It's big, you are tired but the crowd are spurring you on. Conquer the wall and cross the line. You have done it.
Congratulations - you have crossed the line and have completed the Nottingham Men's Health Survival of the Fittest 2012. Do it for England! And if you fancy taking on the Welsh of the Scots, there is an event the week before Notts and one afterwards too, in Wales and Scotland respectively. Then there is the finale in London in November.
You will be able to trace your progress through the course by KM markers positioned every kilometre. Don't be surprised if there are a few "mini" obstacles thrown in along the route, out-with the main stations, to keep you on your toes. These are little stocking-fillers for you. and the obstacle zone themselves - expect between 1 and 10 pieces of equipment to tackle within each zone.
Getting There
Road
Notts is situated slap bang in the middle of the East Midlands and is really handy for road travel. You can get into town from junctions 24 - 26 of the M1. Derby and Leicester are really close and Birmingham is just over an hour away. Allow 3.5 hours from London. Don't underestimate the traffic on the M1 - it is ALWAYS busy in this area.
Rail
Direct connections from London St Pancras to Nottingham will have you in the centre of town (and a 20 min walk to the event village) within 2 hours. Good connections get you to and from the East coast main line at Grantham and Newark and the Cross country routes can be accessed easily with connections via Derby and Sheffield.
Air
East Midlands airport is very close to Nottingham and a regular bus service takes you from the terminal to the city centre for a fiver every 15 minutes.
Accommodation
There is plenty to choose from in Nottingham. From super stylish options in the city centre, to budget accommodation and magnificent out-of-town country house hotels, there is a good deal of choice. Try www.visitnottingham.com for a full run-down of options, plus superb info on what's on around town and in the surrounding countryside.
We'll see you in Notts for SOTF 2012. Bigger, badder and bolder than ever before.
