The England Event – Nottingham 9th October 2010

2010 will again see the MH Survival Series travel to 3 UK cities. National pride is at stake as we invite Survivors from England, Scotland and Wales to front up the challenge. Notts is where it all began back in 2008 and this is our largest event, with nearly 5000 expected to participate this year. Do your bit and answer the call for Olde England!

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 9th October 2010 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 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 2010 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 Park, beside Trent Bridge.

Nottingham Course

The 2010 Nottingham event will be run on predominantly the same course as last year’s event. Our route map shows a little of what you might expect on a course that follows the river 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.

The course information presented here 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 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 Army assault course.

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 obstacle; the Under Armour zone. 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 obstacles 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 2010. 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.

You will be able to trace your progress through the course by KM markers positioned every kilometre. Prior to approaching each obstacle, you will also see motorway-style approach markers warning you of 300, 200 and 100 metre distances to the obstacles. 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.

To re-cap on the current obstacles then:

1.    Farmer Giles – Hay bale wall
2.    PK
3.    You're in the Army Now
4.    Walk the Walk
5.    Slippery when Wet
6.    Roadworks Slalom
7.    Urban Jungle
8.    For Goodness Shakes Roar of the Terraces
9.    Under Armour Zone
10.    The Men's Health Wall

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 2010. Bigger, badder and bolder than ever before.