Howletts 5k

Race Location
Howletts Wild Animal Park, Bekesbourne Ln, Bekesbourne, Canterbury, CT4 5EL

Race HQ
Race HQ will be located at the car park of Howletts Wild Animal Park.

Timings on race day
Race HQ & Registration opens: 07:30
Warmup: 08:45
Race Director's Briefing on the start line: 08:55
Race Start: 09:00
Spectators allowed into the park: 09:30

Bag Drop
You are welcome to leave your bag at the unmanned baggage drop at Race HQ, however, this is done at your own risk and discretion. The team will not handle your bags and you will be responsible for labelling them clearly.

Facilities
Unfortunately, there are no changing facilities available at this site so we recommend arriving ready to run!

Parking
There is plenty of parking at Howletts Wild Animal Park. Please follow marshal instructions on arrival.

Toilets
Toilets are available inside the park. We have also arranged for toilets to be available in the car park by Race HQ before the race.

Headphones
Only bone conducting headphones are permitted at this event.

The start & finish
The race starts and finishes in the same location and within the Race HQ.

About the course
The course will take you through 90 stunning acres of ancient parkland, where you will be cheered on (or maybe just watched) by more than 45 species of rare and endangered animals including giant anteaters, gorillas, tigers and lions.

The course is mostly flat with one hill which takes you directly past Howletts’ resident red river hogs. The event will start before the park opens its gates to the public, giving you an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes. 

Wave Starts
The beginning of the race sees a sharp turn through iron gates which can create a bottle neck before opening out onto the course.
As a result, we will be initiating a wave start to the race with fifty runners starting every 30 seconds. If you are looking to gain a PB then we would recommend you look to join the first wave.

Recommended Kit & Footwear
We recommend your favourite running shoes for this race, if you have them. Please keep an eye on the forecast and dress appropriately for the conditions, bringing a spare set of clothes (and socks!) if needed.

Litter
Please do NOT drop litter. Bins will be provided, so please dispose of any litter correctly or take it home with you.

Water Stations
We will supply a well-stocked water station at the finish line. Whilst we will ensure that our water stations are well supplied, runners should ensure that they are fully hydrated and should also carry their own water.

Going Green
To help reduce the carbon footprint of this race, we would like to encourage all our runners to bring their own camel packs or reusable cups for this race. Our teams at the water stations will be happy to fill any receptacle that you might bring with you so that you stay hydrated and racing fit! If you are able to car share, then this would be wonderful!

Your route & marshals...
Your course will be clearly marked using large route arrows and directional cones, as well as being marshalled throughout. Please listen and obey all marshal instructions given. There will be a sweep marshal which will follow the last runner to make sure that no one is left on the route. All marshals will remain in place until stood down by the sweep marshal.

Spectators
We always welcome anyone that would like to cheer on our runners and join the good spirit of the race by lending their encouragement and support but please note that the park will be closed off to all but participants until 09:30. Spectators are welcome in the start and finish area.

Medals
There will be a bespoke medal awarded to all finishers of the 5k.

Results
Live and provisional results will be available on the Nice Work website asap after the race. If you have any questions regarding the live results, please ensure that you have emailed this through to us by midday on the following Thursday. Any changes submitted after this time will not be included in the final results.