The 2009 Nottingham event was run on predominantly the same course as last year’s event. Highlights on the route include Nottingham Forest Football ground and the National Watersports centre at Holme Pierrepont. Along the way, obstacles littered our path.
The Nottingham Survival course is part urban and part “rural”. It’s a very green course. We started with a really pleasant run out of the City Centre, along the river Trent using paths and minor roadways, connecting us 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 we tackled the trademark hay bale wall. Once we had scaled it, we ran 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. MHS enlisted the help of The British Army who were out there with us, all the way through.
Following the Army assault course, it’s time to get wet. Very, very wet. We will entered the National Watersports Centre (www.nationalsportscentres.co.uk) and made our way to the river crossing. Before leaving the watersports centre, there was the small matter of a slide back down into the water and a traverse of a lake with the help of a knotted rope.
Out of the Watersports centre now and back onto minor roads that brought us back into the city. Next stop will be the Roadworks slalom. We then come out into the open expands of parkland again and find yourselves at the “Urban Jungle.” Think Kings of Dogtown. We then negotiated an urban streetscene over parked cars, under urban street furniture.
Back onto the streets, it’s down to Nottingham Forest Ground for the stadium climb. This is not the highest stadium in the land, but it DOES have a huge amount of steps. Up and down several flights of stairs around the stadium. The we were homeward bound and then proceed back over the river on the route you left on; the final 2 obstacles awaited us in the event village itself. Having exerted ourself physically all the way here, we were now having to focus mentally on the last obstacle; the Men’s Health Wall. This is where it all comes to a head , an 8ft wall of hell. This wall stands between you and the finish, 12km of hard fought terrain, 9 obstacles and 1 to go. It’s big, we were tired, wet and very muddy but the crowd were spurring us on to conquer the wall and cross the line. Team work in the only way over it.
