Badger Challenge
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Badger Challenge
The Badger Challenge is a 6 hour loop event held at Beacon Hill Country Park, LE12 8TA. The start area is the lower car park; parking is charged at a small fee and card or coin payment is accepted. The nearest train station is Loughborough, about 6 miles away.
The route is a 3.3 mile off-road loop that climbs from the lower car park on well maintained crushed stone paths toward the trig point and then descends back to the start. The trig point is not on the marked route. Underfoot is generally decent but can be mucky depending on weather; the route is physically demanding but not technical.
Participants choose how many laps to complete within the time limit. A half marathon requires 4 laps and a marathon requires 8 laps. Canicross entries are accepted; dog handlers must keep leads short and be considerate of other runners and enter the canicross category. Rucking is also permitted.
Entry uses a tiered pricing approach with earlier entries being cheaper and unaffiliated entrants paying an additional fee. Finishers receive a medal or, as an alternative, a Big Bear Tree Token that results in a tree being planted and contains wildflower seeds. A GPX of the route is available and the event supports on demand participation via a navigation app. The event has run at Beacon Hill since 2022 and received a Gold Racecheck award in 2024. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
