Elephant Challenge
Salcey Forest, United Kingdom • 24 Mar 2026
Elephant Challenge : event overview
The Elephant Challenge is a six-hour off-road event organised by Big Bear Events on 24/03/2026. Participants complete as many laps of a 3.5-mile loop as they wish within the six-hour time limit. A marathon distance requires seven laps plus a short out-and-back; a half marathon requires three laps plus an out-and-back. Canicross is permitted; handlers must keep leads short and enter the canicross-specific category. Rucking is also allowed. Finishers receive a medal or, alternatively, a Big Bear Tree Token instead of a medal; one tree is planted for each token and the token contains wildflower seeds. The event has a charity partnership with Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and entrants can opt to fundraise or donate, with donations passed to the charity.
Location, course and logistics
The event takes place at Salcey Forest, NN7 2HX, a Forestry England site with a café and toilets. Parking is payable; a negotiated day rate of £3.50 is available for entrants. The number 33 bus stops inside Salcey Forest. The site is about 18 minutes from Northampton and about 9 minutes from Junction 15 of the M1; the closest train station is Northampton. The route has no asphalt and runs on crushed stone and well-trodden forest floor. Narrow sections have tree detritus and can become muddy and slippy when wet; road shoes may be fine in dry conditions while trail shoes are recommended when wet. A GPX file of the route is available. Entry fees are tiered: before 24/02/2026 the fee is £37, after that it is £42; unaffiliated entrants pay £2 extra. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.