TrailFest - Holdenby House

Event Overview

TrailFest - Holdenby House is a trail running event offering four distances: a 10K, half marathon, marathon, and 50 km. The event is held within the private Holdenby House estate in Northamptonshire, providing a traffic-free course.

Location & Venue

The venue is Holdenby House, a private estate and working farmland located 4 miles north-west of Northampton. It has a historic house built in 1583. Free parking is available on grass fields. The location is 15 minutes from Junction 18 of the M1, 7 miles from Northampton train station, and 5 miles from Long Buckby train station. There is no bus service to the area.

Course Description

All distances use the same parts of the course, which is entirely within the estate grounds. The route starts and finishes between the Basecourt Arches. The terrain includes farm tracks, field edges, and a small, less-trodden woodland section with branches and logs. The course features rolling Northamptonshire views and one noticeable hill, with many smaller, rolling hills. The surface can be hard and suitable for road shoes in dry conditions, but trail shoes are advised if it has been wet.

Event Details

The event is licensed under UK Athletics/ Trail Running Association rules, which means dogs are not permitted. Participants can have support crews for longer distances, but pacers are not allowed; no one can run or walk alongside a participant except in the final 100 meters. Spectators are encouraged and a large grass area near the event headquarters is available for setting up gazebos. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.