Betteshanger Colliery opened in the late 1920s and was the largest of the Kent collieries. Miners from other coalfields travelled to Deal in the hope of finding work at the new pit, and many lodging houses, cafes and pubs in Deal put up signs saying "no miners" owing to fear of the arrival of the often dirty men who spoke very different dialects. It had two shafts of almost 2,300 feet, plaques can still be seen where the shafts were once sunk. The colliery was served by a railway branch which left the main line between Deal & Sandwich.
Saturday is dedicated to the history of Betteshanger, and we will be running two events concurrently, the Mine Run Challenge event and the Betteshanger Marathon for those of you still wanting to get your hands on one of these medals .
Don't miss your chance to earn a bespoke wooden medal made by our friends over at the Busy Barnacle or the classic SVN Betteshanger Marathon medal.
Course details
The course runs alongside the tarmac cycle track but at no point crosses it so there are no traffic concerns to worry about. The surface is a high quality gravel surface in the main with the odd patch of potentially muddy bits if they're wet but overall it's an excellent running surface and should produce some fast times.
There are slopes rather than hills, so its not totally flat, each loop has maybe 100 feet of elevation rise, but there are some lovely woods to run by, ponds, grasslands, wet lands and some wild life to spot too! If its wet there might be a chance of some mud but the trails are high quality and drain well.
The route is suitable for either road or trail shoes.
Date :- Saturday 22nd June 2024
Start :- 9.00am
Location :- Betteshanger Country Park
Sandwich Rd, Deal
CT14 0BF
Entry :- £39.95
Course :-4.37 mile loops
Event :- 7 hour challenge event/marathon event
Changes :- The cut off date for requests to change entries will be 15th of June 2024
What do I get?
You will receive,
1) A really special finishers medal, custom made and designed, not a generic one
2) A nice sized goody bag.
3) A well stocked base camp with plenty of nibbles and refreshments for during and post race replenishment.
Where do I park?
There is tonnes of parking right by where our base camp will be. Parking can be paid for as you arrive or leave the park at the machines based there, or online up to 48 hours after if you suddenly remember when you get home. Parking for all day is £5 and paid for here.
When do I get my race number?
You'll pick this up on race day morning from the race base camp.
Are there time limits?
Yes, seven hours to run as many laps as you can for the challenge event or 6 laps to complete the marathon distance. You can finish at any time within the 7 hours and your final distance will be recorded along with your finishing time. As long as you are out on your final lap before 6:59:59 you will be fine to carry on.
How are laps counted?
Depending on numbers we will either manually count laps or we'll dish out lap counting cards. Attach this to yourself with a safety pin or cable tie. At the end of each loop get this punched through by one of the hole puncher people. So basically at the end of each lap, get your card punched, or ring the bell!
You'll have to tell us when you're finished, not the other way around. As it's a timed event you choose when you finish.
We'll have an “official finishers bell” for this purpose, when you're done for the day, ring the bell and the goodies will be yours!
Do you have secure baggage facilities
No. But you're free to leave bags at the start/finish. There will always be someone around but we can't guarantee their security, in the event of rain we can't guarantee things won't get wet.
Can I leave my own drinks/food at the Base camp?
Yes no problem at all, however we encourage you to leave these at your bag or car to save space at the aid station.
Trail shoes? Road Shoes?
The route is suitable for either road or trail shoes. However if dry then road shoes will be preferable.
Is the course closed to the public?
No. We are using the Betteshanger Country Park which is part of a network of local footpaths, cycle paths and trails and is shared with ramblers, dogwalkers, horseriders and cyclists. However the cyclists do have their own dedicated trails so shouldn't be too much of an issue. Runners do not have the right of way and need to be considerate of other users of the land. Also be mindful of the new electric buggies that are around. These are very quiet and can sneak up on you quite unexpectedly!
Please don't litter, we'll have a bin at the base camp and another on the far side of the course so please deposit any rubbish in these.
What on course facilities do you provide?
Water, squash, nibbles, starter, timekeeper and encouragement every lap! Base station will be well stocked for all runners.
Are there any facilities at the start/finish area?
There are shiny new toilets at the visitor centre and showers if you desire after the event. There is also a mobile coffee station and restaurant.
Can I use an ipod or mp3 player on the course?
Yes. Though please be aware that you are running on public footpaths with the general public so make sure that you pay attention to cyclists, people, children on bikes, wildlife and so on.
Could a supporter meet me at Betteshanger?
Absolutely, its well worth a visit for a little while. There is paid parking there and a visitor centre and a fantastic park for the kiddies.