Battle will commence on Sunday 15 May when runners take on a 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon or Ultra at the Shires and Spires event. Organised by Go Beyond Challenge, more than a few will be battling for a PB or dipping their toe into ultramarathon waters.

The event is held in the village of Naseby which on 14 June 1645 was the site of a decisive battle in the First English Civil War. On that day the Parliamentarian army defeated the Royalists. 

On 15 May 2022 participants from near and far will be in the thick of it as they test their mettle on one of four routes, set in the superb Northamptonshire countryside. Those in the Marathon and Ultra run past Althorp, Cottesbrooke and Holdenby country houses, each of which has a long and rich heritage.

Fans of tarmac can look forward to an undulating road 10K with a climb to the finish. It is marked and marshalled and there is a water station to top up the fluid levels. 

The Half Marathon is also marked and marshalled and consists of roads and trails and greater elevation. Things are steeper in the Marathon which is also marked but requires some navigation. 

And for anyone that enjoys ‘going long’ as in further than 26.2 miles, there is the 35 Mile Ultra Marathon on a mixture of roads, footpaths and trails. This also requires navigation and participants must carry mandatory kit as stipulated on the website. This is a qualifying race for Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. 

Prizes for the top three men and women and finishers in all four distances receive a medal and t-shirt. 

There is still time to join in and enjoy a picturesque, circular run at historic Naseby. More information and entry details for Shires and Spires can be found at the Go Beyond Challenge website.

Image courtesy of Go Beyond Challenge.