Survival London is back on 17th November 2012.
This year, we are offering you 2 options; run our main event - the classic Survival course during the day...or for those who have been eating their carrots, run our sensational Survival by Night course under floodlights in the evening. The venue is the same - Battersea Power Station*. The main daytime event follows the same classic Survival course – around 10km of running with loads of obstacles en route; plus we're adding in even more extra-muddy altercations in 2012, for those who like their weekends down-right filthy. Read on further below to check out the format info for both events. You can choose to do either, or both, with 50% discount offered on the night-time event if you do them both.
The London event provides a spectacular finale to Survival season. The Tri-Nations series of Cardiff, Nottingham and Edinburgh will have taken place as usual in October and London offers us the opportunity to put a fully-loaded dollop of icing on our already quite glutinous 2012 season's cake. This event will take you into one of central London’s most famous landmarks and with the introduction of this year's Survival at Night event too, this is going to be one unprecedented and totally unique running event. Front up, get ready and prepare for Survival in the Smoke.
It pays to be popular! If you want to come as a team, you will be in good company. Teams can save up to £10 per head on standard entry prices too. In 2011, 60% of the field raced as teams. You will all run in the same wave and many of you will want to stick together and carry each other through it, but if you want to split up and enjoy a bit of inter-group rivalry on the course, no problem!
Event Location
Survival London will again be staged in the riverside heart of London at one of its best-known landmarks: The mega-structure that is Battersea Power Station* – the largest brick building in Europe. Click here to view location on Google maps. Our event will be based beside and inside this vast structure and the course will once again delve into the depths of this colossal and dramatic building, including even more access to the interior of the Power Station in 2012.
Using a cunning connection under the Chelsea Bridge the day-time Event will also access the serene n’ green Battersea Park where we will be packing in some fast running before returning to the Power Station to finish in front of the baying crowd. Experience the grit and scale of the Power Station contrasting with the leafy carriageways, paths and fountain pools of the Park. Beware the athletic track here too – you might not be able to help upping the pace for the 400 metre dash we have loaded into the route!
There will be some favourite (and some feared) Survival obstacles, such as the MH Wall of Fame, the Army Assault course and our Parkour Zone. We’ll also be presenting you with some very unique Power Station-sized obstacles and it is here that we will also unleash the mud – not a common encounter in Central London!
Event Format
For 2012, we're delivering another first for Survival and are operating not 1 but 2 events on November 17th. From 9am until late afternoon, Start waves of 350 people will depart every 15 minutes to tackle the main event - the mighty Men's Health Survival of the Fittest course, which you can read about below. This is "classic" Survival - around 10k of running with bags of obstacles en route.
As darkness decends, the floodlights will be switched on and we will be staging Survival by Night 5k. This will be a shortened course (basically using the Power Station only and not Battersea Park) and will feature ALL of the obstacle content of the 10km, over an approximately 5km course. We will floodlight the course but you will need a head torch too, as some areas will be mighty dark.
Each Event costs the same to enter. Although one course is shorter, the added bonus is the night-time element, and the obstacle content is the same for both. Choose to do either the day or the night time events, OR do them both and receive a 50% discount on the night-time element. And then, once you are done, settle into the legendary Survival beer tent and cheer on your fellow Survivors. Read on to discover more about the format of each event...
Classic Survival 10k (day-time event)
We're modifying the route from 2011 to introduce more time spent on the Power Station site, with some amazing "3D" features taking you "up n' over" yourselves a good few times and packing even more obstacle content into the site. From our event base in the shadow of the Power Station, the route will burst out of the event village to the screams of your supporters and will tackle the Hay Bale Wall as the first obstacle before weaving its way over the urban terrrain of the Power Station site. After one or two more obstacles, you will disappear into Battersea Park which will be in Autumnal hues. Duck under beautiful Chelsea Bridge, then along the Riverside Path past the glorious shining Peace Pagoda. Soon turning onto the wide carriageways of the Park and encountering the Athletics Track Steeplechase as you go. The route will then exit the park and will cover some running on pavement before a return to the Power Station site. Your course is then littered with obstacles as you attempt to reach the finish line back in the event village, via a smorgasbord of jumps, crawls, dips, ducks and dives, plus immersion in water, ice, coal and sludge to name but a few! The Power Station itself will also be visited and you will get to experience the interior of this cavernous building up close and personal. After all that, only the mighty MH wall of Fame remains to be conquered as to return victorious to the enthusiastic crowds cheering you on those last few paces into the events village.
NB: This route is provisional and some elements may be subject to change.
Survival by Night 5k
OK - this one is a bit different. But lets start by explaining what is the same. Another Survival first, Survival by Night consists of a shorter running course than the Classic event, set totally within the Power Station site and covering around 5km of running. The obstacles are the same as during the day, and there are as many of them as during the day time event. You register the same way, the timing system is the same and you will get the same great Survival Technical T shirt as those taking part by day. Entries are open to solos and teams as normal too. Wave sizes will be reduced to 250 per wave in order to deal with capacity on the shorter course. But the best bit? We are going to switch on the floodlights and provide you with your very own nocturnal race-track. You'll stll need a head torch mind you, as some bits of the course will be very dark indeed. The sensation of running in the dark and the cool air of the early night will really stimulate and the revelry that awaits you at the MH Beer Tent when you return will be just what you need to kick back and reflect on this surreal running experience. You can do either the daytime or the nighttime events, or you can do them both if you like. If you choose to do the pair, you will also receive a whopping 50% off the regular cost of the night-time event - simply stunning value! Click HERE to see the full pricing schedule for all events.
About the City
This is of course the big smoke. London is London. The Capital. The home of top-class arts, theatre, fashion and home to Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses, Royal Weddings and Prime Ministers. Built on the mighty Thames. Home to all the superlatives of modern life. Host to the 2012 Olympic Games. And now host to Survival of the Fittest.
Getting There
Rail
By far the easiest way to the get to the venue is by train, alighting at Battersea Park Station. The best mainline rail station from which Battersea Park Station is served is VICTORIA, with trains running regularly from here. Walking time from Battersea Park is 10 mins to the entrance to the venue. Other local stations are Queenstown Road (15 mins walk) and Vauxhall (20 mins walk).
If you are coming from out of town, London is of course served very well by train, with rail connections into all the mainline stations, plus a Sleeper service also available overnight from Scotland, which would allow you to board your train the night before Survival and arrive at Euston Station fresh for breakfast before a wee hop, skip and a jump down to Victoria on the Victoria line to get connections to Battersea Park rail station and giving plenty of time for Registration on the day of the event!
Tube
There is no Tube station at Battersea Power Station and the closest is Vauxhall (15 – 20 minutes walk), served by the Victoria line.
Bike
London is becoming more bike-friendly by the day and if you have your own (2) wheeled steed, Survival London is bike friendly! We’ll once again have a large bike park at the venue for the day and this is open for you to park up your bike, scoter or motorbike for the day. Please bring your own LOCK however as this is an unsupervised facility. Boris bikes can be hired too from dicking stations all over town, but please ensure that if you bring a Boris bike on site, you have a way to lock it up whilst in your care.
Bus
There are loads of buses that serve bus stops in both Queenstwon Road and Nine Elms Road, right next to the Power Station. Check out www.tfl.gov.uk for timetables and route maps from your desintation.
Road
Central London can be a challenge to get through with a car and , good time needs to be allowed for. There is the Congestion Charge to plan for too, although this does not operate at the weekend. Parking at the Power Station* itself is not an option and there are few car parks in this area, however there are numerous car parking options on the other side of the river, around Victoria Station and a 20 minute walk away from the venue (or a 2 minute train ride from Victoria) away. If you are driving, plan your timings carefully as everything can take a little longer than expected in central London. Check out NCP car parks around Victoria/ Pimlico HERE. Near the event there are car parks in Battersea Park itself however space in these car parks is limited.
Again, please note that there will be NO car parking AT the event venue.
Air
London has 5 main airports all providing swift train transfer into town: Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, Gatwick and City.
Accommodation
There is plenty to choose from in London. From super stylish options in the thick of the action, to belt n’ braces Travelodge’s and tourist-focussed 2-and 3 star hotels. Try Visit London for a full run-down of options, plus superb info on what's on around town.
We'll see you there for London SOTF 2012!
* Subject to licensing and planning permission. Please also note that Battersea Power Station is the subject of ongoing discussions between its owners and other parties as to its future development. In the unlikely event that the Power Station cannot be used in 2012 for reasons beyond the control of the Organisers, an alternative event venue will be provided and entrants will be offered a refund on monies paid or a free transfer to the alternative event.
