The Location
The Castles Challenge Triathlon Series links up some of Northumberland’s finest landmarks with stunning scenery.
Bamburgh Castle will be the headquarters for the Castles Challenge Triathlon Series and The Green at the foot of Castle will serve as the transition area for the races and will be the finish area for the Junior and Sprint triathlon races.
Race registration will be in the Cricket Pavilion on The Green, which has changing rooms & hot showers.
Competitors entering Sunday’s Middle Distance race will arrive at Alnwick Castle & Gardens after completing the cycle leg of the race and will start the run section around the grounds and parkland of Hulne Park and Alnwick Castle, which serves as a fabulous backdrop. With stunning trails, fabulous views and the excellent facilities of The Alnwick Garden, competitors will be guaranteed to be finishing on a high!
Bamburgh Castle
Once home to the kings of ancient Northumbria, Bamburgh Castle is one of Northumberland’s most iconic landmarks and also one of the largest inhabited castles in the country. It spans nine acres high up on it’s rocky plateau where it has watched over the Northumberland coastline for many centuries and has featured in several big screen movies. For more information on this fine coastal castle, please visit the Bamburgh Castle website.
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle has been the family home to the Percy family for over 700 years. Often dubbed the ‘Windsor of the North’, it’s easy to see why this glorious medieval castle is often chosen as a film location for Hollywood blockbusters and countless numbers of TV productions, including Harry Potter & Robin Hood. There is much to see and do at Alnwick Castle with fantastic scenery and lots of history and exploring for children. For further information please visit the Alnwick Castle website.
The Alnwick Garden
Created from the desire of The Duchess of Northumberland to create a beautiful public garden for families to enjoy, The Alnwick Garden is a vibrant place, with beautifully landscaped gardens and magnificent architecture. The centrepiece is the iconic Grand Cascade water feature, the largest of its kind in the country. The treetop restaurant is housed in one of the world’s largest treehouses complete with wobbly rope bridges and walkways in the sky. For more information on activities and events for all the family, please visit The Alnwick Garden website.
Hulne Park
The race routes take competitors part way through Hulne Park which has wonderful trails and fine scenery and is the host for the Alnwick Trail Runner. Hulne Park began its transformation into stunning parkland during the 18th century when the 1st Duke of Northumberland hired local lad and famous landscape gardener, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The panoramic views that you see from Alnwick Castle may look as if they have been here forever, but they were in fact meticulously designed to give an impression of being completely natural.