RIA Member – Big Bear Events
Big Bear Events put on trail events across the Midlands. Their main focus is on midweek 6-hour lapped events but they also have their TrailFest events at weekends, with events ranging from 10k to 50 miles, and some evening 10ks in the summer and winter.
Their main focus is on people being able to do their own thing in a no-pressure environment. Their events are about personal performances and goals, not beating the stranger next to you. If you’re going to be in a forest on a Tuesday – why not enjoy it! The majority of the time the real focus is deciding what to have from the aid station at the end of the lap!
The atmosphere at Big Bear events is incredibly relaxed and encouraging. They’re there to support people running, hiking or walking as far or as long as they want. If that’s having a chat at the end of each lap, speedily passing them fig rolls or talking about future events, they’re on it. This approach has led to numerous awards based on participant reviews. Often their events have +50% of the field leaving 5 star feedback, a real sign of how the participants feel appreciated and want to be evangelical about it.
They put on around 20-25 events a year, aiming for small and “boutique” rather than mass-participation. Their aims are to keep getting people to come back! With 20 different venues being used across the Midlands they are adamant that anyone within 20 miles of a venue, who owns a pair of running shoes, knows about Big Bear and comes to see what all the hype is about!