WELCOME TO THE LANGDON DISCOVERY NATURE PARK - PHOENIX SUMMER SERIES 'HALLOWEEN SPECIAL'

Summer Series - Halloween Special (27th October 2026) starting at 7:30pm

Entry Fees are: Adults - £2 (affiliated/club affiliated), £4 (unaffiliated),

                           U18's - £1 (affiliated/club affiliated), £2 (unaffiliated), (entries on the day only, this is to confirm that U18 will run supported by an adult or with adult consent to run unsupported)

Minimum Age: 12 years old on the day of the event for 5k

'Little Monsters ' Trail (starting at 6:45pm) (free entry, registration on the day required)

A spooky trail for all ages with treats and halloween surprises for children under 12 (must be accompanied by an adult).

Halloween Special (Adults and U18)

The Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon Nature Discovery Park is is offering you the opportunity to run around the paths and trails that make up part of Langdon Hills. The run will be in the dark and all participants will be required to wear/carry a light source and are encouraged to wear something halloween themed. Everyone will be given glow sticks to wear during the race, this is the allow the marshals to spot runners and to minimise the risk of runners colliding in the dark. The event will raise funds for EWT and the charity supported by Phoenix Striders (Better Opportunities for Special People - BOSP)

This 5k event is for 12+ and adults only and starts at 19:30. The 5k trail include 2 laps of the 2.5k circuit and starts and finishes at the Discovery Centre 

The safety stuff:

This is a trail course in a country park where you may encounter people not involved in the event, dogs, horses and riders, animals and insects and is over typical trail terrain with overhanging branches, tree roots, cobbles, brick, stones, slippery mud brambles and nettles. Dress and run accordingly.

We will have marshals, a tailwalker and two First Aiders with kits and AED's at the start and further points of the course. Advise the Run Director if you have any medical conditions before the start and run/ walk within your capacity. This event is about fun and finishing. As the event will take place in the dark, there will be arrow boards as well as the usual flour arrows, the marshals will have torches to guide and support runners and the runners will wear glow sticks to enable the marshals and other competitors to see each other. 

Adults will be able to enter online and on the day

U18 taking part in the 5k will enter on the day. This is due to the fact that all U18 runners and a parent/responsible adult will need to confirm that the young person is running with an adult or consent is given for them to run unsupervised. This is due to our need to safeguard young people in line with our responsibilities as organisers of the event.

All participants MUST carry a light source during the event. This will be checked at registration

We will be conducting the event under a Trail Runners Association Permit and under England Athletics rules. 

A few simple rules:

 - no pushchairs, dogs, no headphone (other than bone conduction kept at low volume), results are timed manually and the RD's decision will be final. 

'Little Monsters' Trail

The trail is a single loop of about 800m marked out with marshals, glow sticks, flour arrows and yellow arrow boards. 'Little Monsters' and grown ups will receive glow sticks at registration to wear as bracelets or necklaces, they will receive a gift half way round and a goodie bag at the end.

Entry is free for 'Little Monsters' and accompanying adults, however everyone must register on arrival to ensure we have a list of children and their accompanying adults.

All adults must carry a light source for visibility and safety. One adult may supervise up to 4 'Little Monsters', but they must be in sight at all times. The marshals will have torches to assist with guidance and route identification.

Please arrive in plenty of time to allow for registration, putting on the glow sticks and a briefing before starting. At the end please ensure you go through the finish, your 'Little Monsters' have collected their goodie bags and you have been recorded as finishing.

The route is buggy friendly so very small 'Monsters' are welcomed.

No dogs are allowed in the event, but may wait with an adult at the start finish, please keep dogs on a lead and under control.

There are no changing facilties at the Centre, but there are toilets inside.

The Centre sells a range of Essex Wildlife Trust gifts and momentos, hot and cold drinks, hot and cold snacks, ice creams and sweets.

Confirmation of entry and full details of parking and transport will be sent to you by email (if supplied) to the email address provided on the entry form.

Race numbers to be collected on the day from the Discovery Centre, so please arrive early to collect your number.

Results will be posted on the series website http://www.phoenixstriders.org.uk 

Charities supported by this event:

Essex Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading conservation charity, committed  to protecting wildlife and inspiring a lifelong love of nature. They manage nature reserves and discovery parks across the county. https://www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/thameside