Two Castles

Date of event: 8th June 2025

Distance: 10k

Pre Race

The Two Castles is one of the local iconic races and well known to runners all across the Midlands and beyond area. This is a race you must enter as soon as entries open as has been sold out for the last couple of years and with the growth of running this is expected to continue.

This is a local race so easy to access and the from the discussions with fellow DRR runners is very well supported by club members. I would estimate there were circa forty people from the club there and could have been higher but for the restricted entry numbers.

The course runs from Warwick Castle to Kenilworth on closed roads. I very much wanted to see why this race was so highly regarded and push myself.

You can park at Warwick or Kenilworth and get buses between the two locations to retrieve your car afterwards or drop your car ahead of time. I was lucky enough to be dropped off and had a lift home at the end.

Your Race Experience

The race was well organised with easy access and plenty of toilets and information points ahead of time.  The start was slightly haphazard with lots of weaving necessary. You were held in the castle grounds then they opened a gate and away you went. The closed roads made it simple for getting past people but ideally would have been better organised.

I started quite quickly and found myself pushing too hard at the beginning, something I will learn for next time. There was a great atmosphere at the start with people several deep for the first Kilometre or two.

The crowds thinned out as we left Warwick and headed off the main roads and out onto the smaller local roads. There remained support with people sitting outside their houses offering sweets and encouragement to the runners as we went past.

I didn’t really have a plan for the race, my main aim was to enjoy the experience and not be pushing for Personal Bests or any specific time. The number of participants made it easy to run with groups after the first couple of Kilometres once the race had settled down. There were a few good conversations as we progressed. I met a few of the DRR runners on the course and ran with a couple for a Kilometre before they headed off into the distance.

I personally struggled a bit towards the end partly due to going off a bit to quick and partly due to starting to feel the effects of a recurring injury that prevents me running for a week every few months. There was plenty of hydration stations available and from local residents if required.

The Finish 

The finish of the race had a nice medal. T-Shirt and some nutritious bars. The finish was very congested due to limited space with runners and supporters crowding into the Castle grounds at Kenilworth. There was limited opportunity for meeting up with others with some heading back on the buses when they finished.

I did meet up with a couple of people but not able to as a club.

I achieved my goal of successfully completing this event. As I reflected afterwards I fully understood why this event is so highly thought of and will definitely be marking in the calendar when the entries open for 2026.

I would recommend this event to everyone to participate in because of the atmosphere the course and the whom experience of running between the two castles.