Testimonials

Castle Virtual Series
January - March 2021

Cholmondeley Castle
19/20 June 2021

The Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle
3/4 July 2021

Castle Howard
24/25 July 2021

Château de Chantilly
28/29 August 2021

Lough Cutra Castle
11/12 September 2021

Hever Castle
25/26 September 2021

Schools Roadshow
July 2021

Castle Triathlon Series > Testimonials > Testimonials – The Bastion at Hever Castle

The Bastion Full Iron Distance

The Bastion was quite simply the best event I’ve ever done. The course was immense; brutal, but brilliant. The venue was unique; an inspiring backdrop and great fun for spectators. But the best bit was the way you guys ran the event; from the race pack a few weeks before, to the race briefing with 12 hours to go, all the way through the day – you, your team, and every one of the marshals and stewards – you absolutely nailed it.

Dan Cliffe

Brilliant, brilliant event that is worthy of the name and it challenges everyone. The marshals did an amazing job and the organisation was excellent – unsurpassed by any event I have ever participated in. The genuine differentiator was the friendly, personal feeling you got everywhere from the competitors (I even had a conversation with Fraser Cartmell in the last 1km of his run but sadly I had another 33km to go) to the entire organising team. It felt special and I’m sure it will become an iconic event that people aspire to finish.

I will be entering the Gauntlet at Hever shortly and Bastion again for 2015. The events, although tough, are excellent and much better than the IM branded ones. Thanks again.

Dave Bowden

Please pass on my thanks to everybody involved in the organisation of yet another brilliantly run event. It was made that little bit special due to the personailsed effect of everything pre, during and post race. A really special touch. I loved it when all of the team kept popping up to offer words of encouragement.

I have entered every year at Hever since the first event in 2009 and every one has got better, and the first was pretty good! That says it all really.

Paul Paker

Amazingly well organised, super helpful staff. A stunning venue, and just the most supportive marshals you could ever hope for. Top goodies too, love the paperweight and the gillet is a nice touch. I take away priceless memories and a few photos.

Thanks again. An iconic, inspiring and utterly awesome event, and a privilege to see how Fraser Cartmell operates.

Gary Callaghan

I do not write to organisers generally as many events are just that, an event, but I feel you have something special with your organisation and attitude so I would like to wish you well and hope that you are able to retain the lovely feeling for participants.

Ian Jackson

Thank you to everyone involved in the Bastion; what an amazing event it was, the organisation was sensational, the team could not be possibly be faulted (so so friendly & helpful) and the whole atmosphere made it one the most unforgettable experiences I have ever had :) I must add that it was a utterly brutal cycle and run course that pushed me to my limit of what I thought I could achieve :)

Edward Moffatt

Congratulations to you all for organising a great weekend. You had thought of everything to deliver a race with all the hallmarks of a big race, whilst keeping the attention to detail and friendly support that makes all the difference to competitors and spectators.

It really was an outstanding event and I hope that it will continue to go from strength to strength – it certainly deserves to!

Katie C

Your overall welcome, support, organisation and communications were excellent. My friends and family that came down for the day were also very impressed with the welcome, ease of parking, no charge for parking, entertainment and access to the course. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers out on the course who were just brilliant in their encouragement and support. Thanks also for delivering the event so professionally. My overall feeling was “wow what a tough race but what a brilliant race.

Kevin Draper

I really just wanted to say a massive thank you to you and your team for putting on an incredible event. From racking the bike to finishing the next day and very late – every minute was a joy. The organisation of it all was meticulous, the marshals were all very kind with their words of support and the goodie bag – brilliant.

This has been by far the toughest, but most enjoyable event I have ever taken part in. A beautiful swim, a very hilly cycle, an off road marathon, but all supported by well stocked stations, lots of smiles, plenty of food at the end and spot on physio to get my weary legs on the road to recovery.

I am still blown away with how friendly and supportive everyone was – that made the difference and I will certainly be recommending this event above all others to anybody who wants a real challenge.

Jenny Craig

Wow, what a day. If there is a harder IM course on the planet I want to know about it! Please can you pass on my thanks to everyone involved in the organisation of the event. Special thanks go to the road, run, water and feed marshals – they were so supportive. One girl at the 6km mark on the run was amazing; she kept clapping and cheering all day – it makes a huge difference. Can’t quite believe I have done it! Although my body aches and the blisters are sore, it’s a wonderful feeling. Once again, many thanks, you have a great team and I can see this being the premier long distance event in the country.

Ian Adams

A big thank you to the team, making it a truly memorable day with a real big race feel. The cycle was brutal and the run very tough but the scenery kept me going through every hill.

The biggest thanks of the day goes to the young lad marshaling at the entrance to the castle gate who went and bought us a packet of ready salted crisps for the last lap, so you even did special order requests!

Well done all round, your marshals and helpers did you proud. My prediction is this is a real ‘bucket list’ race for the future! Take on the Bastion at your peril!

Chris Sugars

Just wanted to say a big thank you for the Bastion race at the weekend. I must say I have never experienced an Iron distance race and on such a challenging course I was in great distress by the end but both you and your team made me feel very safe in completing this race. I really appreciated the pep talk from one of your volunteers along with the painkillers. I must also say thank you to your commentator who made me feel as special as the winner.

Desmond Grant

Sport has been an integral part of my life both professionally [P.E. teacher] and personally. Having competed and trained for a number of sports over the years! I truly believe triathlon is the one that is the most rewarding and addictive! For a plethora of reasons, namely the personal satisfaction you gain from learning and developing the techniques, fitness requirements and skills for each discipline. Also, the wonderful people you meet in all areas of the sport, be that fellow competitors, race organisers, officials, coaches and spectators. The sport is now a way of life for me and the people in make it feel like home! More specifically, the Castle Series is one that creates that feeling of home, in that the organisers are very welcoming and hospitable to all abilities and needs. They certainly certainly look after you from start to finish! Your training in the build-up to the event will enable you to strive to be the best you can be physically but also mentally, feel good factor from finishing a triathlon is immense and hugely satisfying. You deserve the bragging rights!!

Bethan Fowler