Countdown to the Hull-timate Challenge - have you signed up yet?

A unique urban obstacle course race is set to take to the streets of Hull next month.

 Hull, which was the UK City of Culture in 2017, will play host to the ‘Hull-timate Challenge’ on Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21.

The route will direct runners through obstacles next to the city’s iconic locations, such as a giant ‘take-off slide’ outside Hull Minster, ice skips at The Deep and a Tarzan rope swing next to the city’s tidal barrier. In total, there will be more than 30 obstacles.

Residents in the Hull and East Riding areas – and further afield – are being urged to sign up now to book their place for this one-off experience.

There will be a 10km, 7.5km and 5km route, as well as a 1km race for under 12s.

The race has been organised by the Living With Water partnership, made up of Yorkshire Water, Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Environment Agency.

Living With Water aims to raise awareness about flooding in and around Hull and East Riding, and steps residents can take to better prepare for flooding.

Alongside the course in various locations around the obstacles are exhibitors, sponsors and key stakeholders involved with promoting resilience from healthy eating to money matters alongside the Environment Agency who will be talking to anyone affected by flooding in Hull and East Riding to sign up to a flood awareness campaign.

The race has a strong environmental focus and many of the obstacles will tie in with the local area, which can be affected by flooding.

Obstacles will also include water butt hurdles and flood barrier trough. Important messages about reducing plastics in our oceans will be featured, through challenges such ducking under single use plastics in ice-filled skips and each entrant receiving a reusable plastic bottle for rehydration.

The race has been designed and created by former SAS soldier Rob Edmond of Urban Attack.

Rob, who was the resident trainer and presenter on ITV’s The Biggest Loser, said: “This is a very exciting event to work on, it’s a real first for a major city to host an event like this.

“Having the obstacle race starting and finishing in the city centre and taking participants right through and around the city including all the major landmarks, pedestrianised shopping areas and tourist hotspots is going to be a unique experience for runners - participants are in for a real treat.

“This type of route through an inner city location comes with extra logistical challenges to overcome but we have the right partners and great team involved. It’s going to make for a very special event - not one to miss.”

Rob added that the race is going to be well marshalled with more than 200 enthusiastic volunteers.

He said: “The benefit of the race being in Hull is that we have a readily-available supply of enthusiastic marshals who were previously City of Culture volunteers. They will be cheering on race-goers in their distinctive blue and pink uniforms.”

Lee Pitcher, Head of Resilience for Yorkshire Water, Living With Water, said: “This is a great opportunity for people to visit Hull and take part in a unique race never seen before through the streets.

“However, the wider message of for the whole community to engage with this amazing project and understand how we all need to tackle where we live and work to be more resilient to flooding in the future”

The team behind the race is also aiming to set up Hull’s first refill scheme and have the route established as a ‘refill zone’, a campaign to persuade businesses to sign up to a scheme allowing people to refill their water bottles on their premises rather than throw them away.

Organisers say the race is also distinctive because it has been set up to be a family day out.

Alongside the race there will be a free ‘Humbrella’ Trail, which will lead spectators round the main obstacles. At each stop on the trail there will be activities and give-aways related to a wide range of topics from healthy eating and being active to making up flood plan and signing up for free smoke alarms.

To check your flood risk and sign up to the flood warning service, go to https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings

For more information and to sign up for the Hulltimate Challenge go to https://livingwithwater.co.uk/hulltimate-challenge.

People signing up in advance will get a free t-shirt.