Airfield Anarchy : Last chance to take on obstacle course

A mud run that has raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes will be held for the last time.

An estimated 10,000 people have taken part in Airfield Anarchy since it was launched at a site near Newark Showground.

Part of the Winthorpe Airfield site has been sold and is being redeveloped into a business park, which means some of the permanent obstacles will be lost.

Film director Mr Greg Goodall, who launched the event with landowner Mr Tom Hounsfield three years ago, is moving out of the area and decided the time was right to end the event.

The event has previously been called Afterburner and Mudfest.

Airfield Anarchy: Biggles’ Last Stand will be on Sunday, September 30 and can take up to 1,000 runners.

Mr Goodall said 1,500 people took part in the first event in March 2014.

“It has come to an end but it has been a good couple of years,” he said.

“We were getting lots of people running who were ex-RAF and it worked really well because of the military community around Newark.

“The feedback was that they enjoyed it, and the after-party, and they wanted more of a camping element.

“We then had Toploader headlining our festival and we created Mudfest.”

Mr Goodall said: “I’m a film director, so knew we could create the concept and promote these events and we were passionate about mud-running.

“It was a match made in heaven and it just grew and grew.

“We were probably the largest music and sports participation festival in Britain because everyone who did our run came to our festival.

“It has always been a lot of fun.”

Mr Goodall said the events attracted between 1,000 and 2,500 runners.

“We would love to see everyone who has done the mud-run come back and do it one last time.”

"It’s the right time to move on from the event."

Mr Goodall estimated that Airfield Anarchy had raised a combined total of £30,000 for a range of charities.

That included thousands for its chosen charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund, as well as money raised through individual sponsorships.

“It has done really well and it’s got a lot more people running for charities across the spectrum,” said Mr Goodall.

“We didn’t think it would be as big as it has been but it has been fun.

“We wanted to go out and raise money for charity so we have achieved what we wanted to do.

“It’s the right time to move on from the event.”

Volunteers helping at the event will have the chance to run the course after the participants.

Biggles, an event mascot who has appeared at every Airfield Anarchy but has never taken part, will be the last ever runner on the course.

People can sign up by visiting http://airfieldanarchy.com