Is there anything more English than running from one castle to another, through rolling countryside on a sunny day?

This was my first ever go at the Two Castles, and judging by how big a field (nearly 4000) it’s clearly earned it’s popularity by offering a great experience. 
Registration was easy, but don’t delay, the places go quickly.
Race number with chip timing arrived 9 days beforehand, with email instructions very clear about arrival time at the start, within the picturesque grounds of Warwick Castle.  

The records of a walled-building in Warwick can be traced back to 964, the Saxon fortification which Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, used to defend against the invading Danes. The first castle to appear on the site was a wooden motte and bailey constructed in 1068 at the command of William the Conqueror.

As a member of Massey Ferguson Running Club I was directed to a separate marshalling point, for clubs competing in the Warwickshire Road Race League, independent runners eventually filed in behind us just prior to the start.

On the stroke of 9 o’clock we emerged from the walls of the beautiful castle into the streets of Warwick. The first mile contains a straight incline section that showed the depth of runners in the field but also allowed the faster runners to establish space ready for the flattest part of the course.
Heading northwesterly out of town we were treated to wide open roads and a slight downhill to mile 2 where the inclines began, and never really finished.
The first wasn’t too bad, surrounded by verdant scenery certainly helped, and led us through the lovely village of Leek Wootton and onto halfway.
Here the hills were waiting, not Himalayan but just continuous, enough to take 10-20 seconds per mile off your pace.
Entering the western edge of Kenilworth just after 4.5 miles the worst of the incline behind you, left you using the suburban streets to stretch your legs out ready for the finish into the ruins of Kenilworth Castle, (dating back to 1120).
One last sharp incline into the castle grounds, a sprint across the car park and two sharp turns led you into the finish and a fantastic wall of noise from supporters and family members, all entrants receive 2 tickets for supporters entry into the grounds.

A goodie bag containing your medal, soft cotton t-shirt, snack bar, and small bottle of water was handed over with clearly laid out t-shirt sizes visible.

All in all a really well organised race, great scenery especially at the start and finish, some cheeky hills make for an enjoyable day, but not a PB course for most.