Thousands of people stepped in to the military boots of Commando trainees last weekend, on 12-13 November, taking in a real life training and endurance scenario at the Hever Castle Commando Series.
Produced by the team behind the popular Castle Triathlon Series, the Commando challenge included an intense warm up and 18 obstacles interspersed over either a 6K or 12K course. The gunfire, smoke and marching orders came to a standstill just before 11:00 GMT, as the final obstacle, a 12-foot wall, became the platform for a moving and poignant Remembrance ceremony.
Instructors, competitors and volunteers paid their respects to those who have bravely served the UK, many known by those in attendance.
The ceremony saw a vicar give a prayer remembering those who we have lost serving the country. This was followed by the Last Post bugle call. All were joined by serving Royal Marine, Les Barrow and the founder of the Commando Series, who is an ex Royal Marine, Brian Adcock. As race organiser Adcock shared a word before the 2-minute silence wrapped between canon fire.
The Commando Series was reportedly hailed as a success by those who took part, which included ‘OCR nuts, to midwives and firemen, to families and 7 year olds… many raising money for amazing causes’. The course offers competitors the chance to tailor it for themselves, ‘Just Get me Round’, ‘Treat me like a Commando’ or ‘Family Affair’. Commando instructors around the course served orders to the style selected by participants.
According to the organisers, the event offers more than obstacles, and the chance to ‘experience life as a Commando from the moment you arrive entering a military encampment filled with wood-fired showers, survival courses, dog tags and hot Ribena on completion’. The course takes in rivers, castle caves and wild terrain masking the challenges ahead for the ‘recruits’. Adrenaline was running high as they reached the infamous Sheep Dip.
The official partner and supporter of the Commando Series events is the Royal Marines Charity. This is the Royal Marines’ own charity and it is ‘uniquely placed to understand, respond and react, enabling Marines and their families to overcome their challenges including life changing injury, life limiting illness, mental disability, transition to civilian life and even poverty’.
Interested participants can sign up to ‘Go Commando’ in 2017 – with events taking place on Saturday 11th or Sunday 12th November 2017. (A £10 discount is available via the early bird price.)
