It's National Roller Coaster Day on Thursday, August 16th and what better way to celebrate it than enjoying a ride on Europe's longest roller coaster?

Located at Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire, The Ultimate is the theme park's signature ride and provides a thrilling 1.5 mile combination of speed, cornering and airtime.

Unique amongst modern day attractions, The Ultimate remains the longest roller coaster in Europe with a ride time approaching six minutes.

The Ultimate has two lift hills of 102ft and 107ft respectively, which both offer awesome views of the park and epic amounts of both anticipation and airtime.

The first half of the ride is widely regarded as the smoothest section, with the second half of the ride, between the second lift and the station, providing a truly insane ride experience as the carriage hurtles through a deep and dark forest en route back to the station.

Coaster enthusiasts recommend sitting in the rear seats for the most intense ride experience.

Originating in America, Roller Coaster Day was first celebrated in the 1980s. The origins of the celebration are not completely clear, however, the most widely believed explanation is the date was chosen to mark the anniversary, in 1898, when the original patent for a roller coaster ride was first issued.

With over 35 rides and attractions for thrill seekers of all ages, Lightwater Valley Theme Park is one of the UK's most popular theme parks.

• For details on summer offers and special events visit www.lightwatervalley.co.uk. 

Issued by Flamingo Marketing. For more information please contact Drew Cunliffe on 01373 836499 or email drew@flamingo-marketing.co.uk.