Country to Capital Ultra Marathon
Wendover, United Kingdom • 10 Jan 2026
Country to Capital Ultra
Country to Capital is a point-to-point ultra marathon of 43 miles from Wendover to the Little Venice canal basin in London. The race starts at the Shoulder of Mutton Pub in Wendover and finishes at the Stowe Centre near Paddington and Royal Oak tube stations. Entry is restricted to competitors over 18. The event uses electronic Geo Tracks GPS trackers for real-time tracking and navigation; trackers upload position every 10 seconds, are accurate to about 5 metres and have batteries rated to 70 hours. There are prizes for the first three male and female finishers, and all finishers receive a medal and Go Beyond merchandise. The overall race cutoff is 11 hours, with progressive cutoffs from Checkpoint 3 onwards. One carry-on-sized bag (maximum 56 x 45 x 25 cm) is transferred to the finish.
Course and logistics
The route passes through Buckinghamshire countryside, crosses the M25 by bridge, and follows the Grand Union Canal towpath into London. Terrain comprises approximately 11.0 miles of cross-country trails (26%), 12.1 miles of roads and paths (28%), and 20 miles of canal towpath (46%), with total elevation gain of about +1375 ft and descent of -1720 ft. The course is waymarked but requires some navigation and is covered by OS Maps 181, 172 and 173. There are five checkpoints providing water and snacks. Mandatory kit includes a fully charged mobile phone, powerbank, water capacity of at least 1 litre, survival blanket (minimum 1.4 m x 2 m), waterproof jacket, whistle, headtorch and spare batteries, hat, gloves and a long-sleeved base layer. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.