Five Rivers Ultra
Woodbridge, United Kingdom • 16-17 May 2026
Event overview
The Five Rivers Ultra is a continuous point-to-point trail event along the Suffolk and Essex coast, scheduled for 16-17 May 2026. It is organised by Coastal Trail Runners and held under licence with England Athletics and the Trail Running Association. Three distances are offered:
- 100 miles
- 50 miles
- 50 km
Each distance has a published time limit: 100 miles - 32 hours, 50 miles - 24 hours, 50 km - 9 hours. All competitors carry a GPS tracker provided by the organisers. There is a mandatory safety kit list and eligibility rules: minimum age 20; 100-mile entrants must have completed a trail event of at least 50 miles in the previous 12 months, and 50-mile entrants must have completed at least 25 miles.
Course, support and logistics
The route links sections of established footpaths and is largely self-navigated, with GPX downloads provided. More than 85% of the course is on grass or dirt trail. The route passes through Dedham Vale and Suffolk Coast & Heaths Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and keeps estuary waters in view for much of the way. The full 100-mile route circumnavigates five coastal estuaries and finishes in Harwich near the 1912 Centre.
Support includes multiple checkpoints with snacks and drinks, indoor checkpoints with access to drop bags and hot food, a warm meal at the finish, drop-bag facilities, and tracking via Open Tracking. Checkpoint numbers vary by distance. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.