Rose of the Shires Ultra

Event overview

The Rose of the Shires is a circular ultra marathon of 54 miles (about 86.4 km) held in Northamptonshire. The event starts and finishes at Brixworth Country Park and follows a one-loop route that passes through Salcey Forest, the Grand Union Canal and parts of the Nene Way, Midshires Way and the Northampton Round. The route passes through 21 villages and towns. The event is a registered UTMB index race in the 100K category.

Course and logistics

The surface mix is predominantly off-road: the organiser gives the route as 36.4 miles of cross-country trails, 15.6 miles of roads and 1.8 miles of canal towpath. Total elevation is +2315 ft (+706 m) and -2315 ft (-706 m). The course is waymarked but requires some navigation; the organisers provide mapping resources, a voice navigation file and a GPS tracker. There are six checkpoints roughly every 6-8 miles. Each checkpoint supplies water, snacks and event fruit cake. Parking is at the lower meadow car park at Brixworth Country Park; the park uses ANPR.

Rules, equipment and support

The event is restricted to competitors aged over 18. The cut-off time for the full course is 13.5 hours. A Geo Tracks GPS tracker is used for live tracking; units upload position frequently and battery life is stated at about 70 hours. Mandatory kit includes a charged mobile phone, at least 1 litre water capacity, survival blanket, waterproof jacket, whistle, headtorch (with spare batteries), hat and gloves, and a long-sleeved base layer or fleece. Relay options are offered for teams of 3, 4 or 7.

Distances for the seven relay legs: Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

• 8.7 miles
• 7.1 miles
• 7.4 miles
• 6.8 miles
• 7.7 miles
• 8.0 miles
• 8.4 miles