Thames Trail Ultra

Event overview

The Thames Trail Ultra is a point-to-point ultra-marathon held in October. The race covers 47 miles from Iffley, Oxfordshire (Hawkwell House Hotel / Mercure Oxford, Church Way) to Henley-on-Thames, finishing at the YMCA Y Centre in Henley. Entrants must be 18 years or older. The event is listed in the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc Index System in the 50K category.

Course and support

The route follows sections of the Thames Path and the Ridgeway National Trails and passes river towpaths, villages and town centres. Terrain comprises about 40.4 miles of cross-country trails and riverside paths (86%) and 6.6 miles of roads (14%). Total elevation change is modest: gain +947 ft (+289 m) and loss -1053 ft (-321 m). There are 5 aid stations offering water, snacks and fruitcake, with additional Real Meal energy bars and drinks available at the finish. Toilets are available near Checkpoints 1, 4 and 5. Course updates include a diversion around the Donkey Bridge and a closed section at Benson Weir; the revised route is provided on GPS trackers and GPX files.

Logistics and requirements

A Geo Tracks GPS tracker is used for live tracking, uploading position every 10 seconds. Baggage transfer from start to finish is offered with a bag size limit of 56 x 45 x 25 cm. Random kit checks are conducted before the race. Mandatory kit includes a fully charged mobile phone, power bank, minimum 1 L water container, survival blanket, waterproof jacket, whistle, headtorch with spare batteries, hat and gloves, a long-sleeved base layer or fleece, and a debit/credit card. Limited parking is available in Iffley and a shuttle bus from Oxford train station is provided. Cut-off time for the course is 11.5 hours with progressive cut-off points from Checkpoint 3 onward. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.