Thames Trail Ultra

Thames Trail Ultra - event overview

The Thames Trail Ultra is a point-to-point ultra-marathon covering 47 miles along the Thames Path from Iffley, south of Oxford, to Henley-on-Thames. The route follows sections of the Thames Path and the Ridgeway National Trails and passes through towns, villages, and riverside paths.

The course surface is mixed: about 40.4 miles (86%) are cross-country trails and riverside paths and about 6.6 miles (14%) are on roads. Total elevation change is modest, with approximately +947 ft (+289 m) gain and -1053 ft (-321 m) loss. The event enforces a maximum cut-off of 11.5 hours with progressive cut-off points from Checkpoint 3 onward.

Support on course includes five aid stations supplying water, snacks, and fruitcake, plus partner-supplied high-calorie, low-sugar, gluten-free, vegan energy bars. Toilets are available near Checkpoints 1, 4, and 5. The finish is at the YMCA Y Centre in Henley-on-Thames, where hot food, showers, and changing facilities are provided.

All participants must be aged 18 or over and carry mandatory kit including a fully charged mobile phone, power bank, minimum 1 L water container, survival blanket (min 1.4 m x 2 m), waterproof jacket, whistle, headtorch with spare batteries, hat and gloves, long-sleeved base layer or fleece, and a debit or credit card. Baggage transfer is offered with a maximum bag size of 56 x 45 x 25 cm.

Travel notes: parking at Iffley is limited, there is a courtesy shuttle from Oxford station, and Twyford station is one stop from Henley. Real-time tracking uses a Geo Tracks GPS tracker that uploads position every 10 seconds. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.