Winter Wanderlust Races

Winter Wanderlust 50km

The Winter Wanderlust 50km is an organised trail ultra run covering 50 km with approximately 1,000 m of elevation gain. The route follows the North Downs Way from the Kent Country Showground in Detling to Wye Village Hall in Wye, Kent.

The course passes Boxley Warren in the first 10 km, then climbs onto the North Downs and continues past Thurnham Castle and Lenham Cross before moving through open fields, woodland and farmland. The final section includes an 8 km loop through Wye Downs Nature Reserve, passing the Wye Crown and the Devil's Kneading Trough before descending to the finish at Wye Recreation Ground.

The event provides three checkpoints: an indoor station at about 10 km with snacks, drinks and toilets; an outdoor station at about 25 km with snacks and drinks; and an indoor station at about 39 km with hot food, drinks and toilets. There is a 10 hour final cutoff and a checkpoint 3 cutoff of 7 hours 45 minutes.

Included with entry are a finisher's medal for those finishing within the official cutoff, live GPS tracking, on-course medical support, a fully marked route, podium awards and hot food and drinks at the finish. An optional one-way shuttle from Wye to Detling is available for a fee, pre-booking required and limited to 100 tickets.

Mandatory kit must be carried throughout the race and includes a fully charged mobile phone, minimum 1 L water capacity, waterproof jacket (10,000 mm plus sealed seams), survival blanket, primary headtorch (minimum 75 lumens), red rear flashing LED light, a long-sleeved base layer, warm hat and gloves, and a reusable cup. Age minimum is 20 years. The race is run under a Trail Running Association permit and follows England Athletics rules. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.