Butcombe Trail Ultra
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Butcombe Trail Ultra
The Butcombe Trail Ultra is a pair of self navigated ultramarathons run around pubs in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The route is mostly off road and criss crosses the Mendips, running anti clockwise from the race headquarters at Mendip Activity Centre.
Distances:
- 50 miles
- 50 kilometres
Entries open 8 June 2025 and close 11 April 2026. Entry fees are listed as £82 for the 50 mile race and £67 for the 50 kilometre race, with a £2 discount for affiliated athletes. The fee structure includes a £5 increase to fund tracking devices intended to improve timing accuracy, allow spectators to follow runners, and assist with locating a runner if they need help. The 50 mile race requires applicants to have run a trail marathon since 1 January 2025; the 50 kilometre race has no formal prior race requirement but requires confidence in self navigation.
Both distances are designated UTMB index races. The event is organised by volunteer members of Town and Country Harriers with proceeds benefiting the Mendip Hills Fund; previous races have donated a total of £18,800. New prize categories for 2026 include an Open category available to all competitors and a Female category aligned with England Athletics criteria.
Race rules include a strong discouragement of headphones with mandatory removal of both earpieces at checkpoints and marshalled road crossings, allowance of one pacer from the final checkpoint, mandatory kit requirements, a pregnancy refund policy, and free entry for registered guide runners who receive a finisher medal but are not eligible for prizes. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
