Butcombe Trail Ultra
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Event overview
Butcombe Trail Ultra is a pair of self-navigation trail ultramarathons held on Saturday 25 April 2026 in the Mendip Hills AONB. The event uses the official Butcombe Trail route, a mostly off-road 47-mile route that passes six pubs in the Mendips. Races start and finish at the Mendip Activity Centre, Lyncombe Drive, Churchill, BS25 5PQ. Both races run anti-clockwise from the race HQ.
Distances
- 50 miles
- 50 kilometres
Both races are qualifying index events for UTMB and sister races: the 50-mile counts as a 100 km index race and the 50 km as a 50 km index race. Tracking devices are included in the entry fee to improve timing accuracy, allow spectator tracking, and assist in locating injured runners.
Entry, rules and organisation
Entries open 8 June 2025 and close 11 April 2026. Minimum age is 20 on the event date. Entry fees listed are: 50 miles £72 (rising to £82 from 14/01/2026) and 50 km £57 (rising to £67 from 14/01/2026). A £2 discount applies for affiliated athletes. For the 50-mile race, applicants must have completed a trail marathon since 1 January 2025; there is no formal requirement for the 50 km race.
The races are organised by volunteer members of Town and Country Harriers for the benefit of the Mendip Hills Fund. Event rules include mandatory kit, restrictions on headphone use (both earpieces must be removed at checkpoints and marshalled road crossings), a single pacer allowed from the final checkpoint, and policies on pregnancy refunds and guide runners. Prize categories include Female (per England Athletics criteria) and a new Open category. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
