Gower Coastal Trail Races
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Route
The event takes place on the Gower Peninsula in Wales, following the Wales Coast Path. There are three distances.
- Gower Ultra 50: A 50-mile circumnavigation of the peninsula, starting and finishing in Mumbles. It begins at Mumbles Cricket Club, passes through Clyne Woods and along the Loughor Estuary, then follows the coast from Llanrhidian around to the finish in Mumbles.
- Gower Ultra Bach: A 34-mile route covering the final two-thirds of the coastline, from Weobley Castle to Mumbles.
- Gower Trail Race: A 23-mile route covering the final stretch of the coastline, from Rhossili to Mumbles.
Over 90% of the course follows the coast. The route includes fast, flat sections, rolling cliff tops, soft trails, dunes, and crosses beaches like Rhossili Bay. The races are primarily self-navigated using GPS, event-provided maps, and Wales Coast Path signage.
Event Information
The event is held on a Saturday in 2026. There is a time limit: the courses close at 22:30. The Gower Ultra 50 has a 15.5-hour limit, the Ultra Bach 13 hours, and the Trail Race 11.5 hours.
The event base is Mumbles Cricket Club. It provides changing facilities, showers, and toilets.
Checkpoints
There are manned checkpoints on the route. For 2026, provisional checkpoints are planned at Dunvant, Llhanrhidian, Broughton, Rhossili, Port Eynon, Oxwich Bay, Three Cliffs, and Southgate. They typically offer water, energy drinks, tea, coffee, sweets, biscuits, crisps, fruit, and soup.
Logistics
- Registration and Start Times: Registration for all races happens on Friday evening. On Saturday, registration and GPS tracker fitting take place at Mumbles Cricket Club, followed by bus transport to the start lines for the Ultra Bach and Trail Race. Specific times are provided for each distance.
- Transport: Optional bus transport from Mumbles Cricket Club to the start lines for the Ultra Bach and Trail Race is available for an additional fee.
- Equipment: All runners must carry a compulsory kit list, regardless of the weather forecast.
Included with Entry
Entry includes access to checkpoints, a finisher's medal, post-race soup and a roll, use of changing facilities and showers, first aid cover, and GPS tracking for all participants. Ultra 50 runners also have a drop bag service to and from Llhanrhidian.
Location
The event base in Mumbles is approximately 20 minutes from the M4 motorway, 35 minutes from Llanelli, 1 hour from Cardiff, and 1 hour 40 minutes from Bristol. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
