Thames Trail Ultra
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Event overview
The Thames Trail Ultra is a point-to-point ultramarathon organised by GoBeyondSport. The course covers 47 miles from Iffley (Hawkwell House Hotel area) to Henley-on-Thames. The race is listed in the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) Index System in the 50K category. The next scheduled edition is 24 October 2026.
The route includes mixed terrain with 40.4 miles of cross-country trails and riverside paths (about 86%) and 6.6 miles of roads (about 14%). Elevation figures are +947 ft (+289 m) gain and -1,053 ft (-321 m) loss. The event has an overall cut-off of 11.5 hours and an age limit of 18 years and over.
Course and logistics
The route follows sections of the Thames Path and the Ridgeway National Trails and runs along towpaths and country trails. The finish from 2024 is at the YMCA Y Centre in Henley-on-Thames, where hot drinks, showers, toilets and changing facilities are available. Recent course updates note that the Donkey Bridge near the finish is off-limits and the Benson Weir footway is closed; diversions are provided on the race GPS and GPX files.
Five aid stations provide water, snacks and Go Beyond fruitcake, and Real Meal energy bars are supplied. Toilets are listed near Checkpoints 1, 4 and 5. Mandatory kit is required and may be checked at random; required items include a charged mobile phone, power bank, minimum 1 L water container, survival blanket, waterproof jacket, whistle, headtorch with spare batteries, warm layers, hat and gloves, and a debit/credit card. Baggage transfer is offered with a maximum bag size of 56 x 45 x 25 cm. Limited parking is available in Iffley and a courtesy shuttle runs from Oxford train station. Real-time tracking uses a Geo Tracks GPS tracker with position updates every 10 seconds. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
