The Marlow Donkey
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Marlow Donkey
The Marlow Donkey is a Thames Valley LDWA challenge event held on Sunday 4 October 2026. Entrants choose one of three waymarked routes and must complete their chosen route within published maximum time limits. Route descriptions and GPX files will be available at least one week before the event.
There are three route options:
- 15.6 miles (25 km)
- 25 miles (40 km)
- 31.3 miles (50 km)
Entries are limited to 150 on a first-come first-served basis. Entry opens to LDWA members on 1 June 2026 and to others on 1 September 2026, and closes on 20 September 2026 or when the limit is reached. Entry is by online application and payment via SiEntries only. The entrant fee is £15 for LDWA members and £20 for non-members. The fee includes drinks and snacks at the start, provisions at an outward checkpoint, a simple meal at the finish and transport for retirees. No postal entry, no entry on the day, no refunds for withdrawal, and substitutions are only possible via SiEntries before entries close.
The start and finish are at Liston Hall, Marlow (grid ref SU850867). Car parking is available in nearby town car parks. Marlow railway station is about a ten minute walk from the hall.
Conditions of entry require a carried, charged mobile phone and an emergency contact number different from the entrant’s own. Any entrant under 18 must have written parental consent and be accompanied by that parent or guardian. Checkpoints have cut-off times as stated in the route description; entrants who miss cut-offs must return by a shorter route.
Organisers may vary the route, perform kit checks, and retire entrants who do not carry mandatory equipment. Required kit includes a personal drinking container, plastic mug, paper copy of the route description, mobile phone with spare battery pack, whistle, basic first aid including blister plasters, suitable footwear, waterproofs, compass and specified maps or electronic map files with adequate power. Maps may be OS Landranger 175 or OS Explorer 171 and 172, or equivalent printed or electronic maps covering at least two kilometres each side of the route.
Timed certificates are available on request for those who complete a route within the time limit. Results and past results are published on the Thames Valley LDWA website after the event. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
