Kemble, United Kingdom · Thursday, August 6, 2026

Stage Race Stage race

MTC Thames Challenge Stage 1 (Cotswold Ultra)

Race completed
92 km Distance
not publishedn/a Climbing
4.6 est Grit · Challenging

Calculated from 92 km alone — the organiser has not published an elevation profile. Read 4.6 as a floor, not a verdict.

Register with organiserRegister ↗ Add to calendar
51.6740° N, 2.0181° W© OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Field size ~3 Tiny. You will run alone for most of it.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (184mi/4stages) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, August

Daytime high 22°C
Night low 12°C
Rainfall Mostly dry
Daylight 15 h 13 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for August — NASA POWER, grid elevation 123 m. Not a forecast.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 92 km of trail.

  • Trail Running Shoes92 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
  • Race Nutrition92 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
  • Hydration VestsFlask capacity for 92 km, without the bounce.
  • Headlamps92 km almost certainly means running into the night.
  • GPS WatchesBattery life first — a 92 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Salomon

Aero Glide 4 Grvl

$159.95 ★★★★★ 4.5

Adidas

Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

★★★★★ 4.5

Tailwind

Endurance Fuel

All-in-one calorie and electrolyte drink mix. 200 calories per serving.

$25 ★★★★★ 4.8

Nathan

VaporKrar 12L

12L race vest co-designed with ultra champion Rob Krar, with insulated bladder pocket.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.6

Petzl

NAO RL

1500-lumen reactive lighting headlamp with 15-hour runtime. Automatic brightness adjustment.

$150 ★★★★★ 4.7

COROS

APEX 2 Pro

GPS running watch with 75-hour GPS battery, topo maps, and training metrics.

$500 ★★★★★ 4.7
All gear guides →

Course Notes

4 stages. England’s longest river path. Commencing from the source of the Thames in the Cotswolds, before finally reaching the Thames Barrier in Greenwich, a distance of 184 miles.

Similar races

Other Stage race trail ultras, closest in distance first.