ULTRA
TRAILBLAZERZ®
NEW FOR 2026
Ultra Challenges® are for everyone, to take on at their pace – with fully marked routes in stunning locations, covered rest stops with lots of food & drink, and expert welfare & safety services. At the ‘front-end’ of the events, there’s capacity for more runners to join in; head out first on to a clear course, and hit the trails with 300+ like minded challengers!
The new TRAILBLAZERZ® category is aimed at confident trail runners, who will be able to take on ambitious time goals with full support all the way – perhaps stepping up from a marathon distance on to the trails, or aiming for a personal best over 100 or 50 km.
£20 OFF – TRAILBLAZERZ® LAUNCH DEAL!
TRAILBLAZERZ®
Ultra Challenges® are high quality endurance style events to take on at your pace – as a Run, Jog, Walk – for a wide range of fitness levels, ages & experience, in wonderful British scenery, with full support & camaraderie all the way – so you’ll be able to push yourself further!
The New TRAILBLAZERZ® category is tailored for competitive trail runners, who are out to beat an ambitious time goal and maybe to bag a personal best on an ultra marathon. There’s now an Ultra Challenge® for everyone – and we’d love it if you joined us in 2026.
TRAILBLAZERZ® is a new category for the faster, ambitious runners – who will head out in the 1st start wave onto the fantastic, fully signed, Ultra Challenge® routes – with 100 km & 50 km options across the 16 events.
TRAILBLAZERZ® may be seasoned Ultra competitors , regular trail runners, or marathon & 1/2 marathon’ers stepping on to the trails & upping the distance. All will probably have an eye on the clock – some will be out for a personal best – and a few will have a crack at the course records with trophies & prize money at stake!
If TRAILBLAZERZ® is not not yet for you, check out our running, jogging, and walking options – as well as 2 Day 100km ‘Daylight’ options with camping. There are also shorter 25 km challenges and a series of 10 km ‘taster’ events.
There are 100 km Ultra Challenge® events with a linear, looped, or a figure of 8 route – which have both 100 km & 50 km TRAILBLAZERZ® options. There’s also a set of 50 km Ultra Challenge® events with 50 km looped routes.
TRAILBLAZERZ® ‘Time Goals’ for each of the 100 km events range from sub 12 hrs to 14 hrs (male) & sub 13 hrs to 15 hrs (female) – largely depending on the route ascent.
For the ‘~50 km’ events – the ‘Time Goals’ range from sub 5 hrs to 7 hrs (male) & sub 5.5 hrs to 7.5 hrs (female) – again, factoring ascent – but also distance – as some ‘halves’ of the 100 km events are more than 50 km.
All TRAILBLAZERZ® start together in a single wave – generally at 6.45 am
The TRAILBLAZERZ® ‘Time Goals’ described above, are just that – a goal / serious ambition – NOT a cut off time leading to any forced early exit from the event!
Beat the ‘Time Goal’ and you qualify for the special TRAILBLAZERZ® medal & certificate – miss it and you still get the standard Ultra Challenge® versions awarded to the other walkers, joggers & runners.
As hundreds of walkers also set off after the runners – the actual cut off times are up to 32 hours on a100 km course. As a runner – you won’t be gonged out!
For each event TRAILBLAZERZ® category – 100 km (male & female) and ~50 km (male & female) there are:
- 1st Place – the TRAILBLAZERZ® trophy.
- Top 3 finishers – a FREE place on an Ultra Challenge® for the following year.
- £500 Prize Money – break an official course record!
Note:
- Free places can’t be passed to a 3rd party – or swapped for any cash alternative.
- A 100 km entrant on an event can’t qualify for the ‘parallel’ ~50 km awards!
Ultra Challenge® 50 km & 100km events are fully ITRA-certified and officially recognised as UTMB Index races. ITRA Points and the UTMB Index are separate measures of trail running ability, with ITRA focused on difficulty and endurance, while UTMB is specifically concerned with qualification for the UTMB World Series Finals.
Completing an Ultra Challenge® helps you progress toward entry into the UTMB World Series Finals by updating your UTMB Index with each performance and collecting ‘Running Stones’ which correlate to lottery entries. ITRA Points are a standardised measure of race difficulty allowing you to compare races, and some other trail events use ITRA Points for assessment of entries.
As we use UTMB’s tracking system, LiveTrail, finishing times are automatically uploaded to the UTMB database where your UTMB Index and Running Stones will be updated. We also input race results into the ITRA database, so ITRA Points with be updated shortly after the event.
Many fundraise for a charity of their choice, and with nearly 600 to choose from you’ll be amazed how much you can raise on a ‘tough’ challenge – as friends & family will recognise & support your courageous endeavours! The Ultra Challenge® Series raises £12+ million / year for UK charities.
Others just SELF FUND their places, and achieve a personal goal.
There’s best value ‘MULTI DEALS’ for 2 or more Self Fund events – with up to 25% OFF!
We want to encourage the ‘YOUNG’ to join – so there’s 20% OFF Self Fund prices for those aged 21 or less (subject to event distance min. age rules: – ie 18 for ~100km & 16 for ~50km). Under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult participant.
Full Support
An Ultra Challenge® is a journey, and it’s our unmatched level of support which enables so many to ‘push themselves further’. We’ll help you prepare with an App, training guides, and forums. On the day there are camping options; shuttle busses; a warm up & noisy send off; a fully signed route, scanned timing with a mobile phone GPS tracking app; marquee rest stops, fantastic food & drink specially tailored for TRAILBLAZERZ® participants (including SIS energy products), and expert safety, medical & welfare teams.
A big finish line cheer, with a special medal, a glass of fizz, a souvenir T shirt, a massage, a finishers meal – and a it’s a Trailblazing weekend to remember!
Pink arrows, pink flags, and glow-sticks at night, mark the route perfectly, and with Google route maps in the App – you won’t get lost on an Ultra Challenge®!
Our timing system is the same as is used in world class trail running events like UTMB. We scan you at rest stops, tracking your progress which automatically uploads and can be shared online. We have ‘real time GPS tracking‘ with a phone App – to also share with family & friends.
There are bookable coach transfers, shuttle busses, & parking options before & after your challenge to make travel planning easier. Most Events offer camping packages at the ~50km Saturday ‘half way’ for the 2 day ‘Daylight’ 100 km challenge option (or for a ‘half’ challenge) and at the main start venue for Friday night before the event.
Our rest stops are the BEST! Covered stops every ~12.5 km or so, and major ones each ~25 km – all with seating, clean toilets, medical services, & shuttle busses. There’s a range of snacks & drinks at all stops, with more substantial food at the ‘major’ ones (if you have time to spare) and a well earned finisher’s hot meal – all included in your entry fee.
The food is catered to the endurance athlete, prioritising carbohydrates with a wide range of options suitable for dietary requirements. Ultra Challenge® rest stops will help you get to that finish line!
Rest stops have expert medical teams, with – doctors, paramedics, first aiders, podiatrists, & massage. There’re emergency response teams, safety marshals & experienced ‘Trek Masters’ on the route – with a 24 hr Control Room monitoring all aspects of the event just a phone call away.
Experienced Challengers help develop our training guides & videos, on – foot care, nutrition, hydration, & building distance up for all levels of experience. For runners, bookable sessions with an Ultra coach.
An Ultra Challenge® finish line is a celebration, and quite emotional for many after a tough journey. You’ll get a big cheer, a quality medal, an optional glass of fizz to toast your success, a visit to the massage tent, and a well earned finishers meal. Memories will be long lasting – maybe personal goals redefined – and a great sense of achievement that, once aches & pains subside, will leave you wanting another challenge!
Download our Ultra Challenge® App once you’ve signed up – with guides, optional extras, and the latest updates; there’s also an ‘event specific’ app available prior to each Challenge – with the final details. Our lively Facebook forum is great for advice & meeting fellow Challengers. If you’re fundraising, your charity sends a support pack & their contact details.
TRAILBLAZERZ® EVENTS
From the Isle of Wight up to the Lake District, there are 16 fantastic events – you can join as a runner. Some have stunning coastal paths, others have up’s & down’s with rolling hills, and a few are on historic trails. Each Ultra Challenge® is unforgettable – with distance options to suit anyone who’s up for a challenge!
The 2026 Ultra Challenge® season kicks off in March with the Bath 50; there’s the NEW North Yorks event in June – and we’ve introduced the ‘TRAILBLAZERZ® category for faster / competitive runners – with a special £20 OFF Launch Deal!
London 2 Brighton
23-24 May '26
Peak District
4-5 July '26
Lake District
6-7 June '26
N0rth Yorks
20-21 June '26
Gower Peninsula
18-19 July '26
S W Coast 50
Sat 25 July '26
Jurassic Coast
16-17 May '26
Isle of Wight
2-3 May '26
Cotswold Way
13-14 June '26
Chiltern 50
Sat 26 Sept '26
Windsor 50
Sat 18 April '26
North Downs
Sat 1 Aug '26
South Coast
5-6 Sept '26
Kent Downs
Sat 10 Oct '26
Bath 50
Sat 28 March '26
Thames Path
12-13 Sept '26
