Race to the Stones 2026
A Tough Day on the Ridgeway in Extreme Heat
On Saturday 11 July, Craig Allen and I took on the Race to the Stones 100km Non-Stop, one of the UK’s best-known ultramarathons. Following the ancient Ridgeway National Trail from Lewknor to the Avebury Stone Circle, the route is a demanding journey through some of England’s most historic landscapes, with over 3,000 feet (900m) of climbing across exposed chalk tracks, rolling hills and open countryside.
This year’s race included an additional challenge, with temperatures rising well above 30°C for much of the day. The combination of strong sunshine, limited shade and the heat reflecting from the chalk trails made conditions extremely demanding.
Despite the difficult conditions, both Craig and I managed to keep moving steadily towards the finish line. There were certainly some tough moments along the way, but we managed to keep going. Leading the way, Craig put together a fantastic performance, finishing in 13:22:24. He placed 96th overall out of 726 finishers and secured an impressive 5th place in the V50 category. A superb result in such testing conditions.
I was pleased to complete the course in 14:08:38, finishing 157th overall and 7th in the V50 category. Given the heat and the sheer physical demands of running 100km, I was very grateful to simply to reach Avebury and collect that finishers’ medal. The first male completed the distance in a remarkable 8:08 and first female i
n 10:34.
