A single day 50 or 56 mile route around six pubs in the Mendip Hills, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). The route is mostly off-road and takes in some beautiful running country and fantastic views as it criss-crosses the Mendips. It was devised as a hiking trail by local walker and writer Sue Gearing in 2007, and was first run as a single-day ultramarathon in 2016.
The BTU50 starting at 8.00am with a 15 hour cut-off
The BTU56 starting at 7.00am with a 16 hour cut-off
The organisers, marshals, and checkpoint crews are all runners, many of whom regularly run ultras and know what’s needed to make a great race and help people get to the finish. This is evident in the comments we receive from runners after the race, and you can read some full race reports and other feedback here.
Although runners will be well supported during the event, it is not to be taken lightly and only runners who have run a marathon (either as a race or in training) since 1 January 2021 should apply. In particular the BTU56 is an extra 6 miles (10km) longer with 500m additional ascent, but with a cut-off time of only 1 hour more than the BTU50.
The races are organised by volunteer members of the Town & Country Harriers (TACH), a Bristol off-road running club, for the benefit of the Mendip Hills Fund. This is a community fund set up to conserve and enhance the environment, communities and economy of the Mendip Hills. The fund is a partnership between the Mendip Hills AONB and the Somerset Community Foundation. TACH is proud to have donated a total of over £7000 to the Fund from the proceeds of the race in its first four years.
The BTU50 entry price is:
£60 for affiliated* runners and £62 for unaffiliated after the early-bird period.
The BTU56 entry price is:
£66 for affiliated* runners and £68 for unaffiliated after the early-bird period.
See photos of the route at: https://www.facebook.com/butcombetrailultra
For more information, maps, and to enter, visit: https://butcombetrailultra.com/
