Druid’s Challenge 2021: a three day, 84 mile, 135km, ultra marathon crossing the historic Ridgeway.
You’ll be following in the footsteps of travellers, herdsmen and soldiers who have used the Ridgeway since prehistoric times. Be entranced by the ancient landscapes, hidden valleys, beautiful downland and woodland.
As with all of our events, everything is taken care of at the Druid’s Challenge so you can focus on the experience! Overnight accommodation, evening meals, showers, breakfast, food and drink at checkpoints, free parking, and even inspiring guest speakers in the evening are all included.
Detailed information about all elements of the event can be found in our event instructions.
**Multi Day Event Prize for 1st Male and 1st Female Overall Winners: Free Entry to Same Event Next Year**
Entries
You can enter the whole weekend event including food and accommodation or individual days.
Entries will close one week before the event (or when full). A waitlist option will be available if the event becomes fully booked.
Pricing options:
Early bird – £180 before 30th April 2021
Standard entry – £190, from 1st May 2021
Late entry – £205, from 1st October 2021
There is a Mercure Hotel 20 minutes from the finish of day 1 and a Premier Inn a few miles away from day 2 overnight location. So, why not book the full event (no accommodation or food) option and have a comfortable bed instead? Scroll down for more information about hotel pick-ups.
Full event without accommodation or food – £160
Single day – £65
Optional accommodation for single day competitors – £30 per night
There’s a 10% discount available for all serving military or emergency services staff. To book with your discount, please email us: [email protected]
Please note: a 2.5% service charge, levied by the registration software, will be added to your total. If you need to cancel your entry or transfer to another event, you can do that by logging back into the booking system, Racespace.
Our refunds policy: no refunds or deferrals will be made within one month of the event start.
Start / Finish
Registration will be open from 08:00 on Friday at Tring Cricket Club, London Rd, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6HA.
Start on day 1: Ivinghoe Beacon, LU7 9EB
Finish on day 1: Icknield College, Watlington, OX49 5RB
Finish on day 2: on the Ridgeway (grid reference: SU458850) with a shuttle bus to Didcot Leisure centre, Mereland Road, Didcot, OX11 8AY
Finish on day 3: Alexandra Hotel, Wroughton, SN4 0QJ.
Route
A broad track that takes the higher ground, the Ridgeway is a unique route that passes through the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), often quite a distance from any towns or villages, giving a real sense of peace and seclusion. You’ll experience open views of the rolling chalk downland, peppered with ancient monuments including Stone Age long barrows, Bronze Age round barrows, Iron Age forts and white horse chalk figures. It’s a National Trail with plenty of clear signposts and post discs. You’ll also be given a route card, designed to get you through any trickier sections. We recommend familiarising yourself with the route before the start of the race.
Overnight accommodation and guest speakers
You’ll stay at Icknield Community College in Watlington on the first night and Didcot Leisure centre, Mereland Road, Didcot, OX11 8AY on the second night, with sleeping accommodation in a large hall.
Mid-event hotels
Don’t fancy sharing accommodation during the event? We’ll be running minibus shuttles to and from three local hotels during the event, as follows:
Thursday night – Alexander Hotel, Swindon (for those taking the coach to the start on Friday morning), or the Premier Inn, Tring close to the start
Friday night – The Mercure Hotel, Watlington
Saturday night – Premier Inn Milton Interchange, Abingdon
Please note: these are the only hotels our minibus will run to. If you’re planning to stay somewhere else, please make sure you’ve booked taxis to and from the event.
Aid stations
There will be three checkpoints each day at regular intervals, fully stocked with water and food.
We’re going green
Help us do our bit to reduce the impact our events have on the environment by bringing your own reusable or collapsible cups for drinks at checkpoints.
Medical
The event is supported by a Course Manager and a fully qualified medical crew will be in attendance. We strongly recommend taking a moment to read our medical page before booking.
Kit
The only compulsory kit is a fully charged mobile phone and a minimum 500ml of water, but it’s worth taking a look at our recommended kit list. Other equipment may be made compulsory by the race director depending on the weather.
Prizes
The winners, runners up and age group winners will receive fantastic prizes or vouchers from our sponsors.
