Next edition - 30th October 2027
Experience the autumn/winter edition of our classic Chiltern Ridge race, following a scenic single-loop 50K course starting and finishing in Berkhamsted.
The Chiltern Ridge Winter 50K will return for a 4th edition on Saturday 30th October 2027.
Our route follows a classic set of trails in the heart of the Chilterns with plenty of great views and woodland trails.
Explore the route and elevation profile below, or download the route for your watch, OS Maps, Garmin and more.
The race starts from Berkhamsted Cricket Club with a segment through Berkhamsted Common and along to National Trust's Ashridge Estate.
Runners join The Ridgeway National Trail and follow it along the stunning section through to Aldbury (CP1).
From Aldbury the journey along The Ridgeway continues for another 13KM to Wendover (CP2).
Wendover is the furthest point out and here runners turn and begin to follow the Chiltern Way on a more intricate set of paths featuring much more single track and woodland running.
The loop winds its way back into Ashridge and finishes with a nice downhill approach back into Berkhamsted.
Where each checkpoint is, how far into the route, and what to expect when you get there.
Bib collection: Friday 29th October, 17:30–18:45, or race morning, 07:00–08:10
There is no parking directly at Berkhamsted Cricket Club, please utilise car parks within the town.
Beacon Road
Crew & spectators: Not permitted
Water and gels only - This CP is only there to break up the long distance to CP1.
Aldbury Sports Ground
Crew & spectators: Not permitted at this location
Boswells Farm, Wendover
Crew & spectators: Not permitted at this location
Wigginton Village Hall
Crew & spectators: Not permitted at this location
There are three full checkpoints on the route and an additional water point at 9.3km. Each will contain:
Crewing is permitted at this race, but not at any of the official checkpoints. Recommended crew locations for the first half of the route are listed below.
Crewing means giving your runner assistance along the route, such as food, drink or a change of clothing. Crew are not allowed to run alongside their runner, and the runner must carry the mandatory kit at all times.
| Distance | Crew location | Crewing | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.5km | Ivinghoe Beacon car park Small National Trust car park beside the trail. Walk toward the Beacon to see runners just before they cross Beacon Road. | On foot onlyCrew on foot only | |
| 14.2km | Pitstone Hill car park Another small National Trust car park. Runners pass directly through this location at 14.2km. Google Maps | Crewing permittedCrewing permitted | Map |
| 18.8km | Aldbury village There are two pubs and several cafés in Aldbury. Runners pass through the village green at 18.8km, shortly after the first checkpoint. Google Maps | Crewing permittedCrewing permitted | Map |
| 20km+ | Limited options from 20km There are no recommended crewing points in the 2nd half of the route. It is very rural and although there are small villages and potential points to meet runners, we are not going to recommend a particular place, as it could easily overwhelm that location - Crewing is permitted anywhere along the route in the 2nd half of the race, except for the official checkpoints. Park legally and responsibly at all times. Click the map button to view the full route on Google Maps. Google Maps | Crewing permittedCrewing permitted | Map |
Plan where to meet your runner using the full route on Google Maps.
View full route| Distance | Checkpoint | Crewing |
|---|---|---|
| 9.3km | CP0 - Water point, Beacon Road Beacon Road is a narrow lane with no parking. Meet your runner at Ivinghoe Beacon car park instead. | No crewingNo crewing or supporting |
| 18.4km | CP1 - Aldbury Sports Ground The sports ground car park is very small and reserved for event vehicles. Supporters can cheer from the village green, around 300m after the checkpoint. | No crewingNo crewing or supporting |
| 31.6km | CP2 - Boswells Farm, Wendover Private farm with no public access. | No crewingNo crewing or supporting |
| 42.2km | CP3 - Wigginton Village Hall There is no car park at Wigginton, please avoid this location. | No crewingNo crewing or supporting |
Supporters are welcome at Berkhamsted Cricket Club to see runners start and finish. There is no parking at the cricket club itself, so please use the car parks in Berkhamsted town centre.
Food & drink: A coffee van will be available pre-race. Post-race there will be a licensed bar and hot food available to purchase.
The event starts and finishes at Berkhamsted Cricket Club.
Refreshments will be available at the finish.
There is no parking directly at the venue, please use one of the following public car parks: Berkhamsted Station Car Park (£7, 500m walk), Lower Kings Road (£4, 850m walk), St John Wells Lane (£4, 1km walk)
All runners will be required to carry the following items for the entirety of the run:
Entry is open to all runners aged 20 years or older, there are no qualifying requirements. Your entry includes:
Technical race t-shirts will be available to purchase during registration and on the event day.
We've answered some common questions below. Please contact us if you have any further queries.
The Chiltern Ridge Winter 50K is considered to be a challenging run on undulating/hilly terrain. That being said, during previous editions of the race we have seen many runners complete this as their first ultra, well within the cutoff time.
Overall drop-out rates are very low and providing you adopt an intelligent strategy, such as a hike/run approach, we are confident all runners can complete this course within the 9-hour cutoff time.
No, there are no qualifying standards required to enter this race.
Our route will be marked throughout with orange signage/ribbons, along with marshals at several key points. Course checkers will be out during the race ensuring that signage remains in place.
We ask runners to make sure they have access to the route via a phone or watch, to act as a backup in an emergency.
There is an overall 9-hour time limit for this race. You must leave each checkpoint by the following times to continue: CP1 Aldbury (18.4km) 11:45, CP2 Boswells Farm (31.6km) 14:10 and CP3 Wigginton (42.2km) 16:00.
The CP3 cut-off will be strictly enforced for the safety of our runners and marshalling team.
There will be toilets at the event base and at all three checkpoint locations
No, there are no changing facilities available at the start/finish.
Berkhamsted train station is a 5 min walk to the event base and has very regular trains in and out of London.
Please wear trail running shoes for this race. You will encounter varied terrain along the route that will become slippery/muddy in wet weather conditions.
There are awards for the top three male and female finishers overall, along with age category awards for FV40, MV40, FV50, MV50, FV60, MV60, FV70, MV70.
Most GPS watches allow you to upload a GPX file of the route for you to follow whilst running. Typically this is done by loading the route GPX file into the app (i.e Garmin Connect), and then syncing your phone/watch together.
If you don't have a GPS watch we would recommend using OS Maps (£20/year) or Strava Premium (£48/year).
All runners must collect their race number in person at Berkhamsted Cricket Club. You can register on Friday 29th October (17:30-18:45) or on race morning (07:00-08:10).
There is no parking at the cricket club on race day. Please use one of the nearby public car parks: Berkhamsted Station (500m walk), Lower Kings Road (850m walk, floors 4-7 for all-day parking) or St John's Well Lane (1km walk). Parking is permitted at the cricket club during Friday evening registration.
Yes, bags and jackets can be dropped off at registration and will be kept indoors for the duration of the race.
There are three full checkpoints at Aldbury (18.4km), Boswells Farm in Wendover (31.6km) and Wigginton Village Hall (42.2km), plus a water-only stop at Beacon Road (9.3km).
see the full checkpoint table for more information.
Please see the full list in the kit section above.
No
Yes, spectators are welcome along the route and at the start/finish. See the spectator section for further info.
Yes, there is a fully licensed bar and a selection of hot food available at the cricket club.
Yes, this is a UTMB World Series Index race in the 50K category. The race is also licensed by the Trail Running Association and held under UKA rules.
The men's course record is 03:38:00, set by Cillian Fleming in 2024. The women's course record is 04:16:18, set by Hannah Norman in 2026.
Live results are available immediately after the race on our website, and a selection of race photos will be available to download for free 24-48 hours after the event.
By entering our race, you agree to the following withdrawal policy. This policy applies to all runners with the exception of women of cannot compete due to pregnancy.
Credits are only redeemable once, and can be used on future race entries, any time during the following 12 months.
Withdrawal requests must be completed online via our manage booking functionality.
Manage Booking
It was so well organised both in the weeks building up to it and on the day, and the course was so well marked you couldn’t possibly go wrong out there.
Chiltern Ridge 50km
Loved this! Course was beautiful and very well signposted. Friendly and really helpful marshals. Aid stations well stocked. Very well organised- would definitely do again.
Chiltern Ridge 50km
