Essex Way Ultra
- Total distance: 131.966 km
- Location: Epping Forest
- Race Date: 2 Jul 2027
- Finish rate: 66%
- Entry Cost: £109
- Navigation: Partial Self-Navigation
- Nearest Station: Epping (0 km)
- Aid Stations: 5
- Night Running: 36.1% in darkness
- Pacing Complexity: Moderate (28/100)
Essex Way Ultra
- Distance
- 131.966 km
- Total ascent
- 737 m
- Cut-off
- 24h
- Town/Village
- Epping Forest
- Date
- 2-3 July 2027
- Entry cost
- £109
Overview
No overview text has been written for this race yet.
Quick Facts
- Entrance Cost: £109
- Organiser: Rocketship Events Ltd
- Start Town: Epping Forest
- Dogs Allowed: No
- Start Date: 2 Jul 2027
- End Date: 3 Jul 2027
- Start Time: 9:00 PM
- Final Cut-off: 24h
Navigation
- Type: Partial Self-Navigation
- Closest Train Station: Epping
- Distance from Start Line: 0 km
Eligibility
- Minimum Age: 20 years
- Gender Eligibility: All genders
- Minimum Entry Criteria: Unknown
Toilets
- Hand Washing Beyond Sanitiser: Yes
- Period Products Provided: Yes
- Female Only Toilets: Yes
Family & Spectators
- Baby Changing at Start: Unknown
- Family Friendly Spectator Areas: Yes
- Flexible Deferral or Cancellation: Yes
Safety
- Marshalls at Isolated Areas: Unknown
- Safeguarding and Reporting Policy: Yes
- Can Hide Location from Public Tracking: Yes
Terrain & Elevation
The course is mainly trail (53%), with paved road (16%) making up most of the rest. The terrain is highly fragmented, switching roughly every kilometre. This demands constant mental engagement and limits the ability to build a sustained rhythm from surface consistency alone. Uphills are predominantly on trail (81% of ascending sections). Descents share the same trail surface, so careful footing on the uphills also carries through on the way down.
Essex Way Ultra has 62.1 km of trail / path, this is in the top 6% of all our races.
- Trail / Path53% · 62.1 km
- Paved Road16% · 19.2 km
- Gravel / Track16% · 18.6 km
- Grass10% · 12.1 km
- Off-road / Unknown4% · 4.9 km
- Sand1% · 0.7 km
Distance
132.5 km
Ascent
737 m
Descent
815 m
High Point
119 m
Compared against 18 other races of a similar distance, Essex Way Ultra has more total elevation gain than 11% of them, and more elevation gain per kilometre than 11% of them — significantly flatter than typical for its distance.
Source: GPX Data
Gradient
1.45%
Average climb gradient
Do you have experience of gentle climbs like Essex Way Ultra's, which average 1.45%?
Essex Way Ultra's climbs average 1.45%. If your training never rehearses sustained climbing at that gradient, race day will be the first time your legs meet it.
0.86%
Average descent gradient
Do you have experience of gentle descents like Essex Way Ultra's, which average 0.86%?
Essex Way Ultra's descents average 0.86%. If your training never rehearses sustained descending at that gradient, the downhills will empty your quads long before the finish.
Source: GPX Data
Climate
Pacing Complexity
Essex Way Ultra scores 28/100 for pacing complexity, rated moderate.
Similar-distance races score a median of 38/100 (5 races compared).
Essex Way Ultra is one of the more pacing-friendly races at this distance. The course is relatively consistent in effort demand, which makes a controlled, steady approach more viable than on many similar-distance events. Terrain type changes is still the main watchpoint, but overall the course rewards disciplined execution over reactive pacing.
Source: GPX Data
Aid Stations
Stations
You'll need to keep an average pace of 5.5 km/h between aid stations to make the cut offs.
Stations
| KM | Name | Gap from Prev | Cut-off | Water | Cold Food | Hot Food | Hot Drinks | Gels | Medic | WC | Bags | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28.2 | Station 1 | 28.2 km | 5h | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| 48.3 | Station 2 | 20.1 km | 8h 30m | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 80.5 | Station 3 | 32.2 km | 14h 30m | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 95.8 | Station 4 | 15.3 km | 17h 15m | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 112.7 | Station 5 | 16.9 km | 20h 30m | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
Vegan food is available at every aid station on this course.
Source: Race Organiser Direct Entry
Night Running
Essex Way Ultra starts at 21:00 local time, with sunset around 21:20. Based on the median finisher time of 20:34:52, a runner at that pace would finish around 17:34 — after dark, spending around 7h 30m (36% of their race) running in darkness and covering roughly 48.4 km of the course after sunset.
Shaded stretches are expected to be run in the dark
Are you ready for Essex Way Ultra?
Compare it to a race you've already run, or connect Strava and see the three biggest gaps between your training and what this course will ask of you.
