race to the Stones 2025 - race review
- adamrogers
- Jul 14
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 15
It's the 12th July 2025, 5.30am. We waken in a wonderful AirBnB with glorious views on the Oxfordshire countryside. It's also already 20 degrees! The UK is experiencing a heatwave and today we plan to run the 100km non stop Race to the Stones ultra marathon. We = my better half and myself.
About 5 minutes later we're looking at the 34 degrees forecast and collectively decide for a ginger lad from Yorkshire and an Irish girl, this might not be sensible on a famously exposed route. So we're agreed, the 50km route is a better option and whilst I'm disappointed as this was my 2025 goal race, it feels the right choice under the circumstances (temps eventually actually reached 40 degrees on course).
So with my 7.30am wave (my other half was in a different wave) about to set off, I'm already sweating a fair bit but somewhat relaxed that I now have a comparatively short run. I know my fitness is in a good place having trained to run the 100km, so the distance isn't one to make me nervous. In truth I'm probably a little too relaxed as it's still an Ultra, it's still going to be incredibly hot...... and I'm still a ginger in the sun! oh and I still had a busted big toe from a football incident 2 weeks ago with a nail looking like it might decide to pop off during the race (It didn't, actually it didn't give me any bother at all thankfully)
The vibe as we set off is fun, Threshold Sports have really dialled in this flagship event and it feels every bit as polished as both UTMB events I've run this year. After about 5 minutes my heart rate is already in the 160's so I dial it back a little, although no doubt the heat is elevating it a fair bit as well as general event excitement (hence why heart rate in general is a poor macro metric to use for pacing). Effort wise I'm feeling about right so we're off racing.
The first 25km of the route has plenty of shade to help mitigate the heat, so the running is fun. Mostly flat trails get us started for the first 6km or so before we hit a couple of inclines. Nothing to worry about but even so everyone is walking them as there's no point burning matches so early on, especially when everyone I speak to is clearly very nervous about the days' conditions. The second short incline leads us in to first aid station (the event calls them 'pit stops' but.....nah) which I ran with strong runner who had suffered major health issues only a year earlier. She would go on to drop me later, after yoyo'ing for about 20km. Obviously in the aid station I've totally forgotten where I put everything in my pack, so it takes a few minutes to find my electrolyte tabs but as I've already nailed 1L of water, my plan for the day is not to skip any of my hydration and fuelling pre race strategy.
From here the route took us up another climb before bringing us out on to the iconic 'field of dreams' - which had already been harvested so wasn't quite as impressive as years gone by, but still very cool and it provided a nice welcome downhill flow to the trail. Here I put in a few fairly speedy KM's and past a fair few runners in the process. Feeling strong.
This section was lovely to run. Still quite shaded for long parts and with flowing single track with the only issue being sections of single file running on very narrow track, meaning the pace was largely dictated by those in front as passing wasn't really possible at times. There were also a lot of runners who fell in this section due to the usual trip hazards (roots, rocks etc) and close running. Some proved quite nasty but all probably avoidable if you hang back a couple of metres from whoever is in front. It's hardly technical, just the consequence of poor visibility when you're almost licking someone else's back!!
Due to the forecasted heat, the event organisers had the foresight to add in extra water stations in between the official aid stations and whilst I didn't use the first one, throughout the day it meant you never had to go more than 8km without an opportunity to refill bottles - even with this I ran out by each station such was the need to constantly drink. For reference, a couple of days earlier I ran 15km in 26 degrees without any water and didn't feel the need for it.
At about 25km ish, after the 2nd aid station and some running along the side of the Thames, the shaded single track changed in to open and exposed trails. Plenty wide enough to no longer be held up, or to hold other runners up, but the heat really started to have an impact. You could see everyone's pace slow and the inevitable "shit, this is getting hot" comments echoed every few minutes from runners, Temperatures were now comfortably over 30 degrees, which isn't too common (or comfortable come to think about it) here in the UK.
Passing over the Thames and past the next water stop, enjoying the hat dunk as pretty much everyone did right from the start, we started the long climb of the day. Certainly nothing significant compared to those I'd run training in the North York Moors and running UTMB UTS in May, but it just felt like it kept going and for me personally came as my energy was in short supply. Normally I'd enjoy running this kind of climb but whilst my legs felt strong, the heat just robbed me of energy to use them, making progress slow going for what was in reality an easy enough runnable incline by all accounts. The only comfort I took was that not a soul was running, so the feeling was definitely mutual amongst runners. Oh and I was offered some ice from a friendly spectator and promptly stuck a load under my Sahara hat. Not the most comfortable for a bald chap but a nice feeling nonetheless.
This whole section had quite a lot of road, and I later learned from my other half that when she went through, several people were either in tears, throwing up or just stopped by the road side. I didn't have any of those issues to contend with but I can totally see why some did.
Once we crested the climb and after some nice runnable terrain we came out close to aid station 3 at somewhere close to 35km. You could see this was the aid station that was not only the most exposed in the first 50km, but the one where several folk were ending their race and/or in need of medical attention - which was present at each of the aid stations. We were relatively high up (for the route) and temperatures were about 35 degrees when I was there - reports later showed it got up to 40 degrees. I felt mostly ok but did stay about 15 minutes or so to get myself sorted, ate some watermelon, grabbed some gels and topped my water up. Hat dunk (obviously) and back on the trail in to another nice flowing downhill section of track.
Progress was still pretty good but 'draggy' climbs seemed to come frequently with this section of the course, and net climbing all the way to the eventual 50km mark.
Suffering quite badly in the heat up another long-ish slog I knew the final water station was at the top and then there would be just 7km to go from there. Sadly, the water stop had run out of water which normally I'd moan about but today it was totally understandable as it wasn't even meant to be there and the sheer state of runners passing meant huge volumes of water were needed. We were told water was about 10 minutes away if we wanted to wait but I had about 150ml left and figured 7km was ok to wing it. Mistake. They did have a tiny bit of ice and so I popped that in my meagre water supply which actually made it cold despite how warm the water was and I became like a child with a bag of sweats, desperate to eat them. I hadn't had a proper cold drink since breakfast with the weather making my water flasks room temperature at best and pretty unappealing all day, this sudden access to legit cold water was too much. So about 2km later I stopped and just necked it all. It tasted wonderful but now facing what ended up being about 40 minutes in blistering sunshine with not a drop to drink I was fairly unimpressed with myself. Now 5km without water ain't an issue for any of us but when quenching your thirst just hadn't been possible all day, regardless of how much you drank, suddenly having any distance without water wasn't ideal.
However, soon enough the end was in sight as the marquee at Basecamp (50km finish line) stood atop the hillside and whilst it looked further away than I expected, in reality it was only about 2km. Now with my metatarsalgia properly kicking in and causing a significant hotspot issue and pain I was just ready to finish, very happy with my decision not to do the full 100km. A friendly onlooker passed some water to me up the final climb which I gratefully necked before giving my customary sprint finish up to the finish line, much to the enjoyment of the dude on the microphone bringing us in.
Presented with my medal I just stood in the shade of the medal tent drinking a Tenzing and feeling the first cool breeze I'd felt all day. It was glorious.
I'd had little energy most of the race but as a result I hadn't been able to push myself so my muscles/legs actually felt quite fresh by the finish. Zero muscle fatigue to speak of and no cramping at all. So whilst I came in a little over an hour slower than I'd expect to on a mild day, I finished without sore legs - which was a bonus.
Now the work was done, I enjoyed the awesome Basecamp atmosphere. First eating a baked potato with beans, then grabbing several cold drinks before having a shower and sitting in the warm but breezy shade eating an ice cream and watching other runners either come in or turn right to tackle the rest of the 100km for a few hours. It was heaven. Massive kudos to those who carried on. It was beyond hot!
So what are my thoughts? Well the event is very well organised and run. the aid stations (pit stops) were the best I'd experienced, even better than the UTMB events I've run, although I was mostly self supported so didn't try the plethora of food options at each stop. The extra water stops were essential but still, they got them in place and did an excellent job when I'm sure other events might not have had the resource and infrastructure to do so.
The Basecamp (50km finish) atmosphere was fantastic and really it's hard to fault anything that was under Threshold's control. Even the coach back to the start was nice and air conditioned. The poor fella at the front of the coach throwing up from heat stroke as we drove back took the edge off an otherwise pleasant drive back, but it's not like he could help it - poor fella. I forgot to mention earlier that due to us opting for the 50km before we started, our drop bags were waiting for us at basecamp too instead of going all the way to the Stones.
I know the weather will have ruined it for a lot of people. DNF numbers were high and I'm certain local hospitals were busy as a result. But I still really enjoyed it. Is it worth the lofty price of entry? Hard to say because it is expensive, but you do get well looked after for your money and you also do get a sense they they have provided way more than most events would. So all in all I don't feel they're taking the piss with the entry fees, but factoring in 2 x entries, 2 nights in an average priced AirBnB and travel costs it was probably the best part of £800 all in for me.
Would I come back? Well I wouldn't say the route is particularly exciting compared to say the mountains of Snowdonia, but it's does have charm and absolutely I'd come back to tick the 100km off. Whether it'll be next year depends on a few life things but I highly recommend the event to anyone thinking of giving it a go. You're very well looked after all day, it's a somewhat gentle route in the grand scheme of things and it would serve as a great first 50km or 100km for many runners.
Good work Threshold.
Finally, a massive well done to the 2 guys running in full Rhino costumes. Those things were heavy and the effort to do what they did must have been enormous. Kudos to you guys doing that for a great cause.
Kit used:
Saysky shirt, shorts and 12L race pack with 2 x 500ML flasks.
Hoka Tecton X3 shoes
Compression calf sleeves and cooling arm sleeves
Fractal Sahara/ Legionnaires hat
Garmin Enduro 3 watch
Nutrition;
Tailwind (2 scoops per hour)
High5 energy gels (1 per hour)
Jelly Babies (4 per hour)
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