A trail runner on a grassy ridge above a sea of clouds

Race to the King

Five formats run side by side, from a 30km loop to a 100km non-stop route across the chalk downland.

Prepare for Race to the King

A plan built from your answers and your race date.

trail training plan

Race to the King is set in the South Downs of southern England, based at West Dean Gardens in Sussex. The terrain is classic chalk downland: wide rolling tracks, open grassland, patches of woodland and long views across the countryside. Nothing is technical underfoot, but the ground rises and falls continually.

Five formats are on offer: the 30km Monarch's Loop, two 50km routes in the Coastal 50K and Castle 50K, an 80km non-stop and a 100km non-stop. It comes from the same organiser as Race to the Stones, with the series approach that implies: basecamp facilities, regular aid stations, and a published cut-off of 25 hours and over depending on the format you enter.

The formats

5 formats on the program.

Format	Distance
Monarch's Loop	19 mi
Coastal 50K	31 mi
Castle 50K	31 mi
80K Non-Stop	50 mi
100K Non-Stop	62 mi

Organizer information, checked on September 21, 2026 · thresholdtrailseries.com

When to start

A build for this distance usually runs 12 to 24 weeks. Counted back from race day, that puts the start somewhere between December 28, 2026 and March 22, 2027.

These ranges are working conventions, not a research finding — no trial has compared plan lengths against each other. What matters more is that the plan was built for the weeks you actually have, rather than shrunk down from a longer one.

How to choose your start date

When to start

December 28, 2026

→ March 22, 2027

Worth reading before you enter

Races and distances Trail distances: what changes off the road Distance stops being the useful number. What decides a trail race is how long you are out, how much you climb, and how much the descents have wrecked your legs by the end. Read Training Eating and drinking: what’s proven, what isn’t This is where confident advice most often runs ahead of the evidence. Some of it is well tested. Some is opinion wearing a number. And one common habit can kill you. Read Races and distances When to start preparing your race Most plans fail before the first session, because the block started too late and everything had to be squeezed. Counting back from the date is the dullest and most useful thing you will do. Read

Questions

What is the date of Race to the King in 2027?

Race to the King is run on Saturday, June 19, 2027 in West Dean (South Downs). Date published by the organizer, checked on September 21, 2026.

What distances can you run at Race to the King?

There are five: the 30km Monarch's Loop, the Coastal 50K and Castle 50K at 50km each, an 80km non-stop and a 100km non-stop. The published cut-off runs to 25 hours and over depending on format.

Is Race to the King a hard ultra?

The South Downs going is rolling and non-technical, with no tricky sections. Difficulty comes from your chosen distance and the steady climbing: the 30km stays approachable, while the 80km and 100km need real ultra preparation.

Other races

This list keeps growing; it draws no line. A race that is missing is prepared for in exactly the same way.

Edale → Kirk Yetholm (Pennine Way) · United KingdomUltra Montane Winter Spine Jan 9 The full race covers 431km, with shorter Challenger and Sprint formats alongside it. Cornish coast · United KingdomUltra Arc of Attrition by UTMB Jan 22 The Arc of Attrition by UTMB is a winter ultra run along the Cornwall coast path in England. 1 km to 173 Worthing → Eastbourne · United KingdomUltra Centurion South Downs Way 50 Apr 10 The Centurion South Downs Way 50 covers the eastern half of the South Downs Way in Sussex, from Worthing Your race is not here? Tell us about your race You can prepare for it all the same. Any race, anywhere, and even a goal without a race.

Your race is on the calendar. Your plan should be too.

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