Foxton Hound Ultra.
The Foxton Hound Ultra covers its 50 kilometres as a loop through the countryside and villages around Market Harborough, with no big hill anywhere and very little that stays level for long. It is settled late: the longest climb starts just after Elkington, and that is the moment your preparation should point at.
Foxton Hound Ultra 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The loop links the villages and countryside around Market Harborough and uses part of the Harborough Round along the way. Views and historic places line the route, three aid stations divide the day, and ribbons and arrows mark the way. If you want to learn the course beforehand, it is available to download.
The opening is the busiest part of the first half. The road tilts up as early as kilometre 1.3, another ramp follows straight after Cottesbrooke, and around kilometre 10 comes a short, steeper step. The course then sinks to its lowest point near kilometre 17 and works gradually back up from there without any single rise standing out.
From kilometre 27 things grow more restless. Three climbs sit close together, the last of them at kilometre 31 with sections around 11 percent. Elkington, at kilometre 44.8, offers one more stop, and then comes the stretch that defines the loop: nearly 1.4 kilometres and just over 70 metres up to the high point of the day. From there the course falls gently back to where it began.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 1.3 | 0.8 km | 4.9 % | 6.4 % | +38 m | — |
| km 7.8 | 0.7 km | 4.9 % | 7 % | +34 m | — |
| km 10.3 | 0.5 km | 5.6 % | 8.4 % | +25 m | — |
| km 27.4 | 0.5 km | 3.4 % | 5.3 % | +18 m | — |
| km 28.4 | 0.7 km | 4.3 % | 4.7 % | +30 m | — |
| km 31.2 | 0.8 km | 5.7 % | 11 % | +47 m | — |
| km 38.3 | 0.6 km | 3.2 % | 4.4 % | +18 m | — |
| km 45.1 | 1.4 km | 5.1 % | 10.1 % | +71 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Foxton Hound Ultra.
Start under control
Flat, uphill and downhill roughly balance out, and only a tiny share is truly steep. Nearly all of it can be run, and that is the danger: nothing forces you to walk, so you take every wave slightly too fast. Keep the early ramps deliberately easy, even when they feel harmless.
Hold your rhythm
The wave start spreads the field, so you can find your own pace on the way to Cottesbrooke. The calm section from kilometre 12 to 27 is the second temptation, since the pace feels easy there and the debt for later is run up without notice. More than 37 kilometres separate Cottesbrooke from Elkington, so ration food and drink to match.
Spend what is left
The race is decided over the last five kilometres. Take the time you need at Elkington, then settle into a firm rhythm on the climb right after it rather than forcing it. If you can still run at the top, the gentle fall to the finish repays you with more time than any earlier surge would have earned.
Training plan for Foxton Hound Ultra: 12-week build
Build the base
Age-group runners should expect roughly five to seven hours. The effort is mostly steady and aerobic, broken by many short rises that lift your heart rate briefly without ever making you walk. Long easy runs remain the foundation, but they belong on undulating ground rather than a flat riverside path.
Train race pace
What counts is what your legs can still do beyond 40 kilometres. Put the hardest climb at the end of your longest runs on purpose: a kilometre and a half uphill at a firm rhythm, then keep running instead of cooling down. A session with several short climbs close together in its final third also matches what waits from kilometre 27.
Rehearse the course
The mid-August date places your longest runs in the summer months, so most of your preparation falls in the same season as the race. Use that to test food and drink on long runs, carrying the amount you will need between widely spaced stations.
Arrive fresh
Practise following markers, too, and running with the downloaded route on your watch. When fatigue arrives just before the climb after Elkington, you should not be thinking about the way. A training run that simulates an aid stop and goes straight uphill afterwards takes the fear out of the closing stretch.
Courses
Download the Foxton Hound Ultra course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Foxton Hound Ultra dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about Foxton Hound Ultra.
How long is Foxton Hound Ultra?
Foxton Hound Ultra is 50 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Foxton Hound Ultra have?
Foxton Hound Ultra has around 564 m of elevation gain over 50 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Foxton Hound Ultra?
Foxton Hound Ultra is classified as Rolling, averaging 11.3 vertical metres per kilometre. 35% of the route is flat, 33% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 1% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Foxton Hound Ultra have?
The hardest climb of Foxton Hound Ultra starts at kilometre 45.1, runs for 1.4 km at an average of 5.1% and gains 71 metres. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Foxton Hound Ultra a loop course?
Yes, Foxton Hound Ultra is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Foxton Hound Ultra course?
Yes. The Foxton Hound Ultra course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Foxton Hound Ultra?
Preparation for Foxton Hound Ultra should account for 50 km, 564 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Foxton Hound Ultra?
The pacing strategy for Foxton Hound Ultra should reflect 50 km, 564 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Foxton Hound Ultra take place?
Foxton Hound Ultra takes place on August 14, 2027.
Where does Foxton Hound Ultra take place?
Foxton Hound Ultra takes place in Northampton, United Kingdom.
Which distances does Foxton Hound Ultra offer?
Foxton Hound Ultra offers 2 distances — 50K: 50 km; 100K: 100 km.
How do I register for Foxton Hound Ultra?
Registration runs through the organiser: raceharborough.co.uk. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
