Race The Tide.
On the Long Marathon, Race The Tide takes you from Mothecombe across the private Flete Estate to the South West Coast Path, over the causeway at Burgh Island and home through South Hams woods and fields. The name says marathon, the distance is almost 29 miles, and the preparation has to answer a day of short, steep ramps and the descents between them.
Race The Tide 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The setting is the Flete Estate near Mothecombe in South Devon, privately owned land whose footpaths the course uses alongside bridle paths, fields, woodland and the South West Coast Path. The circuit heads out to Burgh Island, crosses the causeway and carries on to Wonwell Beach. From there, coast path, woods and the South Hams hills make up the way back to Mothecombe.
You rarely get much above 100 metres, yet the route keeps dropping almost to sea level. The first two kilometres alone lose around 50 metres. Three climbs follow between km 5 and km 13, the steepest of them starting at km 12 and reaching the highest ground of the circuit in a little over 600 metres. Two more, at km 18 and km 21, lead to the long descent that bottoms out just above the sea around km 24.
The second half climbs less often and harder: two pitches at km 28 and km 36, each under half a kilometre, average more than twelve percent. After a rolling stretch the course drops from km 43 nearly to sea level one last time, and the final climb only delivers you shortly before the finish.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 5.6 | 0.8 km | 8.9 % | 16.2 % | +69 m | — |
| km 9.8 | 0.8 km | 8.4 % | 21.9 % | +63 m | — |
| km 12.1 | 0.6 km | 12.7 % | 17.9 % | +80 m | — |
| km 18 | 1.3 km | 4.8 % | 7.8 % | +61 m | — |
| km 21.1 | 0.7 km | 10.5 % | 17.5 % | +76 m | — |
| km 28.6 | 0.5 km | 13.5 % | 29.5 % | +61 m | — |
| km 36.4 | 0.4 km | 12.7 % | 26.6 % | +54 m | — |
| km 45.7 | 0.8 km | 5.6 % | 10.7 % | +42 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 Race The Tide.
Start under control
Only about a fifth of this course is flat, and the rest splits almost evenly between up and down. Kilometre splits mean little here, so run to effort. Walk the steep ramps from the very start, and treat the descent after the start as a warm-up, not as time in the bank.
Hold your rhythm
The biggest trap is the first 13 km. Three climbs come close together on fresh legs, and running them gets you to the top of the circuit feeling fine. The bill arrives on the steepest ground later, when walking stops being a choice and becomes all you have left.
Spend what is left
The race is decided beyond the marathon mark. At km 42 you have a full marathon in your legs and still more than four kilometres to go: a drop of around 80 metres that punishes tired quads, then the closing climb. Keep something back for this stretch, because it can cost more time than any ramp before it.
Training plan for Race The Tide: 12-week build
Build the base
Age-group runners should expect roughly five to seven and a half hours. The effort stays aerobic but keeps being interrupted: every ramp spikes your heart rate, and while the descents give your lungs a break, they give your legs none.
Train race pace
The key section comes late, so the hard part of your long runs belongs late too. Make them hilly and put the steepest repeats in the final third instead of ticking them off fresh. A hilly three to four hours tells you more about your race effort than any flat run of the same length. Practise a brisk, short-stepped power hike on steep slopes while you are there, because on the second-half pitches it will serve you better than any speed session on the track.
Rehearse the course
Nearly as much of the course runs down as up, and that is what settles the last kilometres. Build strength in your quads and run downhill on purpose towards the end of longer sessions, so a descent after hours on your feet is not something your legs meet for the first time on race day.
Arrive fresh
The ground switches between coast path, bridle path, field and woodland, so your long sessions should happen on similarly mixed terrain, not tarmac. With the race on 22 May, the longest runs fall in April: use them to test shoes and fuelling over many hours on your feet.
Courses
Download the Race The Tide course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Race The Tide 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 Race The Tide.
How long is Race The Tide?
Race The Tide is 46.67 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 Race The Tide have?
Race The Tide has around 1,078 m of elevation gain over 46.67 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Race The Tide?
Race The Tide is classified as Hilly, averaging 23.2 vertical metres per kilometre. 19% of the route is flat, 31% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 9% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Race The Tide have?
The hardest climb of Race The Tide starts at kilometre 12.1, runs for 0.6 km at an average of 12.7% and gains 80 metres. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Race The Tide a loop course?
Yes, Race The Tide is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Race The Tide course?
Yes. The Race The Tide 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 Race The Tide?
Preparation for Race The Tide should account for 46.67 km, 1,078 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 Race The Tide?
The pacing strategy for Race The Tide should reflect 46.67 km, 1,078 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 Race The Tide take place?
Race The Tide takes place on May 22, 2027.
Where does Race The Tide take place?
Race The Tide takes place in Mothecombe, United Kingdom.
Which distances does Race The Tide offer?
Race The Tide offers 3 distances — Long Marathon — 29 miles: 46.67 km; Long Half-Marathon — 15 miles: 24.14 km; Woodland Trail — 8.5 miles: 13.68 km.
How do I register for Race The Tide?
Registration runs through the organiser: outeredge-events.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
