The Winter Green Man Ultra.
The long course of the Winter Green Man Ultra takes you all the way round Bristol's Community Forest Path, anti-clockwise and navigating for yourself. Just under 1,000 metres of climbing sounds modest over about 72 kilometres, but soft March ground and the steep ramps in the final quarter sort out who came prepared.
The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
Start and finish are at Ashton Park School in Bristol, with the complete circuit of the Community Forest Path in between. The hardest climb comes early: after two shorter rises straight out of the start, the path goes up at almost ten percent from kilometre 7. That pitch lasts nearly a kilometre and a half, peaks at 15 percent and lifts you into the highest part of the loop.
The course then gives back almost all of that height and stays low and rolling until around kilometre 30. From the second checkpoint on, the Green Boy from Keynsham shares this route. At kilometre 34 the path rises steadily, and then comes the quietest part of the day: about 15 kilometres where the height barely changes. The race is settled after that. From kilometre 58 three short ramps stand in the way, every one with pitches above ten percent, before the last descent drops you to the finish.
Underfoot you move between woodland trails, open fields, hills and quiet country lanes. Finding the way is your job, because this is a self-navigation event. In March the ground is softer and muddier than at the summer edition, the days are shorter and the weather is unpredictable. The checkpoints are supported, but between them the route is yours alone to hold.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 0.2 | 0.5 km | 5.5 % | 8.6 % | +29 m | — |
| km 1 | 1.9 km | 4.4 % | 12.5 % | +82 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 7.2 | 1.4 km | 9.7 % | 15.1 % | +133 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 19.5 | 1.1 km | 3.6 % | 8.7 % | +37 m | — |
| km 34.3 | 1.5 km | 3.5 % | 5.9 % | +51 m | — |
| km 58.4 | 1 km | 5.5 % | 12.1 % | +54 m | — |
| km 62.9 | 1.1 km | 4 % | 10.5 % | +43 m | — |
| km 67.6 | 1 km | 5.9 % | 12.2 % | +61 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 The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027.
Start under control
The loop spreads its difficulty unevenly, and your effort should not copy it. Run the steep ramp from kilometre 7 and you pay for it over the next 60 kilometres. Walk it briskly, let others go, and take the long descent afterwards loosely instead of fighting gravity on slippery ground.
Hold your rhythm
In mud your watch is little help: on soft ground kilometre splits say almost nothing about effort. Go by feel and breathing, above all on the quiet stretch after the climb at kilometre 34. That is the trap of the day, because the terrain feels easy and invites a speed you will miss later.
Spend what is left
The three ramps from kilometre 58 are short taken one at a time. If you can still walk them briskly and start running again at the top, you gain more time there than anywhere else. Fatigue now reaches your head as well, so check the route once too often: a wrong turn in the final quarter costs more than any climb.
Training plan for The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027: 12-week build
Build the base
Expect around eight to eleven hours for the GMU45. Most of that is calm aerobic work, broken by short hard efforts on the ramps. A third of the course is flat and the rest keeps switching between up and down with no single big hill, so the fatigue comes from the sum of many small changes.
Train race pace
Train the end of the race, then. Long runs of four to five hours should carry their hills in the last third, so you learn to walk gradients above ten percent briskly on tired legs and start running again right at the top. Controlled descents late in those sessions prepare your thighs for the downhills between the ramps.
Rehearse the course
Your preparation falls in winter, and that suits the race: pick soft, muddy paths for the long runs rather than escaping to tarmac. You will find out what mud costs in speed and strength, and which shoes grip on wet ground. Test your kit in rain and cold, because you cannot plan the weather on race day.
Arrive fresh
Practise navigating too. Follow an unfamiliar route on long sessions and notice how your concentration fades in the fourth and fifth hours. If you live nearby, run parts of the last 15 kilometres beforehand. And eat to a plan on the move, because over this duration the energy you take in between checkpoints matters as well.
Courses
Download the The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for The Winter Green Man 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 The Winter Green Man Ultra.
How long is The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027?
The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 is 72 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 The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 have?
The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 has around 997 m of elevation gain over 72 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027?
The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 is classified as Rolling, averaging 13.6 vertical metres per kilometre. 34% of the route is flat, 31% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 4% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 have?
The hardest climb of The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 starts at kilometre 7.2, runs for 1.4 km at an average of 9.7% and gains 133 metres. Cycling-convention rating: Cat. 4. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 a loop course?
Yes, The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 course?
Yes. The The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 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 The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027?
Preparation for The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 should account for 72 km, 997 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 The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027?
The pacing strategy for The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 should reflect 72 km, 997 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 The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 take place?
The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 takes place on March 6, 2027.
Where does The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 take place?
The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 takes place in Bristol, United Kingdom.
Which distances does The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 offer?
The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027 offers 2 distances — GMU45 — The Full Green Man Ultra: 72 km; GMU30 — The Green Boy: 48 km.
How do I register for The Winter Green Man Ultra 2027?
Registration runs through the organiser: ultrarunningltd.co.uk. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
