Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon.
At the Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon the long race covers 50 miles from Hanslope through quiet countryside and ancient woodland to Grafham Water. Length rather than climbing makes this a hard day, so preparing for it means learning to keep moving for hours with no hill to force a break.
Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The start is at Hanslope Village Hall, and from there the route runs north-east as a one-way journey with no way back round. The stretch to Hanslope was added to bring the course up to 50 miles, which also makes it the part only the ultra runners see. The biggest rise of this first section starts at 17.5 km and gains just 25 m over 800 m, felt more as a change of rhythm than an obstacle.
Around 39 km you reach Yelden, where the marathon route begins, and a full marathon still lies ahead. A gentle climb arrives at 45 km, and shortly before 60 km comes the steepest ramp of the day. It lasts only 380 m, but after this many hours it is where you decide whether to keep running or walk.
The country stays rural and quiet, and the way keeps passing through ancient woodland. Drinks and food are available at checkpoints along the way, and the finish is at Marlow Park, Grafham Water. Since that leaves you a long way from the start, sort out the journey home well before race day.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 2.8 | 0.4 km | 4.2 % | 5 % | +17 m | — |
| km 8.4 | 0.4 km | 3.3 % | 3.6 % | +11 m | — |
| km 17.5 | 0.8 km | 3.1 % | 3.9 % | +25 m | — |
| km 20.8 | 0.7 km | 3 % | 4.3 % | +20 m | — |
| km 45.1 | 0.6 km | 4 % | 5.2 % | +23 m | — |
| km 59.3 | 0.4 km | 6.1 % | 8.4 % | +23 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 Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon.
Start under control
The 14-hour limit allows a little over ten minutes per kilometre, and the route itself measures closer to 82 km than 80. The terrain will not tell you how to spend that margin: on a mountain ultra you walk the climbs, but here walking breaks are yours to set. Fix them early and regularly, at each checkpoint for instance, rather than waiting until your legs impose them.
Hold your rhythm
The race is decided at Yelden, or rather by the state you arrive in. Reaching 39 km feeling as if the work has not started is exactly right, because what remains is longer than what came before. The ramp before 60 km is then the honest test: if you can walk it briskly and run again straight off the top, your pacing has been sound.
Spend what is left
The trap is how easy the first hours feel. Too fast on flat ground stays comfortable for a long time because no gradient pushes back, and the bill only arrives when your stride shortens after 50 km.
Training plan for Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon: 12-week build
Build the base
Expect somewhere between nine and a half and 13 hours depending on fitness. Nearly all of it is steady aerobic work with no real spikes: there is no mountain section that shifts the load onto different muscles for a while. The same muscles repeat the same movement all day, and that repetition is what you need to train.
Train race pace
The core of the build is therefore long, easy running on flat to gently rolling ground, grouped into weekends with two long sessions back to back. That teaches you to keep running on tired legs in the second session, which is where the race really begins at Yelden. Hill intervals matter little here; what counts is still moving cleanly and loosely after three or four hours.
Rehearse the course
Rehearse the run-walk pattern you plan to use on race day in every long run, so it never becomes an emergency measure. That includes eating and drinking on a checkpoint-to-checkpoint rhythm. Use the long sessions to find out what your stomach will still accept after six hours or more, because over this duration fuelling is often the limiting factor.
Arrive fresh
The 19 June date puts your longest sessions in May. Place the last of them two to three weeks before the race, and finish one long run on a short ramp so that you have rehearsed the moment before 60 km at least once.
Courses
Download the Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon 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 Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon.
How long is Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon?
Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon is 80.47 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 Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon have?
Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon has around 480 m of elevation gain over 80.47 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon?
Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon is classified as Flat, averaging 5.9 vertical metres per kilometre. 51% of the route is flat, 22% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 0% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon have?
The hardest climb of Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon starts at kilometre 17.5, runs for 0.8 km at an average of 3.1% and gains 25 metres. 6 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon a loop course?
No, Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon is a point-to-point course: start and finish are in different places.
Is there a GPX file for the Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon course?
Yes. The Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon 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 Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon?
Preparation for Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon should account for 80.47 km, 480 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 Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon?
The pacing strategy for Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon should reflect 80.47 km, 480 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 Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon 2027 take place?
Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon 2027 takes place on June 19, 2027.
Where does Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon 2027 take place?
Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon 2027 takes place in Hanslope, United Kingdom.
Which distances does Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon offer?
Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon offers 2 distances — Three Shires Way 50 Mile Ultra: 80.47 km; Three Shires Way Marathon: 42.2 km.
How do I register for Three Shires Way Ultra & Marathon?
Registration runs through the organiser: raceharborough.co.uk. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
