The 100km: One huge day on the Ridgeway
Every July, thousands of runners take on Britain’s oldest paths as they attempt to complete Race to the Stones. But among the thousands chasing their own Ridgeway adventure, a select group arrive with something extra to prove. They will be chasing podiums, prize money, personal bests, and perhaps even a place in the event’s history.
The Ridgeway is ready to welcome another incredible field for Race to the Stones, and if this year’s entries are anything to go by, the racing at the front could be some of the most competitive we’ve ever seen.
The 100km Course Record prize returns for 2026. Last year, Hugh Tibbs took the men’s win, setting a new course record of 7:41 to walk away with a £1,000 prize. The women’s record, set by Sarah Morwood in 2015 with a time of 9:14, remains untouched despite Sophie Power’s superb winning performance of 10:11 last year.
For 2026, the challenge is clear: £1,000 is available for any male athlete who can dip under 7:41, while the women’s prize has rolled over from 2025, meaning £2,000 is waiting for the first female runner to break the tape in under 9:14.
The 100km attracts experienced ultra runners from across the UK and beyond, with previous winners, course record holders and athletes in career-best form all lining up on the start line. Whether you’re chasing your own finish or following the race from home, here are the names we’ll be keeping a close eye on.
Men’s 100km
Nick Drabble — UTMB Index 736
Top of the men’s UTMB rankings and top of our list. Nick Drabble made the switch from triathlon to ultrarunning and hasn’t looked back, most recently taking the win at the Peak District 55k just three weeks ago, alongside victories at Maverick Peaks X Trail and the Cotswold Challenge.
He arrives with the credentials to challenge towards the sharp end of the field, but there’s a deeper story here too. At 15, Drabble broke his femur after falling through a roof, spending months bed-bound and then in a wheelchair. His journey from serious injury to competing at the front of ultra fields makes him one of the most interesting runners on the start line.
Chris Filer — UTMB Index 722
Chris Filer arrives having already banked three road marathons this year, using the trails as his release valve between marathon cycles.
He has been managing a run of injuries through the first half of the season, so don’t be surprised if he takes a measured approach early on. However, with experience across six World Marathon Majors, both directions of Comrades, UTMB CCC, UTS, the Arc of Attrition and five years representing the England Masters team, he has the depth of experience to make his move when it matters.
Harry Pickering — UTMB Index 709
Harry Pickering was inspired to enter Race to the Stones after watching Hugh Tibbs run a sub-8-hour time here last year, and he arrives looking to see just how fast he can go over a quick trail 100km.
It’s been a slightly inconsistent year by his own admission, but his recent highlights tell a different story: a win at the 2025 Centurion Winter Downs 100, a South Coast Challenge podium and a top 20 finish in a stacked field at this year’s Centurion South Downs Way 100.
Hugh Tibbs proved last year that a strong South Downs Way 100 performance can translate into success here. Harry will be hoping to follow a similar blueprint.
Luke Shoham — UTMB Index 707
Luke Shoham has had Race to the Stones on his radar since he got into the sport, and he arrives with some strong ultrarunning pedigree.
His maiden race win came at the Maverick Dark Downs event last year, a result that convinced him he could compete at the sharp end. This year’s build hasn’t been entirely smooth though, with some low-level injuries carried into race week.
With hot weather forecast, Luke has been open that repeating last July’s time could be a stretch, making his race management and ability to adapt on the day one to watch.
Toby Meanwell — UTMB Index 707
Toby Meanwell grew up right by the start line and has spent plenty of hours on the Ridgeway without ever racing it.
Off the back of a strong finish to last year, including a win at Winter on the Downs and second at Dark Downs 50k, plus a hard mountain outing in the Pyrenees over the summer, he’s targeting a strong and well-paced run through his childhood backyard.
A smart and experienced racer, Toby comes into this one in shape that potentially surpasses what his UTMB Index score suggests.
Women’s 100km
Estefania Unzu Ripoll
No UTMB Index to go on here, but don’t let that fool you.
Estefi Unzu Ripoll arrives as the reigning champion of Race to the King, having won and set a new course record at the event in June. Taking the record from another in our Ones to Watch this weekend, Sophie Carter. She also has serious road pedigree, running 7:47 last year to become the Spanish 100km record holder.
With Race to the Stones offering a course profile more suited to her strengths than Race to the King, it will be fascinating to see what she can produce.
Ella Coker — UTMB Index 667
A consistent podium finisher throughout the year, Ella Coker’s results show real range across distances.
Her season includes a first place and second overall finish at the Isle of Wight Challenge, victory at the Kent Downs 50 and a third-place finish overall at the Thames Path 100k Challenge.
She arrives firmly in the mix and will be one to watch on Saturday.
Sophie Carter — UTMB Index 659
Sophie Carter is a Race to the Stones institution.
Champion in 2023 and 2024, runner-up in 2018 and 2022, and fifth last year, she returns with real motivation after a 9:25 finish in 2024.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. In 2022, Carter ran this race 21 weeks pregnant with her fifth child and still finished second female and inside the top ten overall in hot conditions, a performance she draws on whenever a race gets tough.
Balancing elite-level racing with raising five children, Carter’s story is one of resilience, determination and turning difficult moments into motivation.
Veronika Gill — UTMB Index 636
Veronika Gill’s 2026 build has included a fourth-place finish at this year’s Thames Path 100 and 13th in a stacked Arc 50 field, alongside victory at the Wendover Woods 50 miler last year.
But it is the sentimental value that makes this one worth watching. Race to the Stones was Gill’s very first ultra back in 2021, where she completed the 100km over two days. She has described it as the race that changed her life.
This year she returns to take on the 100km in a single push. Full circle, with the added personal challenge of racing in the heat, conditions she admits aren’t her favourite.
Alice Raban — UTMB Index 618
Alice Raban arrives with one of the strongest personal connections to the Ridgeway in the women’s field. Having grown up in a village close to Basecamp, Race to the Stones feels less like a new challenge and more like a journey through familiar territory.
After an endurance hiatus following a cycle across Europe last summer, Alice was looking for her next big challenge, and a first 100km felt like the perfect opportunity.
She comes into Race to the Stones with proven ability too, having achieved a top 50 finish at UTMB’s T50 last year, and will be looking to turn that experience into a strong performance over the Ridgeway.
For Alice, the goal is simple: reach the finish healthy, proud of her effort and having enjoyed every step. But with local knowledge, a strong endurance background and plenty of familiar faces likely to line the route, she could be one to watch as the race unfolds.
Fleur Dodwell — UTMB Index 592
Fleur Dodwell has spent the last year chasing elevation, so a flatter and faster course is a deliberate change of scenery.
This is her first attempt at the 100km distance after wins at the Maverick Exmoor Marathon and Dartmoor in a Day 51k. She also completed a Bob Graham Round last summer, so endurance clearly isn’t the issue.
The challenge on Saturday will be fuelling, heat management and bringing everything together on the day. She’s also fitting all of this training around four young children, which is a story in itself.
