Ten years after her first Race to the Stones, Sophie Carter is still finding new reasons to return to the Ridgeway.
As one of our Future Legends, Sophie knows the Ridgeway better than most. She’s experienced the highs, the lows, the celebrations and the challenges that come with covering 100km along Britain’s oldest path. Yet despite everything she’s already achieved, she believes the magic of Race to the Stones lies in what it continues to reveal.
“It’s an experience that stays with you forever,” she says.
“You might do it once or you might come back year after year, but every single time you learn something new about yourself.”
An Escape From Everyday Life
For Sophie, Race to the Stones is far more than a running event.
As a single mum raising five children, everyday life is busy, demanding and often focused on everyone else’s needs. The Ridgeway gives her something different. A rare opportunity to switch off from the outside world and reconnect with herself.
“It exposes you to your own abilities and your own limitations,” she explains. “You learn so much about yourself out there.”
That self-discovery is one of the reasons she’s continued to return over the years. The route itself plays a huge part too. From woodland trails to vast chalk ridges stretching across the landscape, the Ridgeway offers a constantly changing experience.
“There are sections where you feel completely immersed in nature and others where you’re looking out across the landscape below you and taking everything in. It’s incredibly special.”
For Sophie, the Ridgeway has become a place where challenges are faced, limits are tested and perspective is found.
The Magic of Avebury
Every Race to the Stones participant remembers their first sight of the finish.
For Sophie, it’s a moment that never loses its power. She describes arriving at Avebury and feeling shivers every single time. The ancient stones have stood for around 4,500 years, silently watching generations come and go. Standing among them after completing 100km on foot brings a perspective that’s difficult to find anywhere else.
“I still find it mind-blowing that they’re there,” she says.
As she approaches the stones, Sophie’s thoughts often drift back to the start line. Hours earlier, the day was filled with uncertainty. There was no guarantee of what the Ridgeway might throw at her. Anything could happen between the first step and the last. Then, after hours of effort, determination and problem-solving, she arrives.
“You think about how impossible it felt at the beginning of the day and realise you’ve actually done it.”
The Community That Carries You Forward
If there’s one lesson Sophie believes every participant should remember, it’s that nobody has to face the challenge alone. Whenever she hits a low point during an ultra, her advice is simple.
“Talk to somebody.”
Whether you’ve known them for years or met them five minutes ago at an aid station, there’s an instant connection between people sharing the same challenge.
“You’re both doing this amazing thing together. Sharing how you’re feeling can really help lift you through the difficult moments.”
That sense of community was especially meaningful during this year’s event. In fact, Sophie nearly didn’t make it to the start line at all. Without support available for the weekend, she found herself relying on the kindness of others. Three people she had never met before stepped forward and offered their help. Those acts of generosity made her Race to the Stones 2026 possible.
“They started the day as strangers and ended as their own community.”
For Sophie, that’s trail running at its best. Helping others. Spending time in nature and encouraging people to discover what they’re capable of.
More Is In You
Race to the Stones 2026 brought its own challenges. The hot conditions tested everyone on the course, but Sophie remembers how volunteers and aid station teams kept participants moving forward.
“Nothing was too much trouble. The support along the route went such a long way.”
As the miles added up and the heat intensified, the challenge became another opportunity to learn, something Sophie says happens every year as she discovers something new about herself. Every edition of Race to the Stones presents new obstacles, new barriers to overcome and new lessons to take away. Those lessons don’t stay on the Ridgeway either. Taking on ultras has helped Sophie develop confidence, resilience and problem-solving skills that carry into every area of life, from supporting her family to coaching the athletes she works with. The experience continually reminds her that there’s always more in the tank than we think.
Or as we like to say at Threshold: More Is In You.
Sophie’s Advice? Take The Leap.
This year, Sophie arrived at the start line as a solo runner. One hundred kilometres later, she crossed the finish line having built new friendships, strengthened connections and learned more about herself once again. And that’s why she’ll keep coming back. Not because it’s easy or because she knows what to expect but because every journey along the Ridgeway reveals something new.
Her advice for anyone considering Race to the Stones 2027?
“Take on the challenge. Take the leap. Do it for yourself. Do it for your community.”
You may discover that you’re capable of far more than you ever imagined.
