11th - 12th May 2024

50k, 50m or 100m along East Anglia's most beautiful coastline
A 32 hour (max) Challenge for runners & walkers

Next Event 10th-11th May 2025

This will be the third running of the event, taking the established beautiful route through the Dedham Vale and Suffolk Coast & Heaths Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It's a relatively flat course across unspoilt countryside with sparkling estuary waters nearly always in view. More than 85% of the route is on soft dirt trail. Conditions underfoot are typically good, here in one of Britain's driest regions.

Event Format

A continuous point-to-point race along the Suffolk & Essex coast, linking together sections of several well-established and waymarked long distance footpaths. The full 100 mile route ('5RU') circumnavigates 5 coastal estuaries. Shorter 50m and 50k options are also available ('5RU-50m' and '5RU-50k').

New Organising Team!

The event is now being run by Hayley Coles and Dan Clark, aka the Coastal Trail Runners. You can read a bit more about our background, ultra-experience and motivations on the About Us webpage.

The Five Rivers

The Stour - home of Constable Country
The Orwell - home of Pin Mill & Arthur Ransome
The Deben - home of Woodbridge & Sutton Hoo
The Butley - home of Marshes & Burrow Hill
The Ore/Alde - home of Shingle Street, Orford & Snape Maltings

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For updates on the Five Rivers Ultra, please sign up here:

GPS Tracking

ALL COMPETITORS WILL BE GIVEN A GPS TRACKER TO CARRY DURING THE RACE, FOR SAFETY AND ALSO TO ALLOW YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY TO FOLLOW YOUR PROGRESS IN REAL TIME DURING THE EVENT.

Regular Support

REGULAR SUPPORT ALONG THE ROUTE, WITH SNACK/WATER STOPS AND  INDOOR CHECKPOINTS WHERE COMPETITORS CAN ACCESS A DROP BAG & HOT FOOD & DRINKS.

Giving Back

WE AIM TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO HELP PROTECT THE  BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES WE RUN THROUGH IN THIS EVENT. IN 2025 A SMALL PORTION OF EACH ENTRY FEE WILL BE DONATED TO THE RIVER  STOUR TRUST.

The Route

The full 100 mile route starts from the peaceful setting of Blaxhall Village Hall, heading quickly into the delightful heathland of Blaxhall Common and Tunstall Forest. It then drops gently to reach the shore of the meandering Alde/Ore River, following a grassy riverside trail all the way to Orford.

After passing the imposing Orford Castle, the route makes a loop north and south to circumnavigate the bucolic River Butley tributary before returning to the banks of the River Ore and following it all the way to the sea.

The route hugs the coast past the well-named Shingle Street beach before turning slightly inland to Alderton and thence to Ramsholt on the eastern shore of the River Deben. From here, the route follows the Deben north to Melton where it crosses the river and follows the riverside back south through Woodbridge, Martlesham, Waldringfield and Hemley.

At Kirton Creek, the route veers inland for a few miles to head west and reach the River Orwell estuary just north of Felixstowe, marking the halfway point of the event. The remainder to the route follows closely along the shores of the Orwell and Stour Estuaries, crossing the Orwell via the huge graceful modern arc of the Orwell Bridge, and crossing the Stour by the much smaller arc of Flatford Bridge in the heart of Constable Country.

In the final miles of the course, the route hops across from the Stour to the coast, thereafter following the esplanade through Dovercourt to reach the final line at the 1912 Centre in Harwich.


You can preview the provisional 100 mile, 50 mile and 50km routes via the expandable animations below. The final .gpx file versions of the routes will be sent out to competitors as part of their pre-race information packs.

FAQ

Is there a mandatory kit list?

Yes, as you would expect for an ultra event of this duration, for safety reasons there is a mandatory set of kit you are required to carry at all times. This will be checked at registration, with further random checks during the event. Failure to produce items will result in disqualification.

Are there any entry requirements?

As per UKA rules for races of these distances, you must be a minimum of 20 years old on the date of the event. '5RU' entrants must have previously completed a trail event of at least 50 miles in the last twelve months. For '5RU-50m' entrants: minimum 25 miles.

What are the time limits / cutoffs?

These are yet to be finalised, but our aim in setting them is to make the event suitable for brisk walkers as well as runners. See the full FAQ page below for a more detailed answer.

Is the course marked or is it a self-navigation event?

Although most of the route follows reasonably well waymarked trails (Suffolk Coast Path, Stour & Orwell Walk, Stour Valley Path, Essex Way), you are ultimately responsible for navigating with use of map & compass and/or your own GPS unit.

What food is available on the course?

A selection of cold simple sweet and savoury snacks will be provided at all intermediate checkpoints out on the course. A warm meal and hot drinks will be provided at the finish line.

What if I change my mind?

Details of our refund policy can be found in our full T&Cs but in short we are able to offer some sort of refund up to eight weeks before the event and transfer to another runner/walker up to two weeks before the event.

Sat May 10, 2025
5RU-100mile SCHEDULE

Fri 18:30 - 20:30
Event registration at 1912 Centre Harwich (finish line)

Sat 05:30

Shuttle Bus leaves 1912 Centre Harwich

Sat 05:30 -06:30
Event registration at Blaxhall Village Hall (start line)

Sat 06:50

Final Race Briefing

Sat 07:00

Race start!

Sun 15:00
Finish closes

Sat May 10, 2025
5RU-50mile SCHEDULE

Fri 18:30 - 20:30

Event registration at 1912 Centre Harwich (finish line)

Sat 13:30 - 14:40
Event registration at Trimley Memorial Hall (start line)

Sat 14:50
Final Race Briefing

Sat 15:00

Race start!

Sun 15:00
Finish closes

Sun May 11, 2025
5RU-50kilometer SCHEDULE

Fri 18:30 - 20:30
Event registration at 1912 Centre Harwich (finish line)

Sun 04:30 - 05:30
Event registration at Shotley Village Hall (start line)

Sun 05:50
Final Race Briefing

Sun 06:00
Race start!

Sun 15:00

Finish closes
Join us for this tough but beautiful challenge along the unspoilt South Suffolk and North Essex coastline
TERMS & CONDITIONS
100 miles
32 hour time limit
2 Drop bags (52m & finish)
 GPS tracker
10 checkpoints
Checkpoint snacks/drinks
Warm meal at finish
Technical Tee Shirt
Unique Finisher Memento
£135
50 miles
24 hour time limit
1 Drop bag (finish)
 GPS tracker
5 checkpoints
Checkpoint snacks/drinks
Warm meal at finish
Technical Tee Shirt
Unique Finisher Memento
£85
50 km
9 hour time limit
1 Drop bag (finish)
 GPS tracker
3 checkpoints
Checkpoint snacks/drinks
Warm meal at finish
Technical Tee Shirt
Unique Finisher Memento
£65

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For updates on the Five Rivers Ultra, please sign up here:

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