Ultra Running Hub Petworth, United Kingdom · Saturday, July 4, 2026
Serpent Trail Race 50km
What the course asks
DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.
Typical conditions, July
Regional 2001-2020 average for July — NASA POWER, grid elevation 51 m. Not a forecast.
Results history
| Year | Race | Finishers | Men's winner | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 50km | 445 | Tom Hughes · 03:45:47 | Kerryanne Francis · 04:43:17 |
| 2025 | 50km | 490 | Jacob James · 03:37:12 | Alice Robinson · 04:09:58 |
| 2024 | 50km | 590 | Sven van der Pas · 03:51:49 | Nicole Frisby · 04:13:07 |
| 2023 | 50km | 559 | Luke Grenfell-Shaw · 03:20:55 | Chelsea Creak · 03:57:23 |
| 2022 | 50km | 459 | Christopher Holdsworth · 03:13:27 | Chelsea Creak · 04:11:11 |
| 2021 | 50km | 302 | Tom Adams · 03:15:58 | Kirsteen Welch · 03:56:44 |
| 2019 | 50km | 241 | Adam Ryder · 04:19:28 | Emily Iredale · 04:32:39 |
| 2018 | 50km | 134 | Alastair Pickburn · 04:10:30 | Wendy Chapman · 04:51:23 |
| 2017 | 50km | 45 | John Melbourne · 04:17:18 | Beck Howard · 06:34:06 |
The field shrank 9% between 2025 (490) and 2026 (445). 48% of the 2026 field were women.
DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.
Course notes
- terrain This is a fast & flat course. Expect fast, runnable sections where rhythm is key.
- gear With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.
Gear for this race
Chosen for 50 km of trail with 700 m of ascent.
- Trail Running Shoes 50 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
- Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
- Hydration Vests Flask capacity for 50 km, without the bounce.
- Headlamps A 16 h limit puts you out there after dark.
- GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.
Overview
Held in Petworth in the United Kingdom, the Serpent Trail Race 50km offered an exceptionally forgiving schedule, with a 16-hour time limit producing a cut-off pace of 19.2 minutes per kilometre. That allowance was more generous than 94% of 50k cut-offs and tighter than only 6%, giving participants substantial breathing room along the route.
The 50-kilometre course gained 700 metres of elevation—averaging 14 metres of climb per kilometre—over sandy footpaths, tracks, and occasional road sections leading to Petersfield.
With 445 finishers in 2026, the Freedom Racing event had a field bigger than 97% of 50k peers and smaller than 3%, marking its 9th edition since its debut in 2017.
Similar races
Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.