We’re fresh off the back of an incredible weekend out on the Ridgeway for Race to the Stones 2024.
Barring some rain late on Saturday night and a bit of heat on Sunday morning, conditions were more or less perfect all weekend, with fast winning times reflecting this.
Now in its 11th year, Race to the Stones has grown steadily since its inaugural running in 2013 to become one of the UK’s biggest ultramarathons. This year, we saw to see close to 3000 runners and walkers taking on the Ridgeway across the weekend. As in previous years, there were four separate events on offer:
100k
- Non-stop: The original and most popular option. 100km non-stop, from Lewknor to Avebury across Britain’s oldest footpath.
- Over Two Days: For participants looking to break the distance up – two back-to-back 50km ultramarathons with a break overnight. Not to be underestimated.
50k
- Day One: Lewknor to Lattin Down Basecamp
- Day Two: Lattin Down Basecamp to Avebury
Here’s our round-up of how the podiums played out across each event.
50k – Day One
Wandering through woodlands and along ridgelines before finishing at our iconic Lattin Down basecamp, the Day One course covers the hillier part of the full 100k course. Because it packs its 700m of elevation gain either side of a flat 10k section around the River Thames, its handful of hills can pack an unexpected punch on tired legs.
Women’s Race
The hotly-contested women’s race was fiery from the off. Passing through Pitstop 2 at around the half marathon mark in around 1:45, Nicole Frisby and Samantha Hudson were neck and neck, followed five minutes later by Ellie Fields and Lucy Williams. A further five minutes behind them was Sophie McKeenan. All five were looking strong and, despite the time gap, it felt like any one of them could take the win with 29km still to go.
In the end, Nicole Frisby managed to hold on to the lead, taking first place in 4:18:23. Closely behind her Sophie McKeenan pulled off a triumphant second half, shrinking her 10-minute deficit at Pitstop 2 to just four minutes and crossing the line in 4:22:57. Despite getting briefly lost after missing a turning, Samantha Hudson still managed to run an impressive 4:25:34 to take third place and first V40.
Our first V50 woman was Fiona Stevens in 5:51:35; the V60 winner was Julie Moore in 5:40:44; and our first and only V70+ woman was a Ms J Miles in 9:31:30.
Men’s Race
The men’s race couldn’t have been more different to the women’s, with two runners seemingly uncatchable out front right from the off. Fresh off the back of a win at the 2024 Montane Winter Spine Challenger South, Daniel Weller ran side-by-side with Neil Kirby, who has wins at the South Downs Way 100 and North Downs Way 50 to his name. Both passed through Pitstop 2 in 1:38, five minutes ahead of Robbie Patterson in third place.
Many of us wondered if either Daniel or Neil would make a move, but as they approached the finish line at Lattin Down Basecamp, it was clear that neither was in the mood to pip the other to the line. In the end, they crossed in joint first in a stunning time of 3:44:47. Given we only had the one first place trophy available, the two agreed to flip a coin for it, with Daniel coming out on top. Third place went to Robbie Patterson in 4:04:38.
In the age categories, Neil Kirby was also our first V40; our first V50 was Bryn Davis of RunWallingford in 4:30:20; Christy Cahill was the first V60 in 5:14:18; and Clive Latimer was the first of our three V70+ male athletes this year, running 8:30:23.
50k – Day Two
Ostensibly a faster, flatter course than Day One, our Day Two 50k course is the ideal event on which to make your ultra debut, or test the waters before committing to the full 100k. As such it tends to attract a less competitive field, but we were delighted nonetheless to see some great performances on this course.
Women’s Race
In the women’s race, Sarah Christensen led from the off, passing through the 23km mark in 1:57 with a three-minute lead. Sarah held onto this lead right to the finish, crossing the line in 4:50:26 for first place as well as first V40. Behind her, Eleanor Hudson ran 4:55:11 for second, whilst Sharon Spangenberg pulled off a remarkable second half, moving from 8th place at the 23km mark to finish third in 5:05:52.
Catherine Morgan-Smith won the V5 race in 5:33:20; Norja Richardson ran 7:15:27 for the V60 win; and Carole Westley, our only V70+, ran an incredible 9:10:18.
Men’s Race
Three athletes led the charge in the men’s 50k – Day Two race, and all three ended up on the podium. Lee Oxley was the first through the halfway mark with a two-minute lead on Jason Richards, but by the time they reached the finish the two had swapped places, with Jason ultimately taking the win in 4:04:59. Lee came second in 4:15:49, whilst Riyoki Arimoto came in third. Riyoki’s chip time of 4:15:29 was technically 20 seconds faster than Lee, but he started 15 minutes late, and awards are granted based on who crosses the line first. This is due to the fact that, had Lee known he was racing an invisible opponent, he may have run faster. Riyoki graciously accepted this decision.
The first V40 male was Andrew Haigh in 4:47:24; Andy Munro was the first V50 in 4:35:42; and the first V60 was Michael Bowlby in 4:48:30.
100k – Non-Stop
The original and most popular package at Race to the Stones, our 100k event runs non-stop from Lewknor to Avebury across Britain’s oldest footpath, the Ridgeway, finishing near the 5000-year old Avebury standing stones. Taking in around 1300m of elevation, it’s by no means pancake flat, but presents a runnable, fast course for elite athletes whilst remaining a challenging undertaking for mid- and back-of-the-packers.
This year favourable conditions and a stacked field meant we were treated to some truly excellent running at the front of the race.
Women’s Race
Our ‘one to watch’ coming into this race was undoubtedly Sophie Carter, the returning 2023 champion. Fresh off a win at Race to the King just a few short weeks ago, Sophie led from the front but ran a controlled race. She only had a 30-second lead on second place coming into Pitstop 2 at the half marathon point, but by the 50k mark this lead had extended to a remarkable 22 minutes.
Sophie ultimately crossed the finish line at Avebury in first place, running 9:25:06. Whilst this was 11 minutes shy of Sarah Morwood’s seemingly unbreakable 2015 course record of 9:14:14, it was 25 minutes faster than Sophie’s winning time last year – a truly incredible performance from Sophie that we felt privileged to witness in person. Sophie was also the first V40.
Rounding out the podium, Florence Papagnout ran 10:33:59 for second place, and Jennifer Humphries took third in 10:47:34. Special mention must be given to Elizabeth Joyce, who closed like a woman on a mission and finished less than 30 seconds behind Jennifer, narrowly missing out on a podium spot but running an excellent race nonetheless.
In the other age categories, Alison Webb was the first V50 in 11:28:44; our first V60 was Susan Hill in 14:07:30; and our first and only V70+ was Dineke Austin, who ran 17:54:31.
Men’s Race
The men’s race played out quite differently to the women’s race, with no real clarity around who was likely to win until the final stages. Michael Young, who recently represented England at the Anglo Celtic Plate 100km champs, passed through Pitstop 2 at the half marathon mark in a blistering 1:29, already 10 minutes ahead of Alasdair Leslie in second place.
By the time Michael reached the halfway point of the race in 3:37 – fast enough to win the Day One 50k event – his lead felt unbreakable. It was at least ten minutes before any other runner showed up, and a full 23 minutes until Joshua Barrow arrived, some way down the list of runners. Over the next 50k, however, Joshua put down a frankly masterful performance. By the time he reached Pitstop 6 at around the 73km mark, he had clawed back four minutes; and over the course of the final 27km, he gained a full half hour on Michael, passing him at around the 93km mark before crossing the line in first place in 7:59:30.
Joshua’s time is the third fastest we have ever seen at Race to the Stones – all the more impressive given that he essentially ran the race in even splits. He came achingly close to the course record of 7:52:55, set in 2017 by Benjamin Poiraton, and we hope to see him toe the line again to have another go.
Michael held on to second place, running 8:06:37, a time which would have won the race every single year except for 2017. Rounding out the podium was Bryan Wilkins in 8:34:23 – again, fast enough to have won the race 5 out of the previous 11 editions of Race to the Stones.
100k Over Two Days
Traditionally not billed as a competitive event, our 100k Over Two Days is designed to provide a stepping stone between the 50k and 100k distances, allowing participants to run the full 100k distance with an overnight break at our Lattin Down Basecamp in between. However, this year we were fortunate enough to witness a performance which has forced us to rethink the nature of this event.
Pierre Meslet smashed out a 3:40 50k on Day One – fast enough to win the event outright – before taking full advantage of the Basecamp facilities to rest and recover. The next day, he ran an equally impressive 3:59:30 – again, fast enough to win the Day Two race outright. Pierre’s cumuative time of 7:40:21 was the fastest we’ve ever seen at the two-day event, and shows just what is possible with masterful pacing and an overnight recovery.
In the womnen’s race, Kendra Marsh ran a cumulative time of 10:07:26 to take the win, as well as the first V40. The first V40 male was Wolfgang Luecke in 11:23:04.
Other age category winners were Alastair Bloore (8:58:13 – 2nd overall) and Nicki Smith (13:16:43) for the V50s; the first V60s were Rory Coleman (16:03:42) and Sally Abel (13:33:23); and first across the line of our two V70+ male finishers was Ifor Thomas in a fantastic time of 15:55:27.
Final Finisher
Our final 100k Non-Stop finisher this year was Colin Kirkham, who crossed the finish line in 30:25:59. Just ahead of Colin was Azman Rahman. The two of them told us they shared many miles together – exchanging tales and supporting one another. If that isn’t what ultras are all about, we don’t know what is.
Enter 2025 Now
The ballot for 2025 100k Non-Stop place at Race to the Stones will close at midnight on Sunday 21st July. Sign up before the deadline to to be in the running to secure your place!
