Brilliant racing at Centurion Autumn 100, Maverick Jurassic Coast & In France

Landscape from Centurion Running Autumn 100 © Centurion Running]

A fabulous weekend of ultra racing in the UK with the Autumn 100 by Centurion Running and the Maverick Jurassic Coast X-Trail had us hooked dot watching! It’s also been a big weekend for Brits racing abroad, with French and US success (Sarah Perry still running in the Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra World Championship as we write)! Congratulations, everyone!

Sophie Seward and Hugh Tibbs Conquer the Autumn 100

Centurion Running’s Autumn 100 is a fast and picturesque race taking place between the villages of Goring and Streatley on the River Thames. Heading out on trails in the shape of a cross, there are beautiful paths, part of the Ridgeway Trail, and some changing conditions from day into night for the runners who have qualified to take part. Notably, entrants have to meet certain criteria to start, either finishing a 50-mile ultra in less than 15 hours or meeting other minimum performance standards.

In this year’s men’s race, there was a hard battle at the front between Hugh Tibbs and Harrier PRO Athlete Kallum Pritchard, seven hours into the event. Unfortunately, Kallum had to drop out after severely rolling his ankle and needing to stop. Hugh went on to win the 100-miler in 13:03:59 - an incredibly fast time that sees him setting a new course record. He was followed onto the podium by David Green (14:15:49) and Martin Reed (15:27:39). 

The women’s race was also a nail biter, with a very close battle until late on, when Sophie Seward ran clear and stormed into first place in 18:25:32. Bonnie Rye claimed second in 19:32:21, and was followed by Hayley Langley shortly after, in 19:44:23.

Sophie Seward, Centurion Autumn 100 Women’s Winner © Centurion Running

It’s Another Win for Natalie Taylor on British Trails

After winning the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa stage race and claiming a superb third place at the Tor des Géants, Natalie Taylor returned closer to home to race the 102 km Maverick Jurassic Coast X-Trail and come away with a victory.

The 102 km race is part of a full weekend of events of different lengths. Following the South Dorset Ridgeway, then the South West Coast Path, and passing by iconic landmarks like Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, and Corfe Castle, it is a brilliant day out and sends runners on a tough, but stunning journey. 

Natalie set a fantastic pace and finished the 102 km with 2547 m of elevation in 10:21:13, followed by Naomi Benson (11:33:40) and Vicki Balfour-Wyatt (12:03:45). In the men’s race, it was Kevin Meynard-Krause who took the win in 8:41:48. He was joined on the podium by Augustin Segard (9:47:46) and Mike Wright (10:12:54).

Perhaps lesser known outside of France, but a race with a huge history and tradition is the Festival des Templiers in the Cévennes hills in the south of France. It is a big weekend of racing bringing together c. 12,000 runners in an impressively inclusive array of races, from 7k and kids’ races, to 100k and the headline event, the Grand Trail des Templiers (one of the most competitive 50-milers in Europe). All on autumnal trails seeped in history, following in the footsteps of the Knights Templar, through ruined forts and across misty ridges. 

This year, the Endurance Trail (99.5 km with 4304 m of ascent) attracted British runners Tom Joly and Jack Chamberlain, who each ran superb races to secure spots in the top 5. The fight for the top 3 was very close for hours on end, with the leaders constantly leapfrogging each other. Tom led at the start, then kept changing places with eventual winner Remy Brassac and second place Remi Giroud. However, unbeknownst to him, the fight got really close just behind as Tom reached the finish line only 45 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Matis Leray, who put on an incredible late surge. 

In the final standings, Tom was third, while Jack placed fifth. An incredible effort from both of them. 

The women’s race was won by Agathe Bes, followed by Romane Gauthier and Aurélie Grange Paul in an all-French podium. 

On the Templiers trails © Cyrille Quintard]

This weekend has been so inspiring, with amazing performances at home and abroad. Not to mention some of the most extraordinary women’s running going on at the IAU 24-Hour Championship in Albi, France, where the GB ladies won the team gold medal, and Sarah Webster won and set a new world record, clocking 277.56 km. And, over in the US, the Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra is still ongoing as I write this, with Sarah Perry going strong with 342 km run so far. Go, Sarah!

Alecsa Stewart - Journalist