The Bath & Bristol Railway Races follow the route of the original train line from Green Park Station in Bath to Bristol Temple Meads and this route is the flattest of all the races in our calendar! The route is 100% tarmac, offering a road race like experience through the green countryside and into the heart of Bristol. The trainline was in use from 1869 - 1971 and between 1979 and 1986, Sustrans converted the railway path into what would become the first route on the National Cycle Network.
Along the route you will find historic and active nods to the routes heritage. The Half Marathon runs out and back to Bitton Train Station, with 2.5km in each direction running alongside the Avon Valley Railway, an active heritage line that still runs on the original route today.
The 25km, Marathon and 50km run alongside the Avon Valley Railway station at Bitton and onwards to Bristol, passing restored signal boxes, picturesque stations at Warmley and Mangotsfield.
Of course there is a tunnel! The 450m long Staple Hill Tunnel is on the route of the 25kmand 50km race. It is significantly larger than the tunnels at the Two Tunnels and Wye Valley Tunnel Run as the route had two railway lines running through the tunnel. The Staple Hill Tunnel is well lit. Thank you to Forgotten Relics for the Photo.
When: 30th March & 12th October 2025. Races start from 09:00am, please see the Provisional Schedule for details.
Location: Green Park, Bath, BA1 1HZ - NO ON SITE PARKING. What3Words /// snow.volume.orange
Transport & Parking: If you are arriving by car then you need to park at either Avon Street Car Park, Charlotte Street Car Park or SouthGate Car Park all of which are within 700m of Green Park. Please see the Event Info page for details.
Bike racking is provided for cyclists, please bring your own lock. The nearest train station is Bath Spa Train Station which is 900m from Green Park.
Distances: We have a 10km, Half Marathon, Marathon and 50km - all of which are on an out and back format. There is a point to point 25km which runs from Bath and finishes outside Bristol Temple Meads Train Station.
There is a 3.5hr cut off for runners to start the return leg of the marathon, targeting an overall finish time of 7.5hrs. There is a cut off of 4hrs for runners to start the return leg of the 50km, targeting an overall finish time of 8.5hours. There are no cut offs for the other distances, though please note the races are not open to pure walkers, but we always welcome people who will do a mix of run, jog and walk their way around our routes.
Register: Register here for the 30th March and 12th October races; 10km (£29), Half Marathon (£42), 25km (£45), Marathon (£55), 50km Solo (£60).
Baggage: The 25km race is a Point to Point event, starting at Green Park in Bath and finishing outside Bristol Temple Meads Team Station and we will transport a bag for you for free to the finish line at Bristol. There is a static bag drop at Green Park for the other distances.
Group discounts: Find out more here. 10-19 runners save 15%, 20-49 runners save 20%, 50+ runners save 25%. Runners can include any mix of distances to reach the 10 runner minimum, everyone just needs to be racing on the same date.
Format: We set off runners in waves of ~100 runners so everyone has plenty of space to enjoy their run. When you register you will be given the option to select a wave, please share your wave selection with your friends or family so you can start together.
Drinks Stations: There are 2 feast stations on the 10km and 3 feast stations on the Half Marathon, 4 feast stations on the 25km, 8 feast stations on the Marathon and 9 feast stations for the 50km. There will be water, electrolyte to drink and a mix of food including GF, DF and vegan snacks around the course and again at the finish.
Medals: All runners of 10km and longer distances will take home a large 10cm x 10cm, 2 sided medal specific to this event. Fun run medals may be a mix of designs.
Terrain: All our courses are very comprehensively marked and well marshalled so you can relax and enjoy your run. All the routes are essentially 100% tarmac, aside from a small amount on grass at the start and finish.
We take pride in providing very well marked routes complete with distance markers so you can relax and enjoy your run, we also publish route maps and make GPX files available so you know what to expect when you are out on the route. Our wonderful marshal team will be out on the course to cheer you on at regular intervals, provide a presence at key points and serve you drinks and food at our amazing feast stations. There is water on the course at all of our races, electrolyte at our warmer and longer races and coke in the later stages of our marathon and ultra events.
At our frequent 5km feed stations on our half marathon or longer events, and at all our finish lines you will find chocolate, sweets, fresh fruits, crisps, haribo, as well as GF and vegan snacks. Our medical team and supporting partners will look after you and bring you you home if you are injured. At the finish line you will be awarded one of our super colourful interlocking medals, along with a feast of treats including a can of energy drink from our official energy drink partner, Acti+, as well as tribe bars and an amazing buffet of other snacks. The race results are posted the evening of the event with race photos available to purchase on the same day as the race with Blowfish Photography.
In keeping with the railway theme, we have named our events with this in mind. The 10km, Half Marathon, Marathon and 50km are all on out and back courses so are known as Return Tickets. The 25km is a point to point race, so is known as a Single Ticket.
10km - Kelston Park Return Ticket
Half Marathon - Bitton Station Return Ticket
25km - Bristol Temple Meads Single Ticket
Marathon - Eastville Return Ticket
50km - Bristol Temple Meads Return Ticket
The 25km event concludes in Bristol outside Bristol Temple Meads Train Station with medals and goodies awarded at the finish line and we will transport your bags to be this finish line so they will be there waiting for you. Therefore this race does not include a return journey back to Bath as many people will want to continue their travel back home.
If you do wish to catch the train back to Bath, it is super easy. You will need to book your own train ticket from Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa Train Station (15min train ride) and then walking the 900m from Bath Spa Train Station and back to Green Park where the race began, or onwards directly to where your bike or car is parked.
No min age
Min age 16
Min age 17
Min age 18
Min age 18
Min age 20
Please note prices are £2 extra for on the day registrations. 10-19 runners save 15%, 20-49 runners save 20%, 50+ runners save 25%. All bookings must be made in advance of race day to qualify for the discounted rate. We ask all groups to be registered at least four weeks in advance of the race date to we have the opportunity to top up our medal order if necessary.
Facilities: There are on site toilets, coffee and food vans There is a bag drop at the start line at Green Park and we will transport a bag to the finish line free of charge for the 25km runners who finish in Bristol. There are no changing rooms.
Photos: Professional photos will be available to purchase within 48hrs of the event from our photographer's website here.
Buggy or Canicross runners: All the races are are suitable for buggy runners but this event is not open to canicross runners.
Spectators: Spectators are very welcome. The best place to view the out and back races is from the start/finish point at Green Park in Bath. There is spectating opportunity at the finish line of the point to point 25km race outside Bristol Temple Meads.
FAQs: Please see our FAQ Page if you have any more questions and you can contact us from there is you would still like assistance.
All our finishers receive a top of the range custom medal as well as a buffet of fresh fruit and other tasty treats. We also recognise a few of the speedy runners on the following basis.
Prize Categories
The final number of prizes awarded is determined by the number of finishers for each gender in a given race distance. If there are more than 100 finishers then the full range of awards are made as shown above. If there are less than 50-100 finishers then the top 3 finishers overall will be awarded a prize. If there are less than 50 then only the winner will be awarded a prize. We do not have any winner's prizes for any of the children's events as wewould like to keep this participation focused.
There is no on the day prize giving because of the multi wave, multi start time format of the events. Prize winners will be contacted mid week via email.
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