Bath & Bristol Railway Races
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.
Is there a tunnel?
Of course there is a tunnel! The 450m long Staple Hill Tunnel is on the route of the 25km, Marathon and 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.
Essentials
When: 19th April & 11th October 2026. 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, starting and finishing in Bath at Green Park. 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 19th April and 11th October races; 10km (£32), Half Marathon (£46), 25km (£49), Marathon (£60), 50km Solo (£65).
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 which start and finish in Bath.
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.
