A wobbly bridge (photo above), a fallen tree (photo below), and gusty winds that necessitated a precautionary change to the usual sandy finish line were among the 'highlights' of another hugely successful Run to the Sea Bournemouth Ultra 50K race on Saturday, 4 October 2025.

This year's race sold out earlier than ever, with 566 runners starting at 7:30 a.m. in Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood. All were accounted for, as 556 reached the inclement weather, back-up finish at St Nicholas Church within the official 9.5-hour cut-off time. The route still measured 50K, and runners were pleased not to be sand-blasted by Storm Amy at the usual Hengistbury Head finish line!

This fully signposted race by Ultra Violet Run is an ideal introduction to the rarefied world of ultra-marathon running. The distinctive black arrows on yellow boards keep GPS novices on track, along with a small army of enthusiastic volunteer marshals.

The point-to-point course takes you through varied terrain, including wonderful forest trails and coastal paths with far-reaching views. The predominantly flat route, net downhill as you would expect, provides a perfect introduction to ultra-marathon trail running.

The route follows the Castleman Trailway along the disused Southampton to Dorchester railway line for part of the way. Storm Amy did have a positive side, as the strong wind helped push runners along the seafront once they had hit the coast at Sandbanks!

The stamina stars this year in the men's race were Brandon Cuell (Fareham Running Club, 3:35:36), Sam Foster (Verwood Runners, 3:49:31) and Nick Onslow (Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC, 3:53:07). Just three men beat four hours.

Vicky Rutter (Littledown Harriers, 4:22:59) led the women's race in 21st overall, followed by Julia Donovan (Wimbledon Windmilers, 4:24:40). Katie Ellard (Roadhogs, 4:25:37) was third.

Next year's Run to the Sea Bournemouth Ultra 50K will be on Saturday 3 October and there is an Early Bird offer available here.

To learn more about this classic event, go to the official RTTS Bournemouth website here.

​Previous results and reports are at the runABC South race listing here.

Photos of the 2025 race courtesy of Ultra Violet Run to the Sea Bournemouth gallery