01 / KNOW THE ROUTE
What the course asks of you
Flat does not mean easy
The lack of long climbs removes the natural walk breaks that many trail runners rely on. Practise deciding when to run and when to walk before fatigue makes that decision for you. A short planned walk can be part of a consistent ultra strategy.
Prepare for the surface under your feet
The organiser describes mixed towpath surfaces and warns that wet ground can become muddy. Choose training that includes both firmer running and appropriate trail footing. Do not turn one dry recce into a prediction for race weekend.
Treat night running as a skill
Make lighting, layers and navigation familiar before combining them with your longest outings. Practise on a known route with sensible safety arrangements. The useful rehearsal is knowing how to use the equipment when concentration is lower.
02 / BUILD THE BLOCK
How to prepare
Build time on your feet without chasing a single huge run
Develop a sustainable week that supports longer outings and recovery. An experienced runner may use back-to-back days, but copying another runner’s biggest weekend is not a requirement for preparing well.
Rehearse the change between running and walking
Practise moving smoothly between an easy run and purposeful walking. Choose an approach you can repeat; walking only after an over-fast running stretch can turn into an expensive cycle of recovery and restarting.
Give stops a job
Before a longer rehearsal, decide what you need at a stop: refill, collect food, adjust a layer, then move on. Organise your pack so those actions are straightforward. Build a fuelling approach through training rather than trying an untested menu on race day.
Keep the running and strength work in one place. Explore MaxMile for your Thames Path 100 preparation, or compare the levels of personal coaching.
03 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Pace the race you have trained for
Start at an effort that leaves you able to eat, think and move comfortably. The path may invite fast early running, but a hundred miles gives that decision a long time to become costly.
Include stopped time when judging progress towards checkpoint limits. Review your feet, layers and food routine before small problems become harder to handle. Keep navigating attentively near roads and use the current race instructions for diversions.
04 / MAKE ROOM FOR TRAINING
When should your block start?
A 24-week block ending on 1 May 2027 starts on 14 November 2026. This is a calendar example, not a prescription. Start from the running you can repeat now and allow extra time if you first need to build consistency.
Put the race and the weeks when work, travel or family will interrupt training into your diary before adding key sessions. Protect the recovery around the more demanding work and reduce the load towards race day. A shorter plan does not remove the need for a suitable base.
05 / SORT THE PRACTICAL BITS
Kit and race-weekend planning
Use the organiser’s current mandatory-kit list. Practise with the pack, main light and backup lighting you will carry, and keep the layers you need for a slower, cooler night accessible.
Richmond and Oxford are separate travel problems. Arrange transport and post-finish support in advance. Check current crew, pacer and drop-bag rules with Centurion; do not copy arrangements from a different hundred-mile race.