Thames Path 100 2025 Race Report

The fourteenth edition of our 100 mile season opener and the third race of 2025 saw a starting field of exactly 300 head out from Richmond Upon Thames on a slightly altered course to Oxford University, 103 miles upstream. Various long term bridge and weir structural issues have started to add up and with one or two other footpath closures the course was running long. For that reason and to try to maximise the potential number of finishers, this year saw us return to a 30 hour cut off, up from 28 in 2023 and 29 in 2024. But don't expect 31 hours in 2026!

This race made it three from three for the weather at 2025 events and honestly, it made such a huge difference to everyones weekend. In the past this race has seemed to suffer from either a heat wave or very wet and muddy conditions under foot. But this would not be the case in 2025. A dry weekend, with a warm Saturday afternoon and a cold overnight low of 6 with a bit of a northerly breeze - it wasn't perfect running weather but it was close. And the path itself was dry. Hallelujah!

A few runners featured on the ones to watch list coming into the race, for reasons other than competition for the overall win. 

Dave Phillips started out from the Thames Barrier at 0430 on race morning. Cutting to the chase / spoiler alert - Dave was gunning for the overall Thames Path FKT, from barrier to source, a distance of 184 miles (plus around 10 extra in diversions this year). Dave had timed his run to reach out start line as close to 0900 as possible. The Summer Spine and Northern Traverse Champion as well as South West Coast Path record holder, arrived at 0858, had his tracker taped to his bag, pinned his number on and ran off with the start of the race. 17 hours and 19 minutes later he finished the TP100 in eighth place, of course by this point he'd actually run 220km and not just 165km. He cracked on with the task and just before the final cut off of the 100 mile, he reached the Source of the Thames in a time of 33 hours and 20 minutes - covering the 309km length of the path today. An incredible achievement.

Dave Phillips arriving at the start right on time

Susan Koonce bidding to become our first FV70 100 mile finisher ever, at 73 years young over from the USA to tackler her first ever 100 miler. Cat Marriot providing her competition, Cat has tried countless times to cross the finish line of one of our 100s and felt that this could be her time. Cat got as far as ever before, making it to Reading before being timed out. Susan looked on for a finish all the way to Goring but by Wallingford she was looking a little wobbly and together with her pacer Stuart Secker, made the decision to call it a day at Benson. 80 miles in. Let's hope that she tries again in 2026.

Susan Koonce

Tremayne Cowdry, now due to long term injury/ illness unable to run but able to walk, set out on his tenth and final Thames Path 100 to try to grab a 1000 mile buckle before retiring. He'd trained hard and came in with a rock solid plan to hike as fast as possible - he is not a natural race walker or someone with a lot of experience doing this - spend just 3 minutes at every check point bar Henley where he would allow himself 15 minutes. He walked over the start line, dead last. 103 miles later he'd hiked past 133 of the starters if we count the drops and finished in a time of 28:06. Which really does go to prove if you don't waste time at check points and really focus on executing a strategy, you can in fact comfortably walk a finish at this event. A great thing to see. 

Tremayne Cowdry - Left

In the main pack, the womens race was set to be extremely close at the front, with no clear runaway winner. Whilst the mens held a few stars of past events all looking to pit themselves against this flattest of courses. 

Initially it was Norwegian athlete Ninette Banoun who led the field through the first two aid stations. There were five women all running very close together, including both Sarah Penny who moved into the lead, before Jennie Dunkley moved past to arrive at Henley - Mile 51 in first. Jennie has previously finished fifth at the Autumn 100 and showed great pacing as she simply moved gradually away from the rest of the field over the second half of the race to cross the line for her debut win in 21:08. Sarah Penny stayed in second through the second half to finish in 22:17 - she also won the Ed Catmur Award for fastest first time 100 miler in the process. This is an award presented in honour of 30 time Centurion 100 mile finisher and past TP100 champion Ed Catmur who lost his life out running at the end of 2023. Third place went to regular volunteer and community stalwart Bozena Klapinska in 22:53.

Sarah Penny and her trophy haul - pictured with Richard and Ginny Catmur - Ed's parents

The mens race went off fast, as usual, with Alistair Courtney who won three of our 50 milers in 2024, running with Jose Rodriguez - past NDW50 course record holder. Neither had a lot of 100 mile experience, but a lot of pedigree in the marathon to 100km range. Alistair hit some issues around the 40 mile mark which left Jose to pull away to reach Henley first in 6:27, one of the fastest splits we have ever had to this point. Alistair had already dropped back a number of miles and with no third place closing very hard, Jose could somewhat enjoy the second half and continue a brilliantly relaxed and balanced effort to come home with the win in 14:52. On a course running 3 miles long to diversions, a fantastic time. Alistair rallied several times before eventually calling it a day late in the race. Damon Hannis with another very well paced run at this event took second in 15:52. Third place, as well as the Ed Catmur award went to Frazer Kirk in 16:12.

Mens Race Winner Jose Rodriguez

In the Age Categories, awards went to the following:

FV40 to Jennie Dunkley also the race winner. First FV50 to Jayne Rudolph in 25:04. First FV60 to Chrissie Buckledee in 25:40.

First MV40 was taken by Jose Rodriguez also the overall winner. First MV50 went to Daniel Brock in his first ever 100 miler in 21:35. First MV60 to Steinar Ulsnes who finished the race alongside of his daughter whom he ran all day with. And first MV70 to Ken Fancett in 26:15 - Ken has missed just one edition of this event.

Chrissie Buckledee - First FV60

All in all from 300 starters we ended up with 216 finishers, one of the highest finish rates ever for this race. 89 of those came home inside 24 hours earning the ONE DAY buckle.