24 Hour Race

Ultra-distance running really took off with the marathon boom in the 1980's, with 24-hour races soon developing to provide an endurance challenge to those extraordinary athletes for whom 26 miles (42.2 km) just wasn’t far enough.

For the last two decades the sport has been governed by the International Association of Ultra Runners, which currently has 47 national federations affiliated. The IAU has held international competitions since 1987, however the 24-hour event has only been held annually since 2001 - in the European 24-hour Championship there have so far been 7 Commonwealth medalists.

The 24-hour race starts at midday on Thursday 17 September and takes place entirely within Fitz Park, with runners completing laps of a 1km course around the park. Runners will continue through the night and the following morning, with the finish at midday on Friday. Incredibly, the winner will probably have completed the equivalent of seven marathons in a single day.