Western States 100

The USA has many of the world’s best 100 milers, so where better than the US to start this list?

Western States 100 is one of the premier 100 milers in the world. This big name ultra attracts some of the best runners around the world to California alongside hundreds of other keen ultra runners. The race claims to be the oldest 100 mile trail race with the race going back to 1974, when the sport was in its infancy. The route has amazingly stayed the same since 1986, allowing runners no excuses for not preparing for ‘Emigrant Pass’ and its 2,550ft of elevation in only 4.5 miles!

Starting in Squaw Valley near the site of the 1960 winter Olympics and finishing 100 miles later in Auburn, runners certainly get a good explore of the Californian wilderness. The range in elevation means some miles are run on snow and others on scorching hot trails.

Runners have 30 hours to complete the route, which, despite the considerable elevation, is generally considered ‘runnable’ (by the elites, anyway). 

Being such a classic means that if you are a first time entrant you better be lucky as you only have a 1.3% chance of getting in via the ballot. Good luck!

HURT100

If you are looking for a great place for a relaxing holiday after a gruelling 100 miler this is probably the race for you. The race is organised by the Hawaiian Ultra Running Team who happen to have one of the best acronyms out there (HURT).

Set on the semi tropical Hawaiian island of O’ahu, runners take on a five lap course through the tropical trails which were created by the Nā Ala Hele program — which turned traces of pig trails through the rainforest into people-friendly paths.

99% of these paths are single tracked, which has the added bonus of making it virtually impossible to get lost. However, this race can still ‘hurt’ you, the terrain is very technical with lots of sudden hairpin turns on soft baked sloppy clay.

North Downs Way 100 

With so many Centurion running events it would be hard to choose a single race. However, our favourite must be the North Downs Way 100, starting off in picturesque Farnham and ending with 400m around an athletics track in Ashford. The race has plenty of aid stations along the way to cater for all your needs, so you will not need to bring your own crew for this demanding race.

The Centurion Running series was started in 2011 by James Elson to fill the ever-increasing demand for ultra marathons in the south east of England as the number of local runners taking up the distance has steadily increased. Today the race is recognised as one of the best 100 milers in the UK and attracts top racers such as Mark Darbyshire (also course record holder at Ultra X 125 England) who holds the men’s record of 15:18:41, and Debbie Martin-Consani holding the women’s record in a speedy 18:34:54. This race should be on the bucket list of any UK based ultra runner.

Chicamocha Canyon Race

Arguably the best 100 miler in South America, the Chicamocha Canyon Race is Columbia’s first internationally recognised ultra marathon. Now in its eighth year, there are a selection of distances available from a half marathon up to the big 100 miler, the latter of which attracts over 800 runners.

Runners start the race by heading north into Columbia’s ravines before entering the famous Chicamocha canyon which the runners will remain in till the end of the race. The route allows competitors to explore the numerous ancient towns along the way.

In 2019, the route was changed to include some highly technical but beautiful new trails, the new route made for varied scenery including arid zones, forests, and endemic flora species of the canyon, such as the pot-bellied ceiba.

If that isn’t enough to convince you to join, perhaps six shiny UTMB points for anyone who finishes the full distance will.

UTMB

We could not have this list without mentioning Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc! One of the most prestigious ultra marathons and probably one of the toughest as well, UTMB takes place every summer in the mountain resort of Chamonix and over 2,500 people descend on the alps every year to take on this iconic race.

UTMB attracts some of the best ultra runners in the globe to come and compete for the coveted UTMB title. However, there are plenty of mere mortals who have collected enough qualifying points who take on this mammoth challenge every year too. If you are one of them, good luck – many take up to 46 hours to complete the race!