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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONGB / RACE GUIDE

Grand Union Canal 145 mile Race

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Birmingham
GB

Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0

Race date in 224 days: May 29, 2027 Sat
City · Distance: Birmingham · 145M
Entry fee: £85Varies by event and entry period
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 17, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

The Grand Union Canal 145-mile race is a nonstop ultra covering 145 miles from Gas Street Basin in Birmingham to Little Venice in London.

It starts at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, and time limit is 45 hours.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

Richard Walks LondonRan in 2015 · Finish time 43 hours and 1 minute

“I kept plodding along.”

The participant walked Grand Union Canal Race's 145 miles from Birmingham to London. Stomach discomfort and extreme fatigue lasted into a second night, but they finished 54th.

Read the original on Richard Walks London

James AdamsRan in 2008 · Finish time 30 hours and 36 minutes

“I only needed to answer to myself.”

Pain and exhaustion around mile 120 made the runner consider quitting Grand Union Canal Race, but they regrouped. They completed 145 miles from Birmingham to London in fourth place overall.

Read the original on RunningandStuff

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Full recap

Ben Notley · Full recap

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 145M

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 06:00

Time limit45 hours

Event	Start	Time limit	Field size
Ultra	06:00	45h	125

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Gas Street Basin, Birmingham

B1 2DS

FINISH

Little Venice, Delamere Terrace, London

The race starts at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham, follows the marked towpath along the Grand Union Canal, and finishes at Little Venice in London.

The straightforward canal route alternates between urban and rural sections and covers 145 miles in total.

Course is generally flat and easy to follow, but endurance is crucial: you must keep moving even after passing 100 miles.

Held under UK Athletics rules with permission from the canal and river authorities, it is distinctly a nonprofit, volunteer-run race organized by runners.

The field is limited to 100 starters, selected mostly by ballot.

Participants can choose Supported, with a personal support vehicle, or Unsupported, relying on the organizers’ checkpoints;

the latter is limited to 75 runners.

Participants must be at least 20 on race day.

Field size: 125 people (up to 100 non-supporting people)
Typical race-season temperature: around 12°C (53°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Bag drop 2026

This may change for the next edition.

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Bib pickup

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The race starts at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Advance registration is available on Friday from 18:00 to 20:00 at Gas Street, B1 2DS.

On race day, registration opens at 5:00 a.m. at the same location.

Gas Street has parking available early in the morning, while the Brindleyplace multi-storey car park is on Brunswick Street.

When choosing accommodation, consider both access to the start and onward travel after arriving in London.

The finish is a 15-minute walk from Paddington Station.

Unsupported runners can receive drinks at miles 11, 22, 36, 54, 71, 85, 99, 120 and 133, but there is no first aid or medical support at course.

You must carry a personal cup and keep your phone switched on while carrying the digital route provided.

A survival blanket is also mandatory.

At night, bring a torch or headlamp with spare batteries and wear reflective clothing.

Unsupported runners may check one kit bag, or two if competing from overseas;

each bag must be clearly labeled and weigh no more than 15kg.

Times are local to Birmingham. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

The Aston Tavern

Hotel · 2.2km

8.0/10(140)

View on Booking.com

Liverpool Beatles Story Ticket (Korean audio guide available)

₩35,915

Grand Union Canal 145 mile Race

About Grand Union Canal 145 mile Race — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run