Autumn 100 2025 Race Report

This year marked the fourteenth edition of the Autumn 100, our fourth of five 100 mile races in 2025. Ground conditions marked a stark contrast to 2024, where flooding plagued the course right up to and including sections on race day, particularly on leg one, the Thames Path. Weather matched that and the runner set off in close to ideal temperatures and what promised to be a dry first 20ish hours out of the 28 hour final available cut off. This all resulted in producing one of the most astonishing races we've ever seen.

This race always attracts the full spectrum of runners, from seasoned 100 milers who return year after year, to some of the fastest in the land and all the way through to those completing their first 100. 19 of the starters were looking to complete the 100 Mile Grand Slam. 

Predictably, two runners shot off of the front of the mens race, tracking just behind of Geoff Cheshire's 13:58 course record pace throughout leg 1, Hugh Tibbs and Kallum Pritchard ran together and came through mile 25 in 3:08 elapsed, leaving right on track with Geoff's ghost course record.

Hugh Tibbs and Kallum Pritchard

The two ran together over the ensuing miles and began to edge ahead of that course record pace, gapping the rest of the field substantially as they made the return back to Goring and the half way stage in 6:18. David Green had also now established himself firmly in third place, 15 minutes back and with an enormous gap over the remainder of the field.

Kallum was forced to stop at mile 57 with a severely swollen ankle from an issue he'd picked up earlier in the race, leaving Hugh to forge away. Hugh came through Goring for the third and final time in 9:30 elapsed with 4 hours and 12 minutes to run the final marathon to become the fastest ever trail 100 mile runner on UK soil. 

That wasn't how he was looking at it however, he had grander visions. Hugh maintained his pace out onto Leg 4, continued to gap the rest of the field and dug as deep as he could to try to break the 13 hour barrier. 

In the end he was shaterred the course record by 44 minutes and broke Mark Darbyshire's 2025 SDW100 time of 13:42 to become the new fastest ever UK trail 100 miler with a staggering 13:03:59. 

Hugh Tibbs

David Green ran home a sterling second in 14:15:49. Third place went to Martin Reed in 15:27:39. Big gaps between each but all superb times. 

David Green

The womens race was led out on leg one by April Kane, who had already gapped the rest of the field by five minutes at the 10km mark and seemed to be pushing hard, several miles ahead of Susie Chesher's 15:22 course record splits from all the way back in 2016. Behind her Bonnie Rye and Hayley Langley were close together through the early miles. April extended that lead by a minute a mile throughout the entire of Leg 1 to come through in 3:36 elapsed and left shortly after with a quick turnaround. Sophie Seward moved into second place at Goring exactly 26 minutes down, with four other athletes all within a few minutes of her.

April Kane

By Swyncombe at Mile 37.5 however, that lead had been reduced down to just two minutes with Bonnie Rye and Sophie Seward making the turn at the northern terminus of the Rigdeway section just behind her. 

April just made it back to Goring at Mile 50 in first but was promptly joined in the check point by both Bonnie and Sophie in second and third, with Sophie exiting first. At the 100km mark, eight minutes separated them. 

Sophie didn't look back from there, running off of the front as she grew out an increasing leading margin to come home for the win in 18:25:32. A superb run.

April unfortunately called it a day at Reading, 12.5 miles from the finish, which left Bonnie Rye and Hayley Langley to battle it out down to the wire. Battle they did, with Hayley briefly passing Bonnie around the 90 mile mark, before Bonnie forged back past. Just two minutes separated them at the final check point with 5 miles to go. Bonnie however, was able to maintain her lead and came home for second place in 19:32 to Hayley's 19:44 for third.

Bonnie Rye

Hayley Langley

In the Age Categories, first FV40 was Bonnie Rye. First FV50 went to Simona Akery in 23:30. Chrissie Buckledee took first FV60 in 25:25.

In the mens, first MV40 was past NDW100 champion Norbert Mihalik in 16:47. First MV50 went to Ciaran McAneney in 17:11. First MV60 was David Justin Baird-Murray in 22:40:09.

Special mention to our Grand Slam 100 Mile class of 2025. 19 runners started the fourth and final race in the series and all 19 made it across the line. The final Grand Slam table is here.

An extra bit of kudos to two runners - Bozena Klapinska and Jade Barrett who are 7 races into the double slam, with just Wendover Woods 50 to go to complete an epic year.

Bozena Klapinska

An indicator of how good conditions were early in the race, is that all runners left Goring at mile 25 over an hour under the cut off. 103 runners earned their 100 Miles One Day buckle and a total of 175 crossed the line under the 28 hour cut off.

A special mention to Ivor Hewitt one of our regular course marking team who finished the race at the sixth attempt! And to Eduard Egelie who made it 12 finishes out of the 14 editions to date. 

This was an edition we won't ever forget. With thanks to the over 100 volunteers who as always make any of this possible.