Hundred Hills 50km 2025 Race Report

The third edition of our season opener the Hundred Hills 50km and all were truly blessed to what were possibly the best conditions for trail running one could ever wish for. After a dry spell, the course was in mint condition. With one inexplicable 5 min rain shower just before the start, the sun shone all day but with a cooling breeze, the balance of the perfect temperature was struck. Lambs in the fields, daffodils on the verges and a parade of red kites soaring overhead.

It was a day in which the Chiltern Hills got a chance to literally shine in all their glory!

Before pressing on, you can listen to a Podcast recapping the race here which covers much of what is in this report. And find a link back to watch the tracking back here. Links to the results and the photos are available at the top of this page.

We welcomed a starting field of 421 and in our dreams we thought we could possibly see over 400 make it home inside the nine hour cut off. Registration was buzzing with excitement with lots of returning and long standing members of the Centurion community, together with a lot of runners taking on their first event with us and for a sizeable portion, their first ultra. 

Shannon Evans finishing her first ultra supported by Dad - Darren Evans of the Green Runners

Usually the race report speaks first to the first runners over the line but there were two stories at the other end of the field that truly summed up what our sport is all about.

The first is simple. In 2024 James Robinson came home in 8:53, with just over 6 minutes to spare inside the cut off. This year, it looked like he was cutting it ever closer. Together with Sarah Reid, it looked likely leaving Bix that they would just miss out on an official finish. They approached the final mile and a half together before Sarah decided to make a break for it and ran amazingly well down the final long finishing straight to come home in 8:56:36. But as she finished, James wasn't even in sight and it appeared impossible that he could now make it under the 9 hours. His wife Jo who had already finished her race, jogged back to tell him to really get a shift on and that, he certainly did. With 90 seconds to go he was in sight of the finishing crowd but he seemed so far off. With a minute to go it was clear he was quite literally sprinting. With 30 seconds to go it looked possible he might miss it by a few seconds. With 7 seconds to go he crossed the finish line and collapsed in a heap. 8:59:53 and the closest under cut off we have had in a while. That is why we have hard cut offs. It raises the level of achievement for those that make it home.

Click here to watch back the last five minutes of the race including both finishes on instagram.

James Robinson

But another story went way under the radar. Over 7 years and countless attempts, Caroline Loach has tried to reach the finish of one of our events. Every time she fell short she questioned herself and often asked whether we would allow her to come back and try again. The answer always yes, we knew she could do it, she had proved she could do it, it just hadn't happened yet. Earlier in the day a bib number was posted in the comms group of a drop out with the name Caroline and I had wrongly assumed it hadn't worked out. But at 8:25 elapsed, I looked over and saw her cross the finish line. She was just another finisher on a great day for many. She would never dream of making a fuss or celebrating wildly. But you could immediately see the complete joy and validation that finally making it home had brought to her. It was a very emotional moment, to see the level of perserverance that goes quietly unnoticed sometimes, coming to fruition and making everything that runner, our volunteers and us as organisers do, worthwhile.

Caroline Loach

At the sharp end, we have seen a shift over the last few years in terms of the level of racing. Big leaps in shared knowledge, information, fueling options and training have pervaded from the bigger races down into the nationally competive ones, of which Hundred Hills has established its place. It's meant close racing from the gun and much smaller time gaps at the finish line. On the start line of both mens and womens races, representatives of past GB international teams over 100km and on the trails. 

Both the men's and women's races were so close that for the first time since forever, we were able to get all podium finishers together with their trophies on the finish line, still in the kit they'd just crossed the line in! Both races took on a similar shape with initial leaders dropping back to second and third place being held throughout. 

In the women's race, Nicole Frisby ran out in front through the early miles and through Stonor the first time off the slightly shorter first loop, in just over 2 hours. Second place Karla Borland looked fresh and left shortly after. With Amy Sarkies previous WW50 winner in third. Karla forged past Nicole in the second loop to close really strong and finish in 4:37 dead. Nicole was second in 4:41 and Amy third in 4:44:44. 

Women's podium: (left to right) Amy Sarkies, Karla Borland, Nicole Frisby

Out the front of the mens race, a pack of six set off together before an initial surge from last years second place finisher and TP100 champion, Kallum Pritchard seemed to stick. He was closely marked by Joe Turner, in his first race since racing the 100km World Championships in December. Kallum arrived back at Stonor the first time in 1:43, well up on course record pace and with around 3 minutes on Joe. Third place on his own was Nick Berry. Speaking with Kallum and Joe post race, Kallum stated that he simply couldn't match Joe's pace on the flat and it was that which separated them. Joe caught Kallum around 10 miles out, fueling on our Precision Hydration options new at our check points for this year, he powered through the final aid station at Bix and ran home the winner in 3:42. Kallum finished second again in 3:48 and Nick Berry held on to third in 3:51. Together with Tom Green in fourth, the front four all went under the old CR which was set last year in rather more challenging conditions (Kallum's 2024 time was 4:03).

Mens Podium: (left to right) Kallum Pritchard, Joe Turner and Nick Berry

It was fantastic to see a bigger womens field this year with age group awards being given out for some superb performances.

Amy Sarkies took home first FV40 in a new age cat record, together with third overall. First FV50 went to Camilla Mitchell in 5:01. First FV60 to Tara Taylor in 5:54 - an effort which took 2 hours off of the previous record!

In the men's categories. First MV40 went to Nick Berry, also third overall. First MV50 to Tim Marsters in 4:32. First MV60 to Simon Blanchflower in 5:00, a big new age cat record and first MV70 to Roy Dillon in 6:34.

402 runners crossed the line, thanks to the heroics of the last few runners taking us over that magic 400 mark!

We will be back in 2026 for another edition of what has firmly become a classic season opener and fun for all!

A huge thank you to our volunteers and race sponsors without whom none of this would be possible.