Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Ultra Marathons
The Marlow Donkey 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Location
- Marlow, Buckinghamshire, UK
- Distance
- 31.3 mi / 50.4 km
The Marlow Donkey: 4 October 2026, 31.3 miles, from Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Entry, route, a pace chart and the race-day forecast.
The Marlow Donkey Race Timeline
24 days to go
Volume comes down hard across these final three-plus weeks. At ultra distance the taper is not about sharpening — it is about arriving with your legs, your feet and your gut fully recovered from the biggest training block of the year.
The Marlow Donkey 2026: quick answers
When is The Marlow Donkey 2026?
The Marlow Donkey 2026 takes place on Sunday, 4 October 2026.
Where does The Marlow Donkey start?
The Marlow Donkey starts at Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The organiser hasn't published a finish location.
How many miles is The Marlow Donkey?
The Marlow Donkey is 31.3 miles (50.4km).
How much does The Marlow Donkey cost to enter?
Entry through SI Entries. Three distances: 25K, 25 miles and a 31.3-mile ultra.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Distance
- 31.3 miles / 50.4km
- Location
- Marlow, Buckinghamshire, UK
- Start Point
- Marlow, Buckinghamshire
- Surface
- Thames Path and Chiltern beech woodland — riverside path, chalk and field track
Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: finish point, start time, cut-off time, age requirement, tracking app. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry through SI Entries. Three distances: 25K, 25 miles and a 31.3-mile ultra.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is direct through The Marlow Donkey.
The Marlow Donkey Race Day Weather
A real forecast appears here once one exists for race day — usually about a week to ten days out. Nothing is shown until then, because a made-up forecast is worse than none.
The Marlow Donkey Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The organiser hasn't published a finish location. Total elevation gain is not published for this event, and Verus does not estimate one.
Is The Marlow Donkey flat?
No official elevation figure is published for this course, so Verus doesn't state one. The organiser describes the going as: thames path and chiltern beech woodland — riverside path, chalk and field track.
The Marlow Donkey Course Profile
Elevation change not published for this event.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Start line.
Where The Marlow Donkey starts and finishes
The Marlow Donkey starts at Marlow, Buckinghamshire. We haven't been able to place those on a map accurately enough to show one — a pin in the wrong place is worse than no pin.
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on.
Full The Marlow Donkey Route Breakdown
Three distances from Marlow on the Thames — 25K, 25 miles and a 31.3-mile ultra — mixing Thames Path riverside with the Chiltern beech woods rising behind the town. Named for the old branch-line train that ran between Marlow and Bourne End.
The Marlow Donkey Pace Calculator & Splits
The Marlow Donkey Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
7:40
Average pace / km
4:46
The Marlow Donkey Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Half Marathon | 30K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 5:45 | 3:34 | 17:52 | 35:44 | 1:15:23 | 1:47:12 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 6:14 | 3:52 | 19:21 | 38:43 | 1:21:40 | 1:56:08 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 6:43 | 4:10 | 20:51 | 41:41 | 1:27:57 | 2:05:04 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 7:11 | 4:28 | 22:20 | 44:40 | 1:34:14 | 2:14:00 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 7:40 | 4:46 | 23:49 | 47:39 | 1:40:31 | 2:22:56 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 8:09 | 5:04 | 25:19 | 50:37 | 1:46:48 | 2:31:52 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 8:38 | 5:22 | 26:48 | 53:36 | 1:53:05 | 2:40:48 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 9:06 | 5:39 | 28:17 | 56:35 | 1:59:22 | 2:49:44 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 9:35 | 5:57 | 29:47 | 59:33 | 2:05:39 | 2:58:40 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 10:33 | 6:33 | 32:45 | 1:05:31 | 2:18:13 | 3:16:32 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 11:30 | 7:09 | 35:44 | 1:11:28 | 2:30:47 | 3:34:24 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 12:28 | 7:45 | 38:43 | 1:17:25 | 2:43:21 | 3:52:16 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 13:25 | 8:20 | 41:41 | 1:23:23 | 2:55:55 | 4:10:08 | 7:00:00 |
The Marlow Donkey Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your The Marlow Donkey finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated The Marlow Donkey finish
4:49:18
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag The Marlow Donkey, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyThe Marlow Donkey Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
- Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
- A plan for reaching Marlow, Buckinghamshire
- A meeting point agreed with family and friends for after the race
Training Strategy for The Marlow Donkey
20-24 weeks is the realistic window for a first 31.3-mile ultra, assuming you already have a marathon's worth of base behind you. The block that matters is back-to-back long weekends — a long run on Saturday followed by a second, slower one on Sunday — which builds time on feet and teaches you to run on tired legs without the recovery cost of one enormous day. Practise your race-day nutrition on every one of them; at this distance the stomach fails before the legs do.
This is a largely flat course, so most of your long runs can mirror that — flat and steady, building time on feet rather than hill strength.
Drop volume hard across the final three to four weeks — further out and steeper than a marathon taper, because a 30-mile training day costs weeks of recovery, not days. Keep some easy running and a little terrain-specific work in, but the goal is to reach Marlow, Buckinghamshire with fresh feet and a rested gut rather than one more long run in the bank.
Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below — no official pacers are confirmed for this event, so a pace band on your watch is the more reliable option.
Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.
31.3-Mile Ultra Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A deliberate increase in carbohydrate over the two to three days before the race is the well-established approach at marathon distance.
Eat a carbohydrate-focused breakfast two to three hours before the start, and stick to something you've already tested in training rather than trying anything new.
Most runners take on carbohydrate every 30 to 45 minutes from about an hour in, alongside fluid at the on-course stations.
A mix of carbohydrate and protein in the hour or so after finishing supports recovery.
The Marlow Donkey Charity Places 2026
No formal charity-place scheme published — runners commonly fundraise for a charity of their own choosing.
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running The Marlow Donkey for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other The Marlow Donkey fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusTravel & Logistics
No road closures — the The Marlow Donkey is run off-road (Thames Path and Chiltern beech woodland — riverside path, chalk and field track), so local traffic is unaffected.
The Marlow Donkey Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official The Marlow Donkey site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.