The Winter Green Man Ultra

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ENTER THE WINTER GREEN MAN ULTRA 2025

Race Details

The Winter Green Man Ultra comes in two formats – the 45 mile distance and the 30 mile distance. Both races are held on the same course on the same day and have the same checkpoints and finish, just with differing start locations.

Both distances for the winter event will run the course in a ANTI-CLOCKWISE direction. This is different to the summer event.

Runners who complete both the summer and winter 45 mile events in the same year will additionally be awarded a prestigious GMU buckle. Four different buckles are available, awarded cumulative running time over both events – Sub 15 hours; sub 18 hours; sub 21 hours; sub 24 hours.

The Winter Green Man Ultra 45

The Winter Green Man Ultra 45 is a full anti-clockwise loop of the Community Forest Path, starting and finishing at Ashton Park School just outside the centre of Bristol.

Date: Saturday 1st March 2025 07:00
Location: Ashton Park School, Bristol
Distance: 45 miles / 72 Kilometres
Elevation: 3100 feet / 945 metres
Cut-Off: 12 Hours
Number of Checkpoints: Four

Event Information

All competitors must register on-line prior to the event. Collection of race numbers and a safety brief will be at the start location at least half an hour before the start of the race, where competitors will present their kit for examination on request.

Participants will be given a race number and chip timing tag, which must be clearly attached by safety pins. If this is not clearly visible you may be delayed at checkpoints.

The course is very challenging and for competitors own safety and fairness the following rules must be adhered to. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification from this and future events.

The event is under race conditions and entrants will be issued with race numbers
Checkpoints will be provided (4 in total) to (a) monitor times & well-being of competitors, (b) provide water and some nutrition.
Check point cut-off times are set which will allow completion of the event within a 12 hour period. Anybody who falls outside these times, at any of the checkpoints, will have failed to have completed the challenge and not be allowed to continue. The cut-off times are as listed departure times for the 12 hour timelord.
All entrants must be 20 years of age or over at the start of the race.
Each competitor must ensure that they carry with them all mandatory requirements needed to complete the race.
Every entrant must confirm that they have read these rules and other event information and therefore understand the nature of the event and that participation is at their own risk.
At the end of the race finishers will receive (a) bespoke Green Man T-Shirt, (b) bespoke Green Man medal, (c) Signed certificate to confirm entitlement to either a Woodwose or a Woodwight (providing completion inside 12 hours).
Hot food will be available at the finish.

Avon Wildlife Trust

Ultra Running Limited is proud to have Avon Wildlife Trust as our race moniated charity.

Fundraise for local wildlife by running the Winter Green Man Ultra.

Avon Wildlife Trust is looking for 10 incredible individuals who want to be part of something special. To join #TeamAWT, register now for just £50* for one of their charity entries and pledge to raise a minimum of £300 for wildlife and nature’s recovery.

*Your registration fee will be used to pay a part of the event costs incurred by Avon Wildlife Trust and the balance will be made up from a portion of your sponsorship money.

Got your place already but interested in fundraising for us? You’ll get the same support as our charity place runners but there’s no minimum fundraising pledge. Contact madison.tumey@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk to register as a fundraiser.

For their event race page click HERE
And for their sign-up form click HERE

Run for Avon’s wildlife and you’ll receive:

Free branded running top (worth £25)
Welcome pack including fundraising and training guide
Invitation to join our Private Facebook Group
Support from our dedicated fundraising team
The team cheering you on come race day
The incredible feeling that you’re making a difference for wildlife on your doorstep

Checkpoint Timing

The race utilises chip-timing. As competitors pass through checkpoints 1, 2 and 3 and finish, their times will be simultaneously available for view from our event results page. This will enable family and friends to follow the race progress and also leave supportive comments.

Competitors must go through all check points and even though we have chip-timing, it is your sole responsibility to ensure that the check point attendant has recorded your race number; failure to do so at any check point may mean that you have failed to complete the race and could be disqualified.

Any competitor found to not follow the predetermined race route will be disqualified.

Navigation

The course is self navigation and tough. With the use of the downloadable written directions and GPX files below you can eliminate navigation issues. For those less confident with these navigation tools, but still wanting to take on the challenge, running with a timelord is the way to go.

Leading up to the event there will be many groups carrying out recce runs. If you wish to join a group, check out the Green Man Challenge Facebook Group

GPX File Directions

The Winter Green Man Ultra 30

The Winter Green Man Ultra 30 (affectionately known as The Green Boy) is a partial anti-clockwise loop of the Community Forest Path, starting in Keynsham at checkpoint two of the 45 mile route and finishing at Ashton Park School just outside the centre of Bristol. Other than the start time, distance and location, all information for the 45 mile event is also relevant for the 30 mile event.

Date: Saturday 1st March 2025 10:00
Location: The Lock Keepers, Keynsham
Distance: 30 miles / 48 Kilometres
Elevation: 1900 feet / 580 metres
Cut-Off: 9 Hours
Number of Checkpoints: Two

GPX File Directions

Timelords

In 2015 we introduced the timelords. These are entrants who try their best to run at specific times – 9, 10, 11 and back of the pack 12 hours. Any novice ultra-runner or person concerned with navigation can simply join a timelord who runs at their own race pace.

It must be noted that the timelord’s principal role is to offer navigation assistance and endeavour to complete the race within their given time period of either 9, 10, 11 or 12 hours. The check-point departure times are purely guide times.

A timelord has many considerations on the day including at least a 5 minutes stay at a CP for everyone to fuel and take a toilet break and ground conditions can play an impacting role also. A timelord may also choose to push harder at the start with a view to allowing a walk/run pace on the last leg – so there are many variables.

It may be that once a timelord has a formed group, the group unilaterally decides to increase pace and finish a bit earlier. On the flip side to this it may be that, during the later stages of the race (final leg), some members of a group require a slower pace which means the timelord arrival time may be delayed.

The only issue here is the 12 hour timelord position, because any finishers outside the 12 hour limit will not receive their certificate so the 12 hour timelord must allow sufficient margin to be within the 12 hour period.

If you are considering following a timelord add an hour to your expected finish time. The Green Man Ultra is notable as a tough and muddy course. If you choose either the 9 or 10 hour timelord, be prepared for a faster start than possibly you would expected. This is due to initial bottlenecks which are likely with so many starters and the obvious issues caused if the faster timelords were caught at the back of a queue.

Timelords will be conspicuous by having their hour marker flag attached to their back-packs. They will also be acknowledged during the Race Brief. Additionally, their race Bib numbers will replicate their TL target time, i.e. the 9hr TL will have Bib number 9 etc.

Timelord expected CP arrival and departure times

A Timelord will try to run at a reasonably consistent pace. The below times are a rough guide of where they will be when, in order to achieve their target times. Based on a 07:00 race start:

Please remember – these guys are all experienced ultra runners and have exceptional knowledge of the course. They have a really difficult task trying to pace their run to their allotted times. At the start they may seem to go off a bit faster than they should – but this is purely to avoid bottle-necks at the early stages.

The 9hr Time Lord will depart:
CP1 at 8.45am, CP2 at 10.00am, CP3 at 12.30pm, CP4 at 2.40pm and finish at 4.00pm

The 10hr Time Lord will depart:
CP1 at 8.55am, CP2 at 10.20am, CP3 at 1.05pm, CP4 at 3.30pm and finish at 5.00pm

The 11hr Time Lord will depart at:
CP1 at 9.05am, CP2 at 10.40am, CP3 at 1.40am, CP4 at 4.20pm and finish at 6.00pm

The 12hr Time Lord will depart at:
CP1 at 9.15am, CP2 at 11.00pm, CP3 at 2.15pm, CP4 at 5.10pm and finish at 7.00pm.

Mandatory Kit List

Checkpoint details and directions (booklet downloadable from this website)
Competitors must be self-sufficient, and carry the following mandatory items:
Backpack or equivalent
Head Torch with spare batteries
Ordnance Survey Maps 155 & 167 (a printed version of our downloadable direction booklet is fine)
Compass or GPS device
Whistle
Mobile phone
First Aid Kit

Checkpoints and Water Stations

We will provide a selection of food and drinks to include sandwiches, jelly babies, malt loaf, crisps, savoury items, water, squash, red bull, coke, tea etc. The White Horse at Hambrook provide the food & drink at CP3 for the runners and the pub is open for normal fayre after 12:00. Competitors should cater for their own special requirements.

Competitor Retirement

If any competitor has to retire for whatever reason they must contact the race organisers immediately, either by advising a checkpoint attendant or by telephoning the emergency number which will be written on the race numbers of each competitor.

Registration Options

All deposits and payments are on a non refundable basis.

GMU45 Solo – £95.00
GMU45 Solo plus 1 – £180.00
GMU30 Solo – £79.00
GMU30 Solo plus 1 – £150.00
The Double GMU45 Winter & Summer 2022 – £180.00
Transfer / Defer option – £15.00
Upgrade from GMU30 to GMU45 – £20.00

Upkeep of the Community Forest Path

URL donate a portion of the entry fee towards the upkeep of the Community Forest Path. Please ensure that you do not leave any rubbish along the route and you keep all farm gates etc closed after you pass through. Donations to date total £1,100.00.

Have you run the GMU five times?

If you have, you can now choose your preferred Bib number which will stay with you year on year. The only way you will lose the number is if your request to withdraw it or you fail to run a GMU event inside 24 months, at which time it may be offered to others.

Cancellation / Personal Insurance Protection

Entry into the GMU is on a non refundable basis, but at the organisers discretion you can defer your place to the following year. Cancellations within four weeks of the event will not be able to defer or transfer under any circumstances. In order to defer / transfer you will be required to pay a £15.00 admin fee.

Personal Cancellation Insurance.

You are now able to add a Personal Cancellation Insurance Policy at the time of your booking. The policy is provided through Event Protect Limited. Please review what is covered under the policy here.

Photo coverage

Ultra Running Ltd. reserves all exclusive rights for photo coverage of the GMU. Participants agree that Ultra Running Limited may use exclusively their individual or collective names and pictures for anything related directly or indirectly to their participation in this event.