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date confirmedBeyond Marathon
The Mercian Challenge
Offa’s Dyke races series
Next edition: Friday, 25 August 2028Sedbury, England to Montgomery, Wales
One cross-border 100-mile race identity on Offa’s Dyke Path from Sedbury in England to Montgomery in Wales.
Official race site (opens in a new tab)
Optional device-only history; never synced to your account. Shared-device users can leave it off.
Distance100 mi
Ascent5,200m
Climb / km32.3m
Cutoff42h
Cutoff pace15:40/km
TechnicalityUnknown
EntryNot verified
FormatPoint-to-point
Next edition
25 August 2028
This is the most relevant confirmed edition currently held for the permanent race family. Edition-specific facts should still be checked against the final organiser instructions.
Edition archive
Expand an edition to inspect its year-specific facts. Other years never replace the primary edition facts.
Past editions
2026 to Completed
These facts belong to the 2026 edition only. Missing values have not been copied from another year.
- Distance
- 160.9 km
- Ascent
- 5,200m
- Cutoff
- 42h 30m
- Entry
- Not verified
- Format
- continuous · single stage · point to point
- Stage layout
- Not applicable
Successful source check: 2 Sept 2026Source confidence: highThe completed 28–30 August 2026 participant guide supports 100 miles/160.9km, 5,200m and a 42.5-hour limit. The current homepage's 42 hours applies to 2028 and is not copied backwards; price remains unknown.
Check The Mercian Challenge 2026 source (opens in a new tab)
Race For You difficulty
6.9/ 10
Hard
Moderate evidence confidence · 67% evidence coverage
This score is driven most by substantial race distance, high climbing demand. Difficulty V2's separate time-limit modifier adds 0.00 points here and is capped at 0.70; a broad limit cannot erase extreme intrinsic demand. This is independent of the public Cutoff Pressure V2 band.
Weather, conditions and individual preparation can change the real difficulty significantly.
How the score works Distance, weighted 30 percent6.8 out of 10
Climbing, weighted 25 percent6.3 out of 10
Technicality, weighted 15 percent5.5 out of 10
Accumulated burden, weighted 17 percent5.6 out of 10
Exposure & support, weighted 13 percent5.9 out of 10
Course analysis
What shapes this race
Expect sustained upland ground and meaningful climbing, exposed moorland where weather can amplify the difficulty.
trailmountainfellmoorlandmixed
Climbing density
32.3m per km
A more useful comparison than total ascent alone: it shows how consistently the course asks you to climb.
Cutoff analysis
Moderate pressure
To finish inside 42h, the raw average required is 15:40 per kilometre (25:12 per mile), including every stop.
Raw pace15:40/km
PressureModerate pressure
Cutoff pressure compares the published time limit with distance, ascent and verified course demands. Lower pressure does not mean the race is easy. Raw pace includes checkpoints, food stops, navigation errors and any sleep; it is not a pacing plan.
Who this suits
First ultra?
There is not enough verified information to assess first-ultra suitability yet.
Exposure & kit
unknown kit
Significant overnight running is likely for many entrants. Lighting, temperature management and sleep strategy can materially affect the outcome.
Personal race predictor
Will you make the cutoff?
Use a previous result to estimate a realistic range for The Mercian Challenge, your potential buffer and the biggest change in demand.
Latest verification
Trust the source, see the gaps.
Data PartialThe current official page announces 25 August 2028, 100 miles/160.9km, 5,200m and 42 hours, with registration due to open in August 2027. The 2026 guide's 42.5-hour limit remains edition-specific, and the cross-border family is represented once.
- Successful source check
- 2 Sept 2026
- Catalogue record updated
- 2 Sept 2026
- Official source
- Available
Still unverified: entry price.
Event details can change after a successful source check. Confirm the final route, kit, cutoff, price and entry terms directly with the organiser before entering or travelling.
Found something wrong?
Help keep this race accurate.
Wrong cutoff? Date changed? New course? Tell us what moved and include the official source if you have it.
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