Tarka Trail 50km, Marathon, Half, 10km & Colourburst Races
Entries are open for 28th June 2026
Why run at the Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is a traffic free shared use path that runs alongside river estuaries and through woodlands on the old railway line which ran from Barnstaple in North Devon. The beautiful views, tarmac surface and flat profile make this is a great route for runners looking for a fast time and for those looking for a relaxed run in gorgeous countryside.
The heritage of the route is still very apparent along the route which along the full length passes signal boxes, stations, trains and carriages. With many bridges and tunnels, over land and water, the route is largely traffic free with just a handful of road crossings along the route.
The event is a great family event with a colourburst run at Woolmer's Farm, along with bouncy castles, face painting and more on offer as pay as you go optional extras. All the runs have been officially measured as accurate routes and are certified by UK Athletics, so whether you are going for a fast time or looking to achieve a new distance, you can have confidence that the course is spot on!
Is there a tunnel?
Of course there is a tunnel, in fact there are two!
There is a 76m long tunnel in Instow, just under 7km from the start line at Woolmer's Farm. This tunnel is on the Half Marathon, 25km, Marathon and 50km and is a fairly straight construction where you can see end to end as you enter the tunnel.
The more substantial 180m long Landcross Tunnel is on the route of the 25km, Marathon and 50km race. The Horseshoe shaped profile is very distinctive and permanent lights installed at the height of the tunnel provide illumination as the trail makes a gentle curve within the tunnel.
Essentials
When: 28th June 2026. Start Times are from 09:00 with waves setting off every 10mins. Please see the Provisional Schedule for details.
Location: Woolmers Farm, Barn, Bickington, Barnstaple, EX31 2JN. What3Words ///chapels.icons.hazelnuts
Transport & Parking: There is on site parking. Parking is £2/car payable on the day.
The nearest train station is Barnstaple Train Station which is 7 miles away from the venue.
Distances: We have a 1km and 2km Colourburst run, 10km, Half Marathon, Marathon and 50km. The 10km, Half, 25km, Marathon and 50km are all on officially measured and certified routes.
There is a 3hr cut off for runners to reach the turn point (half way) of the marathon. There is an 4hr cut off to reach the turn point (half way) of the 50km. There are no cut offs for the other distances, though please note the races are not open to pure walkers, but we always welcome people who will do a mix of run, jog and walk their way around our routes.
Routes: In keeping with the railway theme, we have named our events with this in mind. The 10km, Half Marathon, Marathon and 50km are all on out and back courses so are known as Return Tickets, starting and finishing at Woolmer's Farm. The 25km is a point to point race, starting at the 50km U turn and finishing at Woolmer's Farm along with all the other routes. The colourburst races are held on the fields at Woolmer's Farm.
25km Logistics: We have coaches to take you from Woolmer's Farm to the start line near Smytham Holiday Park (30min journey) where you will collect your race number and start your event. The coach is £5 per person which you can purchase alongside your registration. Or if you are staying at Smytham Holiday Park, you do not need to catch the coach to the start and can collect your number from our HQ. Please note there is no transport back to the holiday park after the race, so you will need to arrange your own transport post event.
Register: Register here for all the races. Colourburst (£10-£12), 10km (£32), Half Marathon (£46), 25km (£49), Marathon (£60), 50km Solo (£65). Discount of £2 for UK Athletics affiliated runners.
UK Athletics: These events are affiliated to UK Athletics and results will appear on the Power of 10 website. The 10km, Half Marathon, 25km, Marathon, 50km are all officially measured.
Group discounts: Find out more here. 10-19 runners save 15%, 20-49 runners save 20%, 50+ runners save 25%. Runners can include any mix of distances to reach the 10 runner minimum, everyone just needs to be racing on the same date.
Format: We set off runners in waves of ~100 runners so everyone has plenty of space to enjoy their run. When you register you will be given the option to select a wave, please share your wave selection with your friends or family so you can start together.
Drinks Stations: There is 1 feast station on the 10km and 4 feast stations on the Half Marathon, 7 feast stations on the Marathon and 10 feast stations for the 50km. There will be water, electrolyte to drink and a mix of food including GF, DF and vegan snacks around the course and again at the finish.
Medals: All runners of 10km and longer distances will take home a large 10cm x 10cm, 2 sided medal specific to this event. Fun run medals may be a mix of designs.
Terrain: The opening and closing 1km of each route is on grass and farm tracks which may be a little uneven in places. From there, the routes are on the tarmac paths of the Tarka Trail.
Why run with us
We take pride in providing very well marked routes complete with distance markers so you can relax and enjoy your run, we also publish route maps and make GPX files available so you know what to expect when you are out on the route. Our wonderful marshal team will be out on the course to cheer you on at regular intervals, provide a presence at key points and serve you drinks and food at our amazing feast stations. There is water on the course at all of our races, electrolyte at our warmer and longer races and coke in the later stages of our marathon and ultra events.
At our frequent 5km feed stations on our half marathon or longer events, and at all our finish lines you will find chocolate, sweets, fresh fruits, crisps, haribo, as well as GF and vegan snacks. Our medical team and supporting partners will look after you and bring you you home if you are injured. At the finish line you will be awarded one of our super colourful interlocking medals, along with a feast of treats including tribe bars and an amazing buffet of other snacks. The race results are posted the evening of the event with race photos available to purchase on the same day as the race with Image Works Photography.
Other Info
Where to Stay: Woolmer's Farm, who are hosting the event , are offering on site pitches for tents, campervans and caravans on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at a cost of £10 per night for each tent/campervan/caravan. On site facilities include access to toilets and fresh water. Reserve your spot by booking direct with the farm (booking link to follow shortly)
If you are running the 25km, we another great option Smytham Holiday Park where the 25km starts (point to point race, starting at Smytham Holiday Park and finishing at Woolmer's Farm) as a great hassle free option, you can book your accommodation with the park here.
Facilities: There are on site toilets, coffee and food vans There is a bag drop. There are no changing rooms.
Photos: Professional photos will be available to purchase within 48hrs of the event from our photographer's website here.
Buggy or Canicross runners: The routes are open for buggy runners. The route is not suitable for canicross runners.
Spectators: Spectators are very welcome. The best place to view the races from is the start/finish. Whilst it is possible to watch the runners our on the course, parking and access on to the route is limited.
FAQs: Please see our FAQ Page if you have any more questions and you can contact us from there is you would still like assistance.
Prizes
All our finishers receive a top of the range custom medal as well as a buffet of fresh fruit and other tasty treats. We also recognise a few of the speedy runners on the following basis.
Prize Categories
- Top 3 male and top 3 female
- First U20 male and female
- First 20-39 male and female
- First 40-49 male and female
- First 50-59 male and female
- First 60-69 male and female
- First 70+ male and female
The final number of prizes awarded is determined by the number of finishers for each gender in a given race distance. If there are more than 100 finishers then the full range of awards are made as shown above. If there are between 50-100 finishers then the top 3 finishers overall will be awarded a prize. If there are less than 50 then only the winner will be awarded a prize. We do not have any winner's prizes for any of the children's events as we would like to keep this participation focused.
There is no on the day prize giving because of the multi wave, multi start time format of the events. Prize winners will be contacted mid week via email.