Rat Race require participants to be 18 +.

The race starts at 07:30 and runners have until 17:30 to cross the finish line. Cut off times are in place throughout the course.

The cut-offs are as follows:
1000 – Pit Stop 1, 16km
1300 – Pit Stop 2, 30km
1600 – Pit Stop 3, 46km

Cut-off times are applied to your departure from these locations and not your arrival.

Yes and you can save £10 each when you enter as a pair.

In 2018, the first person crossed the line in just over 4 and a half hours and the final one did it in just under 10.

In 2018 we had a 98% finish rate. The UTE is an achievable step up from a marathon into ultra-running territory but being around Edinburgh, it’s not flat so it’s not easy but is definitely achievable for the majority that have prepared well and put in the training miles. It is well supported and fully waymarked meaning you do not need to carry a map like many Ultras. And for all its urban nature there is a mix of terrain too with the occasional sojourn totally off road to enjoy the hill top views.

No, the Ultra Tour of Edinburgh is fully waymarked with marshals en route.

The start is on the Royal Mile. As this is a temporary location in middle of a very busy city there will be very few facilities at the start line. Please arrive with your drinks bottles pre-filled as there are NO taps at the start line. There are NO toilets at the start.

The finish line is at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. Everything you need to recover after your run is here. We’ll have a hot meal for you, your kit bag, and changing facilities with showers. The swimming pool is available for use with non-members able to use the facilities on a pay as you go basis.

Registration will be held at the Royal Commonwealth Pool from 14:00 until 18:00 on Saturday 20th October only.

There is no registration available on Sunday morning before the race. You must register on Saturday between 14:00 and 18:00.

For the start; best option is NCP Castle Car Park – EH1 2EW. This is 1.5 miles from the finish.

For the finish: The nearest option is a car park to the rear of The Royal Commonwealth Pool that is available for public use on a first-come first-served basis.

There is a charge for both.

There will be 3 pit stops on the route at approx. 9, 18 and 27 miles. Pit stops 1 and 3 will have water and isotonic drinks with some sweets. Pit stop 2 will have some more substantial food items and hot drinks – flapjack, cakes, sandwiches, tea, coffee etc.

Yes, there are toilets at all three pit stops.

There is a mandatory kit list below. Your kit will be checked before you are allowed to Register. Random kit checks will be carried out on the morning of the race, if you are missing a mandatory item you will not be allowed to Register or Start.

Mandatory Kit list: Windproof jacket (this may be upgraded to waterproof), 600ml of liquid, gloves, hat (Rat Rag/Buff is OK) fully charged phone, emergency bivvy and a roller bandage.

We will move you to the finish at the Royal Commonwealth Pool.

Yes. There will an information sheet available on the website in advance of the event. A printed copy will also be available to collect from registration.

No. Dogs will not be allowed to accompany runners. While many of us love dogs some runners and crew do not, and they complicate the event management. This event is not suitable for dogs for several reasons and would complicate the event support processes including medical rescue, our sweeper logistics, our pledges to farmers with livestock, hygiene where we are serving food, areas that are busy with traffic.  

No, this is a mixed terrain event in an urban environment with a wide variety of surfaces from the Pentland Hills to the docks of Leith.

We would recommend a comfortable shoe with a reasonable grip. It is mixed terrain so there’ll always be a compromise whichever shoe you choose.

No. We do not offer refunds but we do offer event transfer vouchers, so you can put your credit to another event. We need 10 calendar days’ notice prior to the event to make these changes plus you will need to pay a £15 or 15% (whichever is greater) cancellation fee. Our pricing structure rewards those that commit furthest in advance and we recommend customers hold the appropriate insurance to cover non-attendance for issues such as illness or travel problems. You can view our transfer policy here. Transfer requests can be made here. You can find full Terms and Conditions here. 

Solo entries are not transferable – you can’t give or sell your entry to anyone else. If you no longer wish to take part you can obtain an event credit to the value of your entry fee paid (terms and a fee apply) which you or another person can use towards next year’s event (or any other Rat Race event).