5K races near Bath

Bath Training Notes

Bath hosts 30 5K races in 2026 within 80 km of the city centre — upcoming dates, recurring series, and other races nearby, all in one place.

Runners hit the 25km loop when they want simple intervals near the city centre. The Kennet and Avon Canal Path wends its way through Sydney Gardens, Bath's oldest park, and keeps Z2 easy when the legs feel heavy. The River Avon route starts at Pulteney Weir and runs through the centre of Bath and Oldfield park. Local runners use the Two Tunnels Greenway when they want flat base miles and a proper change of headspace. Bath Half Marathon is the anchor event, and Bath Skyline 5K & 10K, Race For Life Bath, Run For Tash 10K, and the Two Tunnels Railway Races keep the calendar honest.

Bath Cycling Club is the obvious local wheel, with riders who say they ride for coffee and cake and race track and road. The Bristol to Bath Cycle Path gives locals a 13-mile off-road route west. The River Avon Trail brings riders into the centre on a sealed traffic-free line from the north side of the river. The Two Tunnels Greenway gives cyclists a flat four-mile railway path, and Combe Down Tunnel carries them for 1,672 metres underground. The climbs live outside the easy paths, where routes cross downland, Salisbury Plain, Dundas Aquaduct, Coombe Hill Tunnel, and the Path to Bath gravel line.

Spring and autumn suit Bath best, because the race calendar is busy and the parks, river paths, and tunnels feel steady for both running and riding. Summer brings the Bath Two Tunnels Race in June and August, while Castle Combe gives Bath Cycling Club racers Thursday night efforts and proper crit legs. Local cyclists still get longer Sunday club runs and the Saturday chain gang, where the same 42-mile loop has a two-hour target for the fast group. Winter changes the feel, because the Kennet and Avon Canal path can get overgrown with hedges, and Ludgershall winter series gives racers a short circuit with no hills.