Marathon races near Tavistock

The Cornish Marathon is Cornwall's only all-road marathon, a November race based at Millennium House in Pensilva and run entirely on tarmac. It began in 1984 as a wager between organizers John Foster and Stephen Henderson over who could run faster, with the first field having only 27 runners. The race now closes the Cornish Grand Prix Series and typically draws a mixed local field, unlike a flat, big-city marathon. The course starts with two laps around Pensilva, then proceeds through Draynes Valley and onto Bodmin Moor, passing Dozmary Pool and Jamaica Inn at Bolventor before returning along the Fowey Valley. The road offers little respite: the total climb is approximately 600 metres, with about a quarter of that occurring in the final five miles. The late climb to Foredown, between miles 24 and 25, is the section runners recall after finishing.

The Dartmoor Marathon begins and ends in Tavistock, a market town bordering Dartmoor National Park in Devon. This is a road marathon, set on moorland roads with steep ascents, undulating stretches, expansive vistas, and sections alongside reservoirs within one of England’s most rugged national parks. The course crosses Dartmoor National Park, passing landmarks like Dartmoor Prison, Burrator Reservoir, Princetown, tors, historical hamlets, and isolated open moorland. It attracts participants seeking a challenging rural marathon over a course conducive to personal bests. The event includes a local element with Flapjackery flapjacks provided for runners.