Local rail operator c2c Railway hosted its third annual Essex Ultra Marathon on Saturday 12 September, with over 160 participants from across Europe taking part and raising vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK.
Organised by extreme events specialists XNRG, this year’s event featured three distances: a 50 mile course starting at Upminster, a 30 mile route from Tilbury, and, new for 2026, a 10 mile race beginning in Benfleet. All races were supported by volunteers from GBR Anglia, which brings together the leadership of c2c, Greater Anglia, and Network Rail Anglia under a single, unified structure.
The courses covered a wide and varied range of industrial landscapes, marshland, nature reserves, countryside trails, beaches and seaside towns as they made their way east along the c2c route to the finish line in Shoeburyness.
The event raised over £10,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, the charity whose mission is to save men’s lives through improved prevention, diagnosis, treatment and support.
Commenting, Seren Evans, senior head of mass fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “A huge congratulations to the 160 intrepid runners for completing the three races across all manner of terrain, and we’re thrilled to see such a brilliant fundraising total.
“By signing up, those taking part have not only had an epic day out across Essex, but they’ve also done something incredibly powerful that will have a big impact for men affected by prostate cancer and their families, one step at a time.
“As the UK’s biggest public funder of prostate cancer research, we’re proud to be driving breakthroughs that will make prostate cancer screening a reality and create better treatment options, so more dads, brothers and mates can have as much time as possible with the people they love.”
The winner of the 50 mile race, who completed the course in an impressive 7:59:36, was 60 year old Alan Clark. Reflecting on his achievement, Alan said:
“It was fantastic to see c2c sponsoring this race once again, and the volunteers at every checkpoint were absolutely brilliant – full of enthusiasm, encouragement and smiles. Their support made a huge difference throughout the day.
“It was all for a great cause too, and as someone who works in the rail sector with Alstom, I’ve always had a real interest in c2c and the communities they serve.”
The 30 mile race was won by Sam Tomlinson in 4:00:08, while Tom Cochrane took first place in the 10 mile event with a time of 1:17:42.
Sarah Goodine was the first female finisher in the 50 mile race, securing third place overall with a time of 08:38:21. She said “I absolutely loved it! I particularly enjoyed the start around Upminster – the atmosphere there was brilliant and everyone set off with such energy.
“The terrain in the middle of the race was quite tricky and I lost a bit of momentum, but that’s all part of the challenge and I was determined to push through and make it to the end.
“Crossing the finish line felt absolutely incredible. It was a tough race, but a truly memorable one.”
GBR Anglia’s chief customer and commercial officer, Rob Mullen, greeted runners with medals at the finish line.
He said: “First and foremost, I would like to thank Neil and the team at XNRG, the dedicated volunteers from Prostate Cancer UK, and colleagues at c2c who made this event possible. And of course, a huge thank you to the 160 runners who gave everything out on the course and helped raise a fantastic £10k for Prostate Cancer UK.
“This event has been over a year in the making, and I’m delighted and humbled to have brought it back to the Essex Riviera once again while supporting such an important cause.”
Image credit: c2c
