Walk it or Run it
– The Thames Path 100Km Challenge
14th June 2025
Get ready for another beast of a challenge, (courtesy of Chapter2!) along one of England’s most iconic rivers. This year’s challenge will incorporate a route that will weave its way along the Thames Path. To that end, we invite you to lace up your walking boots and take on this inspiring adventure from Oxford to Reading, all while supporting the wonderful charity, Chapter2.
Who Can Take Part?
Whether you’re a seasoned walker or taking on your first big challenge, the Thames Path 100Km is for everyone. You can walk solo, form a team, or join as part of a corporate group. Even if you have never walked anything like this sort of distance before, we implore you to take part and give it a try. (If it helps to know, there will be a support vehicle on call throughout the event).
On the day …
Starting early, participants will meet in Reading to be transported by bus or coach to the walk’s start point. The 40 minutes or so that the journey takes may make for a sombre time to reflect on the enormity of this task, but with good preparation and a positive attitude, this challenge might just be attainable!
With a detailed route description, (and for the lovers and adopters of tech, a GPS plot), you will navigate yourself as far as your feet will possibly carry you, up to the maximum of 100Km. Along the way a team of volunteers will support you in your endeavours with a feeding station at around 50Km in. For the early hours of Sunday, when only carbs and caffeine count, a late night bacon butty stand will also be available. (Other options will be available for those that are not so keen on bacon!)
Should the task become just untenable, we will also have a support vehicle on hand to magic you back to Reading.
Entry Fee
Price per person: £95
- Transport to the start point
- Detailed route card
- Refreshments, and a cooked dinner
- Transport and logistic support locally in the area
The Route
The route is linear and will start in Tadpole Bridge and finish at Greyfriars Church, Friar St, Reading RG1 1EH. It follows public footpaths, bridleways, and byways, and some roads. It is easily navigated and pleasant to follow. If there has been any rain in the preceding week, some sections will be exceedingly muddy. Footwear with an aggressive lug, plus walking poles will really help.
To help you find your way on the day, you will need to print off this route-card. (And as a PDF file, it should also be easily accessed from your smart-phone). In addition marshals will be located along the route to help show the way at key locations.
Please note – many locations given on the route card are linked to online maps. Having a copy of the route card on your smart phone may prove invaluable.
Finally, for those of you with navigational software, a GPX file for the full route can be downloaded here.
Please remember this is a fundraising challenge too …
This is an exclusive event to raise funds for Chapter2 and all participants will have a target to raise £1000. Participant spaces on this event are limited and so only individuals committed to raising funds should book. Chapter2 reserves the right to cancel any bookings in the event that no reasonable endeavours have been made to raise funds. After booking on this event, each participant will be allocated a personal JustGiving fundraising page and will be contacted by Chapter2 who will offer support on how best to raise funds.
If you can raise £1000, that will be truly awesome! But, raise £2000, and this will be enough to provide a fatherless boy with a fully trained, assessed, supported and supervised long-term male mentor for one year.
Why get behind Chapter2?
“76% of young people in custody had an absent father” (Source, Centre for Social Justice)
Chapter2 believe passionately that every boy should have a good man to guide him into adulthood and so their aim is to provide a male mentor and a community of men for boys growing-up without a father. It is arguably the single one thing we can do to improve the life opportunities of boys without fathers. Learn more here.
We also need volunteers to help on the day
Maybe you’re keen to take part in this super event, but walking is just not your thing, or maybe your walking days are done. Or maybe, you’re signing up to walk and you have family that wish to be a part of the day too. If so – get in touch! We’re looking for people who might be available on the day to help support this grand day. It could be as a marshal pointing the way, or helping to serve a hot meal, or as a support driver taking weary walkers back to Reading. If you think you might be keen to help out for anything from around 4 hours or more, please use the registration form below to get in touch. Your time will be hugely appreciated!
Further information
At the end of February we will send out to all registrants a full set of joining instructions. These will include exact locations and details for timings, plus a detailed route-card describing the route. Additionally we will post these details to this web-page, including a GPX file for the route.
What do I need to bring?
A long day on the trail can require you to have some suitable kit to get you through the 24 hours. Below are some guidelines, and upon booking we will send you a full set of details including a kit list.
Essential
Small day-sack, lined with a waterproof dry-bag/sack
Waterproof coat
Warm layer for the hours of darkness
Sun hat
Comfortable footwear (boots, trainers, shoes)
Personal 1st aid kit
1.5 litres of fluid
Packed lunch plus plenty of snacking food
Torch for the hours of darkness
Fully-charged phone
Good to have
Walking shoes / approach shoes
Headtorch with fresh batteries
Walking poles
Spare socks
Legs of steel and an iron will
Don’t bring/wear
Jeans
Cotton shirt
Wellington boots
Timberland boots
Learn more here about footwear and all things feet:
A personal first-aid kit should include any personal medication and blister plasters. More ideas of what you could be carrying in your first aid kit can be found here.
Learn more – first aid for the outdoors:
- Never be lost – What3Words app
- Recommended First Aid Kit for the Outdoors
- Five Items of Essential First Aid Kit for the Outdoors
- What to do in an Emergency Outdoors
- Heat exhaustion
- Hyponatraemia
Any more questions?
In February we will be sending out to all registrants a full set of joining instructions with further details, but if you have any burning questions please message Will using any of the Contact Us boxes and he will be in touch.
Be Inspired to Take Part
Below are some videos from previous Father’s Day Challenges. Enjoy and be inspired to join us for 2025!
