Maverick Chilterns Trail Marathon 2026 Review

Having run the half marathon at Maverick Chilterns in 2025 and thoroughly enjoyed it, Sophy and I decided it was time to step things up and tackle the full marathon this year.

That decision meant a very early start, with the alarm going off well before dawn and us hitting the road at 5:30am for a 7:30am start. Normally that would feel painfully early, but with the country in the middle of a heatwave it made perfect sense. Maverick had wisely brought the start forward by an hour to help runners avoid the worst of the day's temperatures.

Even so, it was hot. Very hot.

The Course

The route itself was superb.

One of the things I enjoy most about running in the Chilterns is the variety, and this course had plenty of it. Woodland trails, open fields, riverside paths, canal sections and even a wander through Wendover all featured along the way.

The course was fully runnable, although the steeper climbs persuaded me to switch to hiking mode rather than trying to be a hero and run everything.

Given the conditions, it felt like the sensible choice.

I was also carrying a slightly dodgy Achilles tendon while Sophy was nursing a troublesome hip flexor, so neither of us was setting out to chase times. Instead, we stuck together throughout the day, encouraging each other through the tougher moments and making sure we both reached the finish line smiling.

Trail Running at Its Best

One of the reasons I love trail running so much is the atmosphere, and Maverick absolutely nailed it.

The marshals were brilliant from start to finish – friendly, enthusiastic and genuinely supportive. Fellow runners were exactly the same, with plenty of encouragement and good wishes exchanged throughout the day.

Nobody seemed particularly concerned about finishing times. Instead, it felt like hundreds of people had simply chosen to spend their day outdoors, enjoying beautiful countryside in the company of like-minded people.

That's my kind of event.

Aid Stations Done Right

The checkpoints were excellent.

Well stocked, well organised and staffed by volunteers who somehow seemed to have limitless energy despite standing out in the heat all day.

As usual, I took full advantage of the food on offer.

Watermelon disappeared at an alarming rate, along with a healthy supply of Jaffa Cakes.

The real heroes, though, were the cooling stations.

Buckets of iced water were available for runners to dunk hats into, and at one point a volunteer was armed with a garden sprayer, happily soaking anyone who wanted a cooling blast of water.

In temperatures like these, that felt absolutely glorious.

Race Village and Organisation

Maverick clearly know how to put on an event.

The communication before race day was excellent, particularly regarding the last-minute changes caused by the heatwave. Everything was clear, timely and reassuring.

On race day itself, the organisation was equally impressive.

The atmosphere around the start and finish area was relaxed and welcoming, helped by an enthusiastic announcer who somehow managed to remain cheerful all day while calling runners home by name as they crossed the line.

After finishing, runners gathered around the race village enjoying burgers, ice cream, coffee and beer while swapping stories from the course.

Again, it felt more like a celebration than a race.

A Couple of Minor Grumbles

No event is perfect, and there were two small things I'd like to see improved.

The first was the route markers.

The course was extremely well marked and there was never any danger of getting lost, but all the markers used the same colour scheme. My eyesight isn't what it once was, and I found myself wishing the different race distances had been colour-coded to make them easier to identify at a glance.

A minor point, but one that would have helped.

The second issue was the distance between checkpoints two and three.

At around 20 kilometres, it felt a little too long, particularly in the heat. Physically it was manageable, but mentally it became one of the tougher sections of the day.

Thankfully, the excellent checkpoint at the far end made up for it.

Would I Run Another Maverick Event?

Absolutely.

This was my second Maverick event and once again they delivered a fantastic experience.

The route was beautifully varied, the organisation was first class and the atmosphere was exactly what trail running should be about.

I was particularly grateful for the amount of woodland on the course. Not only do I enjoy running through trees, but the shade made a huge difference on a day when temperatures were pushing well beyond 30°C. A more exposed route would have felt significantly tougher.

Final Verdict

9.5/10

Excellent organisation, fantastic communication, wonderful volunteers, a beautiful route and a genuinely enjoyable atmosphere from start to finish.

The route-marker colour scheme and long gap between checkpoints are small tweaks I'd like to see, but neither came close to spoiling what was a brilliant day out.

Would I run another Maverick event?

Without hesitation.

100% recommended. Great job, Team Maverick.