Since 1983
Four decades of the Round Rotherham
The Round Rotherham is one of the oldest continuous ultra-distance events in northern England. Its origins lie in the steel strike of 1980, when RHAC club secretary Ralph Rowbotham used the extra time on his hands to walk the perimeter of the Rotherham borough — and realised it would make a remarkable race route. The event was first run in 1983 and has been staged 42 times since.
The numbers
- First running: 1983
- Total editions to 2025: 42 (some years staged twice)
- Total entrants recorded (1983–2025): 4,099
- Of those, 46% have finished exactly once; 10% have finished four or more times
- 78 individuals have earned recognition for 10 or more finishes
- 3 individuals have completed the event 30 or more times
- ITRA points: 3 per completion
- Registered with DUV (Deutsche Ultramarathon Vereinigung) worldwide results database
Course records
| Category | Name | Time | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Ben Hague | 5:57:18 | 2019 |
| Women | Emily Cowper-Coles | 7:18:03 | 2025 |
Ben Hague’s 2019 run was the first ever sub-6-hour finish in race history, breaking his own record of 6:00:52 set in 2018. Emily Cowper-Coles’ 2025 women’s record also made history as the first outright overall race win by a woman in 42 editions.
Most successful individuals
- Kevin Hoult — 5 individual wins (2013, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2024)
- Sharon Gayter — 7 women’s victories, the most in race history
Recent winners
| Year | Men’s winner | Club | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kevin Hoult (Emily Cowper-Coles won overall) | Calder Valley Fell Runners | 7:19:27 |
| 2024 | Kevin Hoult | Calder Valley Fell Runners | 7:10:00 |
| 2023 | Rory Harris | — | — |
| 2022 | Kevin Hoult | Calder Valley Fell Runners | — |
| 2021 | Rory Harris | — | — |
| 2019 | Ben Hague ★ Record | Rotherham Harriers & AC | 5:57:18 |
| 2018 | Ben Hague | Rotherham Harriers & AC | 6:00:52 |
| 2017 | Ken Sutor | Cheshire Hash House Harriers | — |
| 2016 | Kevin Hoult | Stadium Runners | — |
| 2015 | Kevin Hoult | Stadium Runners | — |
| 2014 | Kevin Doyle | Kimberworth Striders | — |
| 2013 | Kevin Hoult | Stadium Runners | — |
Full results archive 1997–2025
A note about the data
The comprehensive results archive maintained by Henry Marston covers the race from its first running and includes career statistics for every individual who has ever entered. The results on this site draw on that archive. Full split times, relay analysis and career finish counts are available at Henry’s dedicated results pages, linked from the Results section.