The date is set for the 5th Salmon Run on Saturday 19th September 2026 and booking is open for the ultra and the relay now.
Join a day of creativity, nature, joy and endurance! An annual running event and community celebration with events, education and running challenges from 44 to 1.5 miles. An ultra marathon and a non-competitve community relay in the beautiful Exe river valley all on one day in September.
Our motivations are as pertinent as ever. We run with the salmon to celebrate their awesome life and their journey up our river Exe which they call home. Its all about the Atlantic Salmon whose numbers are are down by 75% since the 70s and still falling. Its a critical time for this magnificent yet highly endangered species which is potentially set to disappear from the Exe. The salmon, as a keystone species, binds together diversity in the river catchment.
The salmon faces many serious challenges, mostly man-made and increasingly exacerbated by climate change. Tidelines works with Westcountry Rivers Trust to improve the river habitat to help give salmon a fighting chance. Salmon Run brings this extraordinary species to light, highlights their incredible life cycle and migration and shows our love for the river and our community! And we have a lot of fun, learn from each other and get healthy at the same time! Come Join us this year! Run Wild with the Salmon!
On the day join:
Salmon Run Ultra Marathon in which runners take on the whole 44 miles, to empathise with the endurance of the Salmon as they return to the spawning ground and for the Salmon Run Ultra Trophy!
Salmon Run ‘relay’* in which 11 teams run one section of the river and then pass the baton (Samatha the salmon) from team to team from the sea to the spawning grounds. Distances in the relay sections are between 2.5 and 10 miles so we welcome all running skills!
Park Run takeover in Exmouth as the first section of the ‘relay’ if you fancy running a seafront 5km. Wear something fishy!
Salmon Run: The Gathering at Exeter Quay from 10-12 with stalls, making activities, artists, info. and live music & free foot ferry linking us to our partners Exeter Farmer’s Market. Join in and learn more as Ultras and the Relay pass through Exeter! Free and open to all
Live music at Exmouth seafront Park Run (9am) & Exmoor Lawns, Dulverton (2.30-6pm) with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Participate & friends led by Emma Welton.
Something for everyone! Its a great day! Run with the salmon in 2026!
*Please note The term ‘relay’ can be confusing: One team only runs one section together and passes Samantha the baton to another team. Relay = 11 teams relaying Samantha from team to team, a community of teams working together. Link to a video explainer here
RELAY SECTIONS ARE FILLING UP! The sections in purple on the map are pretty much full but for a few individual places. There is still plenty of space for teams on the yellow sections so BOOK on asap! Contact us if you need any help booking or deciding which section to run. 07890244012 or info@tidelines.uk
“Loved being part of a team and part of a community caring for the river, I learnt that I can run, not just for myself, but also for my community as we celebrate the natural world” Salmon Runner, 2023
“The Salmon Run is one of those rare events that perfectly blends athletic challenge with environmental awareness, and I’m genuinely excited to be part of it this year. Running the route up the Exe Valley isn’t just about pushing limits—it’s about stepping into the story of the Atlantic salmon and their epic upstream journey. Every leg of the relay reflects a new stage of the salmon’s struggle: currents, obstacles, elevation. It’s symbolic, physical, and beautifully raw.”
Innes Fitzgerald, under 20 champion in European Cross Country 2023, 2024 and 2024 and Exeter Harrier
It may help to understand more about what Salmon Run is and why we run it by watching the Salmon Run 2025 film here.
Each year we create a podcast on different aspects of the salmon story. You can find all Salmon Run podcasts here.
A PRESS RELEASE can be found here
GPX files of ultra and relay routes here
(this is a Googlefolder. Get in touch if you need to access gpxs another way info@tidelines.uk)
We are very pleased to be supported by the Naturesave Trust, The River Exe and Tributaries Association, LDA Design, Rockfish, Stuartline Cruises, Sole of Discretion, The Sideshore Community, Profecto, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra along with other generous private donors.
And happy to be in partnership with Westcountry Rivers Trust and Wild Running
Photos: Vanessa Miles, Bryn Truscott, Calypso Finch, Matthew Elmes, Jennifer Melyn Moon, Davina Jelley and others.
Each year we raise funds to run the event on the day and salmon-related activities before and after. If you feel you can make a donation then we have a crowdfunder which will be doubled by Aviva if it is before 26 April. Use this qr code
or Link: https://communitiesfund.avivafoundation.org.uk/p/salmon-run-2026/donate/20
