A man on a serious mission to showcase the capital’s thriving sauna culture, on 19th September 2026 one Londoner will embark upon a 50km run with 26 sweaty sauna stops along the way
The Challenge
Starting at 6am at Revive Recovery in Summerstown, Edward Thomas, founder of Paragon Studio, will run 50km across west, north, east and south London before finishing at HotDrop in Battersea at approximately 7pm.
At each venue, he will shower and sauna before returning to the route. The target is an average running pace of six minutes per kilometre, with around 20 minutes at each stop. The total completion time is expected to be approximately 13 hours.
This is not any old ultra – a Guinness World Records submission is also in progress. The full challenge will also be filmed for a documentary, with a cameraman running alongside Edward and a wider crew capturing footage at selected venues.
The Route
The 26-stop route covers Summerstown, Wandsworth, Putney, Fulham, Marylebone, Fitzrovia, Kentish Town, Islington, Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Hackney, Stratford, Fish Island, Canary Wharf, Bermondsey, London Bridge, Camberwell, Brixton and Battersea.
It includes independent venues offering dry Swedish-style saunas, Finnish löyly saunas, steam rooms and infrared saunas. All venues have agreed to host the challenge and participate in the filming.
The Purpose
The Sauna Marathon will spotlight London’s growing independent sauna scene and the role these venues increasingly play as social and community spaces. The route has been personally curated by Edward
Founder of Paragon Studio and Wednesday Sauna Club, a twice-monthly networking group for wellness founders and creatives, Edward has played an active role in fostering London’s independent wellness community, making him uniquely placed to curate a route that showcases the capital’s thriving sauna culture.
The Cause
Funds will support Sauna Aid, the International Sauna Aid Foundation, a volunteer-powered charity providing movable sauna facilities and supportive services to people affected by natural and man-made disasters. Its work began in response to the war in Ukraine, including a mobile tent sauna in central Kharkiv. It has since supported medical personnel through recovery retreats and psychological recovery programmes for frontline medics.
Training & Safety
Of course, any challenge requires endurance and input. Edward has been being coached by Dan Lawrence of Perform365. Baseline testing at MyVitalMetrics included analysis of sodium loss through sweat, informing a tailored hydration and electrolyte plan for the challenge. Preparation includes increased fluid intake and pre-challenge hydration support from Biowell Health.
The details
When: Saturday 19 September 2026
What: A 50km run with 26 sauna and cold plunge venues across London
