Cragg Runner Moors The Merrier 21

The course

What you’re in for

Twenty-one miles round the moors above Hebden Bridge in December from Mytholmroyd, in a Santa hat, with a present for the bran tub. 32.9km of Calderdale moor, and the Santa hat is expected rather than optional.

Terrain and trail

Calderdale moor: peat, flagged path, steep valley sides and reservoir track, wet and possibly frozen in December. Navigate yourself. A trail shoe with grip.

Train for it: routes near the start

Routes starting within 20 km of Mytholmroyd Community Centre, nearest first. Each one has a free GPX file and a TRP grade, so you can rehearse the ground before race day.

HARD

Stoodley Pike from Hebden Bridge

12.5km · 300m climb · Loop · 1.9km away

You climb from a canal in the valley floor to a 37m stone monument on the moor edge, and the view back over Calderdale from the base of the Pike is worth every metre of the climb.

Checked Jul 2026

VERY HARD

Wadsworth Trog

31.5km · 1,044m climb · Loop · 2.7km away

This is the Wadsworth Trog, a proper Calderdale beast: mile after mile of high Pennine moor, peat bog and reservoir embankment that locals rate among the toughest moorland rounds in the north.

Checked Jul 2026

VERY HARD

Heptonstall and Hardcastle Crags

24.0km · 859m climb · Loop · 3.0km away

You get the full Calderdale contrast in one loop: the deep, wooded gorge of Hardcastle Crags and the wild open moor above, joined by the cobbled hilltop village of Heptonstall.

Checked Jul 2026

HARD

Marsden 10 Mile Challenge

16.4km · 357m climb · Loop · 15km away

It is the whole of Marsden Moor in one loop - Wessenden, Standedge and the reservoir chain - on ground that carries centuries of packhorse and canal history, and you can run it door to door from the train.

MODERATE

The Atom Panopticon from Wycoller Country Park

6.3km · 125m climb · Loop · 16km away

The Atom is a curved concrete shell you can stand inside, and from the doorway it frames Pendle Hill one way and Boulsworth the other. You get both without a long day out.

Checked Jul 2026

VERY HARD

Boulsworth Hill from Trawden

13.9km · 440m climb · Loop · 16km away

Boulsworth is the whaleback that dominates every view around Trawden, and standing on Lad Law at 517m you look across Pendle, the Dales and, on a clear day, out to the coast.

Checked Jul 2026

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How to enter

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Common questions

How far is the Moors The Merrier 21?

The Moors The Merrier 21 is one distance: 21 Mile (33.8 km).

How much climbing is in the Moors The Merrier 21?

No course file for the Moors The Merrier 21 yet, so there's no measured climb here. When Cragg Runner publish one, this fills in.

How hard is the Moors The Merrier 21?

Not graded yet. A TRP grade is worked out from distance and climb measured off the course file, and there isn't one for the Moors The Merrier 21 yet.

Is the Moors The Merrier 21 course marked?

No. The Moors The Merrier 21 is not a marked course. You are expected to navigate it yourself.

What kit do I need for the Moors The Merrier 21?

We don't hold a compulsory kit list for the Moors The Merrier 21. Cragg Runner confirm mandatory kit in their race information, usually in the final instructions.

What are the cut-offs for the Moors The Merrier 21?

We don't hold published time limits for the Moors The Merrier 21. If Cragg Runner set cut-offs, they'll be in the race information.

What is at the checkpoints on the Moors The Merrier 21?

We don't hold a checkpoint list for the Moors The Merrier 21. What's on the table varies a lot between races, so check the Cragg Runner race information rather than turning up expecting food.

Can I download the Moors The Merrier 21 route?

Not yet — we don't hold a course file for the Moors The Merrier 21. Some organisers only send the GPX to entrants. If we get one, it goes up free, with no sign-up.

When is the next Moors The Merrier 21?

Sat, 12 Dec 2026, 09:00. Entries open.