It's Grim Up North Running Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle

Pick your distance

What you’re in for

The January race from Slaithwaite, 5k to marathon, out to Tunnel End and back with a six-and-a-half-hour cut-off. The course is the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Slaithwaite — Slawit to anyone local — up the valley towards Marsden and back, an out-and-back turning at a marshal. This stretch climbs lock after lock, so the way out is uphill and the way back is not, and the organiser calls it the most undulating towpath they have. Registration is at the community centre on Bank Gate; the start is on the canal outside Waves. The full-distance events run all the way out to Tunnel End at Marsden, where the canal disappears into Standedge Tunnel, over three miles long under the Pennines; the marathon is two laps of the half.

Terrain and trail

Towpath that varies from surfaced to grass and stone, with a ramp at every lock — and there are a lot of locks between Slaithwaite and Marsden. It is still a canal, so nothing is steep for long, but it is not the flat towpath of the Leeds & Liverpool events, and a long day here is a harder day. Wet and muddy in the low sections after rain; the winter edition can be icy. Feed stations roughly every three miles with drinks, sweets and cake, and the events are cup-less, so bring your own cup or bottle. A GPX is supplied and not every junction has a marshal, so know where the turn is. Over-ear headphones are not allowed, and some road crossings are unmarshalled.

Train for it: routes near the start

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

HARD

Marsden 10 Mile Challenge

16.4km · 357m climb · Loop · 3.8km 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.

HARD

Easter Gate, March Haigh and Black Moss Reservoirs

16.8km · 349m climb · Loop · 4.4km away

You string together three reservoirs and a stretch of the Pennine Way on quiet moor tracks, with the whole of Marsden Moor opening out around you and almost nobody else about.

HARD

Stairway to Heaven from Wessenden

13.8km · 342m climb · Loop · 8.7km away

The stepped pull out of Wessenden that gives the route its name delivers you straight onto the roof of the moor, with the whole reservoir valley dropping away behind you in one go.

VERY HARD

Holme Moss to Snailsden and Britland Edge Hill

10.4km · 155m climb · Loop · 11km away

It packs a genuine sense of wilderness into ten kilometres - trackless peat, two rarely-visited tops and the huge radio mast of Holme Moss as your landmark all the way round.

HARD

Black Hill and Crowden Little Brook Loop

14.4km · 426m climb · Loop · 15km away

Black Hill's peat-black plateau feels as remote as anywhere in the Peak, and the return along the edge above Laddow Rocks is some of the best moor-edge running in the north.

HARD

Stoodley Pike from Hebden Bridge

12.5km · 300m climb · Loop · 15km 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

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How to enter

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Common questions

How far is the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle?

The Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle offers 4 distances: 5K (3.1 miles), 10K (6.2 miles), Half Marathon (21.1 km / 13.1 miles), Marathon (42.2 km / 26.2 miles).

How much climbing is in the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle?

No course file for the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle yet, so there's no measured climb here. When It's Grim Up North Running publish one, this fills in.

How hard is the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle?

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 Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle yet.

Is the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle course marked?

Yes, the course is marked. Navigation skills are not required.

What kit do I need for the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle?

We don't hold a compulsory kit list for the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle. It's Grim Up North Running confirm mandatory kit in their race information, usually in the final instructions.

What are the cut-offs for the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle?

Overall time limits — 5K: 6h 30m, 10K: 6h 30m, Half Marathon: 6h 30m, Marathon: 6h 30m. 6.5 hours for every distance.

What is at the checkpoints on the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle?

We don't hold a checkpoint list for the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle. What's on the table varies a lot between races, so check the It's Grim Up North Running race information rather than turning up expecting food.

Can I download the Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle route?

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

When is the next Slawit Snowstorm Shuffle?

Sat, 30 Jan 2027, 08:30. Entries open.