Punk Panther Wharfedale Skyline

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What you’re in for

The last race of the Punk Panther series, in November, and the shortest of their trail-ultra weekends. The route hugs the hills around Otley, Ilkley and Guiseley: out past Yeadon Tarn and up to Surprise View on Otley Chevin, and on the longer distances across to the Cow and Calf rocks above Ilkley and back by Denton and Lindley Wood Reservoir. Three distances. The 13 Mile is 21.8km with 494m of climb, the 20 Mile 33.7km and 845m, the 35 Mile 55.5km and 1,371m. Because everything is short by Punk Panther standards, it draws people running their first trail race and people trying to run one of them fast, and the organiser says it is designed for exactly that.

Terrain and trail

Gritstone-edge paths on the Chevin and Ilkley Moor, woodland tracks through Danefield and Middleton Woods, and field paths and lanes joining them up. The climbs are short and steep rather than long — up onto the Chevin, up onto the moor above the Cow and Calf — and the descents are the technical bits, rocky and slick in November leaf fall. Taped and flagged the week before as confirmation only; the organiser expects you to carry the route description and the GPX. The 35 Mile runs into dusk, so the head torch on the kit list is not a formality.

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Train for it: routes near the start

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

MODERATE

Washburn Valley from Leathley

10.2km · 167m climb · Loop · 3.4km away

You get a quiet string of reservoirs and river woodland a stone's throw from Otley, with none of the crowds of the honeypot dales. It is the sort of route locals keep to themselves.

VERY HARD

The Ilkley Skyline

35.1km · 808m climb · Loop · 5.1km away

Eleven kilometres of unbroken moor crest, then you cross the valley and run the skyline back the other way with your entire morning laid out in front of you. It is the biggest day available from an Ilkley train station.

MODERATE

The Twelve Apostles and Rombalds Moor Trig from the Cow and Calf

7.7km · 248m climb · Loop · 7.5km away

You touch the highest point of the moor and a Bronze Age stone circle inside eight kilometres, on paths good enough to run nearly all of. It is the best hour available on Ilkley Moor.

HARD

Burley Moor Stone Circles from the Cow and Calf

11.6km · 320m climb · Loop · 7.5km away

Four thousand years of prehistory in one loop. Rombalds Moor carries over 400 cup-and-ring marked stones, and this route strings the best of them together before dropping you onto two kilometres of Burley Moor that almost nobody runs.

EASY

Fewston Reservoir Loop

5.2km · 21m climb · Loop · 9.0km away

A short and beautiful run around this picturesque reservoir in the Washburn Valley

Checked Jun 2026

MODERATE

Ilkley Moor from the Cow and Calf

9.5km · 287m climb · Loop · 9.0km away

You run straight up onto the moor of the famous song, past the Cow and Calf crags and out to the Twelve Apostles stone circle, with cup-and-ring carvings scattered underfoot.

Checked Jul 2026

All routes near Ilkley →All Airedale routes →

Mandatory kit

• A proper bag to carry it all in — Their words: not a carrier bag
• Waterproof jacket with taped seams
• Enough fluid to reach the next checkpoint
• A cup — There are none at the checkpoints
• Energy bar or other food
• Survival bag — A bag, not a sheet
• Whistle
• Mobile phone, switched on, with the race director and medic numbers saved
• Tracker — Supplied by the organiser for ultra distances, worn at all times
• Hat or buff
• Gloves
• Personal first aid kit
• Printed map and route description — Sent by the organiser before the race
• Head torch — 35 Mile course only

Kit for this race

Picked against the list above. Check the organiser's final instructions before you buy anything.

Mandatory: A proper bag to carry it all in

Rab Veil 6L Running Vest

Rab·vest

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Mandatory: Waterproof jacket with taped seams

Rab Downpour Waterproof Jacket

Rab·waterproof

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Mandatory: A cup

Lifeventure Ellipse Collapsible Cup

Lifeventure·other

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Mandatory: Survival bag

Lifesystems Survival Bag

Lifesystems·other

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Mandatory: Whistle

Lifesystems Mountain Whistle

Lifesystems·other

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Mandatory: Personal first aid kit

Lifesystems Light & Dry Micro First Aid Kit

Lifesystems·other

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How to enter

Common questions

How far is the Wharfedale Skyline?

The Wharfedale Skyline offers 3 distances: 13 Mile (20.9 km), 20 Mile (32.2 km), 35 Mile (56.3 km).

How much climbing is in the Wharfedale Skyline?

The 13 Mile has 494 m of ascent. The 20 Mile has 845 m of ascent. The 35 Mile has 1,371 m of ascent.

How hard is the Wharfedale Skyline?

13 Mile: Hard. 20 Mile: Very Hard. 35 Mile: Very Hard. Distances are measured off the course file. Where the file carries no elevation, the climb is the organiser's published figure.

Is the Wharfedale Skyline course marked?

No. The Wharfedale Skyline is not a marked course. You are expected to navigate it yourself.

What kit do I need for the Wharfedale Skyline?

The organiser's compulsory list is: A proper bag to carry it all in, Waterproof jacket with taped seams, Enough fluid to reach the next checkpoint, A cup, Energy bar or other food, Survival bag, Whistle, Mobile phone, switched on, with the race director and medic numbers saved, Tracker, Hat or buff, Gloves, Personal first aid kit, Printed map and route description, Head torch.

What are the cut-offs for the Wharfedale Skyline?

No overall time limit is published. The cut-offs are the checkpoint closing times — arrive after one closes and you are retired. Course closes 20:00. Checkpoints close: Yeadon Tarn 12:00, the Malt Shovel at Menston 13:30, Denton 15:00, Norwood Methodist Church 16:00.

What is at the checkpoints on the Wharfedale Skyline?

Water, coke, energy bars and crisps at every checkpoint. Four checkpoints: Yeadon Tarn, the Malt Shovel at Menston, Denton and Norwood Methodist Church. Yeadon Tarn is on all three distances, the Malt Shovel is on the 20 and the 35.

Can I download the Wharfedale Skyline route?

Yes. The GPX for each distance is free to download here, with no sign-up, the same as every route on Trail Running Planet.

When is the next Wharfedale Skyline?

Sat, 14 Nov 2026. Entries open.