She Strides Events Calderdale Way Ultra

Pick your distance

What you’re in for

The 50-mile race is a full lap of the Calderdale Way from Heptonstall, through Hardcastle Crags, over Midgley, Norland and Soyland moors, along the canal at Brighouse and through Todmorden before the final climb home. The 30-mile option starts at Brookfoot Lock in Brighouse and joins the same route for the second half, so it keeps the big late climbs. The route follows the waymarked Calderdale Way rather than race flagging, and runners must carry maps or a route printout (maps sell at registration). Aid stations are vegan friendly. The 50 has a 17-hour limit with hard cut-offs at Withens Clough (7pm) and Great Rock (11pm); the 30 has 10 hours. No support or pacers. Hot food and a bar at the finish.

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Train for it: routes near the start

Routes starting within 20 km of Heptonstall Bowling Club, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, nearest first. Each one has a free GPX file and a TRP grade, so you can rehearse the ground before race day.

VERY HARD

Heptonstall and Hardcastle Crags

24.0km · 859m climb · Loop · 0.4km 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

Stoodley Pike from Hebden Bridge

12.5km · 300m climb · Loop · 0.9km 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 · 1.4km 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

MODERATE

The Atom Panopticon from Wycoller Country Park

6.3km · 125m climb · Loop · 13km 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 · 13km 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

VERY HARD

Rochdale Norden Moors and Watergrove Reservoir

19.5km · 390m climb · Loop · 16km away

Raw, atmospheric Pennine scenery at its most uncompromising- Walk a section of the historic Cotton Famine Road, hand-built in the 1860s by unemployed weavers- Big views west into Lancashire and east into Yorkshire from the ridgeline- Quieter than many Pennine routes - you will often have the moor to yourself

Checked Jul 2026

All South Pennines routes →

How to enter

Common questions

How far is the Calderdale Way Ultra?

The Calderdale Way Ultra offers 2 distances: 50 miles (80.5 km), 30 miles (48.3 km).

How much climbing is in the Calderdale Way Ultra?

The 50 miles has 2,792 m of ascent. The 30 miles has 1,797 m of ascent.

How hard is the Calderdale Way Ultra?

50 miles: Expert. 30 miles: Expert. Distances are measured off the course file. Where the file carries no elevation, the climb is the organiser's published figure.

Is the Calderdale Way Ultra course marked?

No. The Calderdale Way Ultra is not a marked course. You are expected to navigate it yourself.

What kit do I need for the Calderdale Way Ultra?

We don't hold a compulsory kit list for the Calderdale Way Ultra. She Strides Events confirm mandatory kit in their race information, usually in the final instructions.

What are the cut-offs for the Calderdale Way Ultra?

Overall time limits — 50 miles: 17h, 30 miles: 10h.

What is at the checkpoints on the Calderdale Way Ultra?

We don't hold a checkpoint list for the Calderdale Way Ultra. What's on the table varies a lot between races, so check the She Strides Events race information rather than turning up expecting food.

Can I download the Calderdale Way Ultra 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 Calderdale Way Ultra?

Sat, 1 May 2027. Not open yet.