How far is the Lake District Challenge?

The Lake District Challenge offers 4 distances: 100km (62.1 miles), 50km (31.1 miles), 25km (15.5 miles), Ambleside 10K (6.2 miles).

Is the Lake District Challenge course marked?

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

Ultra Challenge Lake District Challenge

Kendal Basecamp, CumbriaSat, 5 Jun – Sun, 6 Jun 2027

A hundred kilometres around the southern Lake District from Kendal, or fifty or twenty-five.

Distance	Ascent	Per km
100km	—	—
50km	—	—
25km	—	—
Ambleside 10K	—	—

hillgrassMarked course

Nobody has reviewed this one yet

No reviews of the Lake District Challenge, and nothing on what people wore. Both are things no organiser publishes and every runner wants before they enter — how it actually went, and what was on your feet.

Ran it? Write the first review

Running it soon? Connect Strava and we will ask you about it the day you finish, so you do not have to remember to come back.

Pick your distance

Start time not confirmed yet — check with the organiser.

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Train for it: routes near the start

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

HARD

Staveley Round

17.4km · 462m climb · Loop · 6.6km away

You get a varied round of the quiet fells and valleys right on Staveley's doorstep, with Wilf's Cafe and the Mill Yard waiting the moment you finish.

HARD

Sallows and Sour Howes from Staveley

19.3km · 480m climb · Loop · 6.7km away

These two fells sit between Kentmere and Troutbeck without belonging to either valley's usual round, so you get proper Lakeland ridge running with almost nobody else on it.

Checked Jul 2026

EXPERT

Ultra Tour of Staveley

61.6km · 2,866m climb · Loop · 6.7km away

This is a commitment. Five distinct fell ridges, two remote valleys, and enough climbing to earn a very large meal. Plan your food, check the forecast, and don't set off late.

Checked Jun 2026

VERY HARD

Garburn Pass from Staveley

31.8km · 813m climb · Loop · 6.8km away

The Garburn Pass is one of the great old cross-fell tracks, and this loop links it with the quiet Kentmere and Troutbeck valleys for a big day that stays almost entirely runnable.

Checked Jul 2026

HARD

Reston Scar and Brunt Knott

12.6km · 617m climb · Loop · 6.8km away

Underrated terrain in a part of the Lakes most runners skip over. Reston Scar gives you proper fell on a short day, without the crowds of the central fells.

Checked Jun 2026

HARD

Longsleddale from Staveley

18.8km · 461m climb · Loop · 6.8km away

Longsleddale has no honeypot, no big car park and almost no visitors, just a single road to Sadgill and a valley that feels a century behind the rest of the Lakes.

Checked Jul 2026

All routes near Windermere →All Lake District routes →

How to enter

Sat, 5 Jun – Sun, 6 Jun 2027 · Entries open

Enter on their website ↗

Entries are handled by Ultra Challenge, not by us. We take nothing for sending you there.

Add to your calendar · as an all-day entry, until the start time is confirmed

Common questions

: The Lake District Challenge offers 4 distances: 100km (62.1 miles), 50km (31.1 miles), 25km (15.5 miles), Ambleside 10K (6.2 miles).
: No course file for the Lake District Challenge yet, so there's no measured climb here. When Ultra Challenge publish one, this fills in.
: 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 Lake District Challenge yet.
: Yes, the course is marked. Navigation skills are not required.
: We don't hold a compulsory kit list for the Lake District Challenge. Ultra Challenge confirm mandatory kit in their race information, usually in the final instructions.
: We don't hold published time limits for the Lake District Challenge. If Ultra Challenge set cut-offs, they'll be in the race information.
: We don't hold a checkpoint list for the Lake District Challenge. What's on the table varies a lot between races, so check the Ultra Challenge race information rather than turning up expecting food.
: Not yet — we don't hold a course file for the Lake District Challenge. Some organisers only send the GPX to entrants. If we get one, it goes up free, with no sign-up.
: Sat, 5 Jun 2027. Entries open.