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Trail running routes in Lake District

The biggest fell running country in England: steep climbs, long runnable ridges and flat lake laps for the easy days, from Catbells to the Bob Graham legs.

47
Routes
20.5km
Avg distance
46,326m
Total ascent

Areas

AmblesideBorrowdaleButtermereCartmelCentral FellsClaifeConistonDerwentwaterEastern FellsFar Eastern FellsGrasmere and RydalHelvellynKendalKentmereKeswickLangdaleLongsleddaleNewlandsNorth Western FellsNorthern FellsRydalScandaleSouthern FellsStaveleyUllswaterWestern FellsWindermere

Start from a town

Routes near AmblesideRoutes near ConistonRoutes near KeswickRoutes near Windermere

Our picks: Best fell runs in the Lake District →

Which route should I choose?

47 routes in Lake District, from 6.0 km to 61.6 km. If it is your first time here, start with the easy group below. Every route has a free GPX file, a TRP grade and a note on parking and transport.

Checked: 47 run by TRP. Each route page says which.

First trail run here

Low effort, easy ground, shortest first.

Under 10 km

An hour or so, whatever your pace.

A long day out

Over 25 km. Take food, take a map.

Firm underfoot in wet weather

Lowest mud rating in the region.

Technical ground

Terrain 4 or 5. Rock, scramble, or hands-on-knees.

By train or bus

Starts you can reach without a car.

Compare all 47 routes in one table
RouteDistanceClimbGradeGroundGetting there
Catbells from Hawes End6.0 km366 mModeratefellDrive, parking listed
Latrigg from Keswick8.3 km288 mModeratefellBus or train
Wray Castle and Claife9.8 km181 mModeratepathBus or train
Helvellyn from Thirlmere10.7 km812 mVery HardfellBus or train
Cathedral Cave from Elterwater11.2 km214 mModeratewoodlandBus or train
Helvellyn via Swirral Edge and Striding Edge from Thirlmere11.3 km998 mVery HardfellBus or train
Newton Fell from Lindale11.5 km386 mModeratefellBus or train
Reston Scar and Brunt Knott12.6 km617 mHardfellBus or train
Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge from Patterdale12.7 km824 mVery HardfellBus or train
Rydal Water and Loughrigg Terrace13.1 km699 mHardpathBus or train
Helm Crag, Calf Crag and Steel fell from Grasmere13.4 km639 mHardfellBus or train
Lakeland Trails Ambleside 14k13.8 km505 mHardwoodlandBus or train
Grasmere, Rydal Caves and the Coffin Route14.0 km192 mModeratepathBus or train
Derwentwater Round from Keswick14.6 km21 mModeratepathDrive, parking listed
Scafell Pike from Seathwaite14.7 km971 mExpertfellBus or train
Coledale Horseshoe14.8 km1,199 mVery HardfellBus or train
Hawkshead and Tarn Hows16.1 km488 mHardpathBus or train
Catbells from Keswick16.8 km431 mHardmixedBus or train
Staveley Round17.4 km462 mHardfellBus or train
Buttermere and Crummock Water Circuit17.5 km80 mModeratepathDrive, parking listed
Bob Graham Round Leg 4: Wasdale Head to Honister Pass17.7 km1,790 mExpertfellDrive, parking listed
Kentmere Valley Circuit17.7 km756 mHardfellBus or train
Staveley and Kentmere Valley17.7 km419 mHardpathBus or train
Bob Graham Round Leg 5: Honister Pass to Keswick18.2 km723 mHardfellDrive, parking listed
Longsleddale from Staveley18.8 km461 mHardfellBus or train
Vale of Rydal19.0 km317 mModeratepathBus or train
Sallows and Sour Howes from Staveley19.3 km480 mHardfellBus or train
Ambleside Low Level Loop19.6 km562 mHardpathDrive, parking listed
Catbells, Maiden Moor, Dale Head and Hindscarth from Lingholm19.6 km1,022 mVery HardfellBus or train
Wansfell Pike, Sour Howes and Sallows from Ambleside19.6 km1,008 mVery HardfellBus or train
Kentmere Horseshoe20.3 km1,108 mVery HardfellDrive, parking listed
Helvellyn Range and St Sunday Crag from Glenridding20.6 km1,300 mVery HardfellBus or train
Scandale Horseshoe from Ambleside20.6 km1,106 mVery HardfellBus or train
Bob Graham Round Leg 1: Skiddaw and Blencathra20.8 km1,576 mExpertfellBus or train
Robinson, Dale Head, High Spy and Catbells from Lingholm20.9 km1,175 mVery HardfellBus or train
Bob Graham Round Leg 2: Threlkeld to Dunmail Raise22.3 km1,690 mExpertfellBus or train
Elterwater and Ivy Crag22.6 km1,039 mVery HardfellBus or train
Espresso Round22.6 km1,055 mVery HardfellDrive, parking listed
Skiddaw and Blencathra via Lonscale Fell23.2 km1,412 mVery HardfellBus or train
Bob Graham Round Leg 3: Dunmail Raise to Wasdale Head25.5 km1,906 mExpertfellDrive, parking listed
Walla Crag, Castle Crag and Derwentwater from Keswick26.2 km719 mHardwoodlandDrive, parking listed
Garburn Pass from Staveley31.8 km813 mVery HardfellBus or train
Fairfield Horseshoe Extended33.1 km2,287 mExpertfellBus or train
Helvellyn Double36.7 km2,856 mExpertfellBus or train
Abraham's Tea Round48.2 km3,378 mExpertfellBus or train
Tour de Helvellyn58.6 km2,129 mExpertfellDrive, parking listed
Ultra Tour of Staveley61.6 km2,866 mExpertfellBus or train
Sort:

47 routes

Abraham's Tea RoundEXPERT
Abraham's Tea Round
48.2km · 3,378m climb · Loop
You earn a free cup of tea at Abraham's Cafe by touching every summit you can see from its top-floor window: a proper Keswick fell-running rite of passage.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jul 2026Good
Ambleside Low Level LoopHARD
Ambleside Low Level Loop
19.6km · 562m climb · Loop
Rydal Water, Grasmere, woodland paths, and those views - all without setting foot on a major fell. This is what the Lakes are for on an easy-legs day.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 20261 ran this
Bob Graham Round Leg 1: Skiddaw and BlencathraEXPERT
Bob Graham Round Leg 1: Skiddaw and Blencathra
20.8km · 1,576m climb · Point to point
You get the start of the most famous round in British fell running, crossing Skiddaw at 931 m and the lonely top of Great Calva before the high traverse to Blencathra and the steep drop off Hall's Fell.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jul 2026
Bob Graham Round Leg 2: Threlkeld to Dunmail RaiseEXPERT
Bob Graham Round Leg 2: Threlkeld to Dunmail Raise
22.3km · 1,690m climb · Point to point
It is the great runnable middle of the Bob Graham: a near-continuous high ridge where you can hold a rhythm over twelve tops without ever dropping to the valley.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Bob Graham Round Leg 3: Dunmail Raise to Wasdale HeadEXPERT
Bob Graham Round Leg 3: Dunmail Raise to Wasdale Head
25.5km · 1,906m climb · Point to point
This is the heart and the crux of the Bob Graham: the Langdale Pikes, the highest ground in England over the Scafells, and the notorious Broad Stand step onto Scafell.
Fell runDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Bob Graham Round Leg 4: Wasdale Head to Honister PassEXPERT
Bob Graham Round Leg 4: Wasdale Head to Honister Pass
17.7km · 1,790m climb · Point to point
The savage climb straight out of Wasdale onto Yewbarrow sets the tone: this is the steepest, most concentrated leg of the round, over Pillar and Great Gable.
Fell runDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Bob Graham Round Leg 5: Honister Pass to KeswickHARD
Bob Graham Round Leg 5: Honister Pass to Keswick
18.2km · 723m climb · Point to point
Three last summits over the Newlands fells and then the famous road run into Keswick: this is the leg where a Bob Graham Round is finished.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Buttermere and Crummock Water CircuitMODERATE
Buttermere and Crummock Water Circuit
17.5km · 80m climb · Loop
Two of the prettiest lakes in the district on one near level circuit, including the short rock tunnel cut through the crag on the Buttermere shore.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Catbells from Hawes EndMODERATE
Catbells from Hawes End
6.0km · 366m climb · Loop
The biggest view to effort ratio in the district. A 451 m Wainwright summit with a full Derwentwater panorama reached in well under an hour of running.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Catbells from KeswickHARD
Catbells from Keswick
16.8km · 431m climb · Loop
You earn the Catbells summit the long way, with kilometres of lakeside running each side of the climb and no car needed from Keswick.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 20261 ran this
Catbells, Maiden Moor, Dale Head and Hindscarth from LingholmVERY HARD
Catbells, Maiden Moor, Dale Head and Hindscarth from Lingholm
19.6km · 1,022m climb · Loop
Five Wainwright summits in one continuous Newlands ridge, from gentle Catbells along the airy skyline to the high point on Dale Head, with the valley falling away on both sides.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATE
Cathedral Cave from Elterwater
11.2km · 214m climb · Loop
You run straight into Cathedral Cave, a vast slate chamber with a pillar of rock holding up the roof and a shaft of daylight coming through. It is one of the strangest, best places to stop mid-run in the Lakes.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Coledale HorseshoeVERY HARD
Coledale Horseshoe
14.8km · 1,199m climb · Loop
Seven Wainwrights, 1,199m of climbing, and a long ridge with exposure on both sides. This is proper fell running territory — you need to move well on open ground.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Derwentwater Round from KeswickMODERATE
Derwentwater Round from Keswick
14.6km · 21m climb · Loop
A complete lap of one of Lakeland's most beautiful lakes on good paths, with the fells reflected in the water and barely a climb in sight.
Good for beginnersDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
VERY HARD
Elterwater and Ivy Crag
22.6km · 1,039m climb · Loop
Ivy Crag gives you the whole Langdale valley laid out below for a modest climb, and the loop links three lakes and a tarn without ever feeling like a slog.
No car neededDog friendly
Espresso RoundVERY HARD
Espresso Round
22.6km · 1,055m climb · Loop
All four summits are visible from George Fisher's cafe window, so you can plan the whole thing over a coffee before you go and pick out exactly what you're about to climb.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Fairfield Horseshoe ExtendedEXPERT
Fairfield Horseshoe Extended
33.1km · 2,287m climb · Loop
You get the full Fairfield ridge plus a there-and-back tag of Helvellyn thrown in, so a route runners already know becomes a proper full-day mountain outing without ever leaving a path.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
VERY HARD
Garburn Pass from Staveley
31.8km · 813m climb · Loop
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.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Grasmere, Rydal Caves and the Coffin RouteMODERATE
Grasmere, Rydal Caves and the Coffin Route
14.0km · 192m climb · Loop
You run into the huge man made chamber of Rydal Cave and back along the centuries old Coffin Route, all on gentle paths between two lakes.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARD
Hawkshead and Tarn Hows
16.1km · 488m climb · Loop
You link two of the most photographed spots in the southern Lakes, the necklace of Tarn Hows and the reedy shore of Esthwaite Water, on quiet paths that stay low and runnable throughout.
No car neededDog friendly
HARD
Helm Crag, Calf Crag and Steel fell from Grasmere
13.4km · 639m climb · Loop
Helm Crag gives you the Lion and the Lamb, the most recognisable summit rocks in the Lakes, and the ridge beyond turns a short outing into a proper little horseshoe above Grasmere.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Helvellyn DoubleEXPERT
Helvellyn Double
36.7km · 2,856m climb · Loop
It takes two of the Lake District's best-known summits and links them properly, so instead of picking Fairfield or Helvellyn for the day, you get both, with the climbing to prove it.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jul 20261 ran this
Helvellyn from ThirlmereVERY HARD
Helvellyn from Thirlmere
10.7km · 812m climb · Loop
You gain the summit of a 950m Wainwright in well under an hour of climbing, then drop back to the car on grass you can really open up on.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Helvellyn Range and St Sunday Crag from GlenriddingVERY HARD
Helvellyn Range and St Sunday Crag from Glenridding
20.6km · 1,300m climb · Loop
Seven summits of the Eastern Fells in one continuous high-level horseshoe, finishing over St Sunday Crag with Ullswater filling the view ahead.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge from PatterdaleVERY HARD
Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge from Patterdale
12.7km · 824m climb · Loop
This is the postcard round of Helvellyn: up the knife-edge of Striding Edge, across the 950m summit, and down Swirral with Red Tarn below the whole way.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jul 2026
Helvellyn via Swirral Edge and Striding Edge from ThirlmereVERY HARD
Helvellyn via Swirral Edge and Striding Edge from Thirlmere
11.3km · 998m climb · Loop
You get the two most famous ridges on the fell, Swirral and Striding Edge, on a route that still starts and finishes on the quiet Thirlmere side.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jul 2026
Kentmere HorseshoeVERY HARD
Kentmere Horseshoe
20.3km · 1,108m climb · Loop
High-level ridge running with minimal descent until the end. The views across Kentmere Reservoir and to the surrounding fells are some of the best in the eastern Lakes.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARD
Kentmere Valley Circuit
17.7km · 756m climb · Loop
Kentmere is one of the few Lakeland valleys with no through road and no crowds, so you get big fell scenery and quiet lanes a short run from Staveley's cafes.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARD
Lakeland Trails Ambleside 14k
13.8km · 505m climb · Loop
You get the full Lakeland Trails Ambleside route: a climb through ancient Skelghyll Woods to the Jenkin Crag view over Windermere, then a fell finish over Loughrigg with the Langdale Pikes ahead.
No car neededDog friendly
Latrigg from KeswickMODERATE
Latrigg from Keswick
8.3km · 288m climb · Out & back
The classic Keswick viewpoint reached on a quick loop, with the whole sweep of Derwentwater and the Borrowdale fells laid out from a friendly grassy summit.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARD
Longsleddale from Staveley
18.8km · 461m climb · Loop
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.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATE
Newton Fell from Lindale
11.5km · 386m climb · Loop
Newton Fell is the Lake District almost nobody runs, a quiet ridge above Morecambe Bay with huge views over the sands, the Kent estuary and the higher fells beyond.
No car neededDog friendly
Reston Scar and Brunt KnottHARD
Reston Scar and Brunt Knott
12.6km · 617m climb · Loop
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.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
Robinson, Dale Head, High Spy and Catbells from LingholmVERY HARD
Robinson, Dale Head, High Spy and Catbells from Lingholm
20.9km · 1,175m climb · Loop
Five Wainwrights in one flowing 20.9km round, finishing along the famous Catbells ridge with Derwentwater spread out below and a celebrated cafe at the start and finish.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
HARD
Rydal Water and Loughrigg Terrace
13.1km · 699m climb · Loop
Loughrigg Terrace serves up the classic view down Grasmere, and the loop drops you past the great cavern of Rydal Cave, all on gentle ground between two of the loveliest small lakes in the district.
No car neededDog friendly
Sallows and Sour Howes from StaveleyHARD
Sallows and Sour Howes from Staveley
19.3km · 480m climb · Loop
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.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
EXPERT
Scafell Pike from Seathwaite
14.7km · 971m climb · Loop
You top out on Scafell Pike, the roof of England at 978m, from the green Borrowdale side, and the Corridor country you cross to get there is as wild as the Lakes gets.
Fell runNo car needed
VERY HARD
Scandale Horseshoe from Ambleside
20.6km · 1,106m climb · Loop
Scandale is the quiet valley next door to the crowded Fairfield Horseshoe, so you get the same big eastern-fell views and ridgelines with a fraction of the traffic.
No car neededDog friendly
Skiddaw and Blencathra via Lonscale FellVERY HARD
Skiddaw and Blencathra via Lonscale Fell
23.2km · 1,412m climb · Loop
Four Northern Fell Wainwrights in one continuous round, including the roof of the region on Skiddaw and the dramatic edges of Blencathra.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jul 2026
Staveley and Kentmere ValleyHARD
Staveley and Kentmere Valley
17.7km · 419m climb · Loop
Low-key Lake District running at its best. No crowds, good tracks, and the Hawkshead Brewery tap at the end. The Lakes without fighting for parking at Wasdale.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jun 2026
HARD
Staveley Round
17.4km · 462m climb · Loop
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.
No car neededDog friendly
Tour de HelvellynEXPERT
Tour de Helvellyn
58.6km · 2,129m climb · Loop
A genuine ultra-distance day that shows you the Helvellyn range from every angle without ever queuing for Striding Edge - based on the established Tour de Helvellyn race route.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
Ultra Tour of StaveleyEXPERT
Ultra Tour of Staveley
61.6km · 2,866m climb · Loop
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.
Fell runNo car needed
Checked Jun 2026
MODERATE
Vale of Rydal
19.0km · 317m climb · Loop
You get the full Wordsworth vale, Rydal Water, Grasmere and the paths the poet knew by heart, on a longer low loop that keeps the running easy and the scenery constant.
No car neededDog friendly
Walla Crag, Castle Crag and Derwentwater from KeswickHARD
Walla Crag, Castle Crag and Derwentwater from Keswick
26.2km · 719m climb · Loop
Two contrasting little Wainwrights on one long lap, the airy edge of Walla Crag above Derwentwater and the steep slate cone of Castle Crag deep in Borrowdale.
Dog friendly
Checked Jul 20261 ran this
Wansfell Pike, Sour Howes and Sallows from AmblesideVERY HARD
Wansfell Pike, Sour Howes and Sallows from Ambleside
19.6km · 1,008m climb · Loop
Three Wainwrights for the price of one popular summit, swapping the crowds of Wansfell Pike for the empty grassy tops of Sour Howes and Sallows.
No car neededDog friendly
Checked Jul 2026
MODERATE
Wray Castle and Claife
9.8km · 181m climb · Loop
You run the quiet west shore of Windermere, England's largest lake, with a mock-Gothic castle at the start and the restored Claife Viewing Station framing the classic view across the water.
Good for beginnersNo car needed

Races in Lake District

All Lake District races →

The next races starting in Lake District, with runner reviews and what people wore where we have them. Train on the routes above.

25

Sept

2026

13 Valleys Ultra

Keswick, Cumbria · 13 Valleys Ultra

A full circumnavigation of the Lake District from Keswick, out and back through every valley.

185.7 km7,000 m climb
Navigation requiredRuns through the night

Event full

26

Sept

2026

7 Valleys Ultra

Waterhead, Ambleside, Cumbria · 13 Valleys Ultra

Waterhead to Keswick the long way, over High Street and through the central fells.

110.6 km3,981 m climb
Navigation requiredRuns through the night

Event full

26

Sept

2026

5 Valleys Ultra

Waterhead, Ambleside, Cumbria · 13 Valleys Ultra

Waterhead to Keswick over five valleys, waymarked the whole way.

58.1 km2,303 m climb

Event full

27

Sept

2026

2 Valleys

Keswick, Cumbria · 13 Valleys Ultra

A Keswick loop through the Glenderaterra Valley and back round Latrigg.

21 km439 m climb

Entries open

About running in Lake District

The biggest fell running country in England: steep climbs, long runnable ridges and flat lake laps for the easy days, from Catbells to the Bob Graham legs.

Nowhere else in England gives you this much mountain in one place. Keswick, Ambleside, Grasmere and Staveley all make good bases, several with routes you can run straight from town. The fells make their own weather and it changes fast with height, so check the forecast for the summit, not the valley. The ground runs from good lakeside paths to exposed rocky ridges, so read the grade before you commit. Every route has a free GPX download and an honest TRP Grade.

Safety reminder

In an emergency call 999 or 112 — ask for Police then Mountain Rescue.

No signal? Pre-register emergency SMS: text register to 999.

Safety guides →

Common questions

There are 47 trail running routes in Lake District on Trail Running Planet, covering 27 areas. All routes include free GPX downloads and honest grading.