The Grand Edale Circular
The full Peak District experience — deep peat bog, gritstone edges, and those big Kinder views. Earn the ridge on the way back in.
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Mostly on runnable ground, but most runners still walk the steepest climbs.
A serious Peak District circuit from Edale village taking in Kinder Scout, the Great Ridge, and the high moors. Nearly 29km with 1300m of climbing — one of the toughest routes in the Peak.
The full Peak District experience — deep peat bog, gritstone edges, and those big Kinder views. Earn the ridge on the way back in.
The route
From Edale village, the route climbs steeply onto Kinder Scout (636m) — the highest point in the Peak District. The Kinder plateau is notoriously boggy and navigation is genuinely challenging in cloud. After crossing the plateau, the route picks up the Great Ridge between Mam Tor and Lose Hill before a long descent back to Edale.
Kinder in the wet
The plateau is peat moorland — deep, wet, and featureless in cloud. If you haven't run Kinder before, go with someone who has. Clear conditions transform it.
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Deep peat bogs on Kinder plateau — disorientating in cloud. Navigation complex in poor visibility. Rocky sections on the Great Ridge require care. The plateau holds water badly after rain.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
- Most runners complete The Grand Edale Circular in 4 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 50 minutes, depending on pace and conditions.
GPX checked
Distance, ascent and grade are calculated from the GPX file. Nobody has run this one for us yet, so treat the description as a plan rather than a report. How we check routes
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Runner reports
Nobody's logged a run here yet. If you get out on it, a few lines about how it went helps the next person plan their day.
Routes nearby
Start from a town: Edale 4.9 km
Races on this ground
All Peak District races →Races starting within 20 km of the The Grand Edale Circular start, nearest first. If you are entered for one, this route is the rehearsal.
26
Sept
2026
Ladybower Reservoir
Hope, Derbyshire · RunThrough Trails · 1 miles away
Peak District moorland from the Hope Valley.
Entries open
21
Nov
2026
Peak District South & North
Edale, Derbyshire · Ranger Ultras · 3 miles away
Fifty kilometres on the Saturday, forty-three on the Sunday, or both across one weekend.
Entries open
9
Jan
2027
Winter Spine Challenger South
Edale, Derbyshire · The Spine Race · 3 miles away
Edale to Hardraw, the southern hundred of the Pennine Way in winter.
Event full
9
Jan
2027
Winter Spine Sprint South
Edale, Derbyshire · The Spine Race · 3 miles away
Forty-six miles from Edale over Kinder and Bleaklow.
Event full