Kettlewell Ultra
Proper Dales miles — limestone scars, wide skies, and the kind of distance that sorts out who's eaten their breakfast. This is a full day out.
Effort: Ultra distance and major ascent
Underfoot: Open fell or rough terrain
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Mostly on runnable ground, but most runners still walk the steepest climbs.
A big Dales day from Kettlewell taking in high moorland, multiple dale heads, and classic limestone scenery. 43km with over 1700m of ascent — firmly in ultra-marathon territory.
Proper Dales miles — limestone scars, wide skies, and the kind of distance that sorts out who's eaten their breakfast. This is a full day out.
The route
From Kettlewell's National Park car park, the route climbs out of Wharfedale onto the high moorland linking the heads of the surrounding dales. Multiple ascents and descents visit remote dale heads before the final return along Wharfedale.
Be prepared
At 43km with 1700m of climbing, this is a serious undertaking. Know your bail-out options — there are limited escape routes on the high moor. Carry map, compass, and more food than you think you need.
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Make your route print →Long and remote route — be prepared for weather changes. Some pathless moorland. Limited shelter and water on high ground. Know your bail-out options before you set off.
Summits on this route
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.
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Common questions
- Most runners complete Kettlewell Ultra in 6 hours 15 minutes to 8 hours 25 minutes, depending on pace and conditions.
Run by us· last checked June 2026
Jason Millward has run this route and written it up from the ground. How we check routes
About the author
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: Kettlewell 2.1 km · Grassington 9.2 km
VERY HARD
VERY HARD
HARD
MODERATERaces on this ground
All Yorkshire Dales races →Races starting within 20 km of the Kettlewell Ultra start, nearest first. If you are entered for one, this route is the rehearsal.
19
Jun
2027
provisional
Kettlewell (Skirfare) Trail Races
Hawkswick Cote car park field, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 2 miles away
Out of Hawkswick Cote into upper Wharfedale, with nine hundred metres of climb on the half.
HARD TO VERY HARD
Not open yet
1
May
2027
Pennine Barrier Ultra 50
Malham, North Yorkshire · GB Ultras · 7 miles away
Fifty hard Dales miles out of Malham.
EXPERT
Entries open
4
Sept
2027
Malham Trail Races
Malham Show Field, Malham, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 7 miles away
From the Show Field at Malham into limestone country above the cove.
HARD
Entries open
17
Apr
2027
Burnsall Trail Races
Riverside car park field, Burnsall, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 8 miles away
Riverside paths and stone tracks out of Burnsall, on the Dales Way.
MODERATE TO HARD
Entries open
24
Apr
2027
Three Peaks Race
Horton in Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire · Three Peaks Race · 10 miles away
Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough from Horton, as it has been since 1954.
Not open yet
15
May
2027
Glorious Gargrave
Gargrave, North Yorkshire · It's Grim Up North Running · 11 miles away
A flat out-and-back on the Leeds & Liverpool towpath at Gargrave on the edge of the Dales, 5k to marathon, six and a half hours. A tougher towpath than most, they say.
Entries open
£18–£43