The Lakeland Trails 100k Ultra is our ultimate trail with its iconic midnight start, taking the challenge to a new, but achievable level for a truly memorable journey encompassing the finest trails the Lake District has to offer.
The 55k Ultra is a testing ultra marathon course through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the Lake District. The tough, challenging course will certainly live up to its billing as the most picturesque ultra marathon in the UK.
As well as those whose goal is to complete their first Ultra, expect things to be competitive at the front. The 2021 100k also doubled up as the British Athletics Championships with runners George Foster and Team inov-8's Merryl Cooper setting a high bar for future runners with course records of 9h30m11s and 11h32m19s respectively.
One of the great things about the Lakeland Trails Ultra is those at both ends of the field can expect a warm reception from the friendliest marshals you'll find!
The 55k route includes 3 mountain passes, with 7,000 ft ascent along with 5 well-stocked feed stations.
The 100k route adds in an extra 2 passes, 3500 ft more climbing and 3 feedstations.
The 23k and 14k routes share some of the final sections of our Ultra courses with spectacular views guaranteed.
The courses are all fully waymarked and marshalled with gpx files available.
The 100k Ultra is worth 4 ITRA points (courses validated for 2022) and the 55k Ultra is worth 3 ITRA points . (Please note - to qualify for points in the 55k you must run in the 'Race' and not the 'Challenge')
The start and finish arena will be quite a party, with entertainment, food stalls, trade and retail stands and PA commentary.
Your entry fee includes:
Professional photo memento taken out on the course by professional sports photographers James Kirby and Paul Mitchell
Real-time GPS tracking for Ultra 100k. Electronic chip timing with live results for other events.
Fully waymarked and marshalled route
GPX files of the route to download for the Ultra distances
8 feed stations (100k) 5 feed stations (55k), 2 feed stations (23k)
Online entry administration fee
Great atmosphere with MC and commentators, along with entertainment at the start/finish venue
Professional Advanced Life Support Medical Cover from Event Safety Group
Professional Radio Communications
Public Liability and Events Insurance
VAT
00:01
£150 / U25 £100
FULL
The Ultra 100k is an epic, fully waymarked and marshalled journey around the Lake District. We invest heavily in all aspects of the event, in particular safety on the course, with advanced life support medics, radio communications and marshals. We also provide an iconic start & finish venue at Ambleside, with entertainments, to give you not just a great, well organised ultra marathon course through dramatic Lake District mountain scenery, but also a great day out for you, your friends and family. There is a 23 hour time limit for this event and entrants must be 18 or over. GPS Tracking is included in the entry fee. You will have the option to purchase an event-specific t-shirt for £12.50 when you enter.
Challenge: 09:00 and Race: 10:00
£82.50 / U25 £58
Final Places
A testing, but achievable, fully waymarked and marshalled Ultra marathon course through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the Lake District. The route certainly lives up to the billing as one of the most picturesque ultra marathons in the UK. Entrants must be 18 years old or over and there is a 13 hour cut off for the Challenge / 12 hour cut off for the Race. Please note that prizes for the Ultra 55k are only available to those in the 10am 'Race' start. You will have the option to purchase an event-specific t-shirt for £12.50 when you enter. Race timing is included, with a 1/2 way split time but you will also have the option to hire a GPS tracker for dot-watching friends and family.
11:00am
£42.50 / U25 £20
Starting and finishing from the same location as our Ultra marathon runners the 23K route takes in a scenic climb out of Ambleside with stunning views along Windermere before splitting from the 14K at Rydal Water, where it heads along the old Coffin Trail to Grasmere, joining the ultra routes for the spectacular views in the Langdale valley. There is a 5 hour time limit for this event and events must be 18 or over. You will have the option to add a t-shirt to your entry for just £12.50. Checkout the News article and Ts and Cs for more information.
13.00
£32.50 / U25 £15
Starting and finishing from the same location as our Ultra marathon runners the route takes in a scenic climb out of Ambleside with stunning views along Windermere before splitting from the 23k course at Rydal Water and finishing over Loughrigg with stunning views of the Langdales. There is a 3 hour time limit for this event and entrants must be 17 or over. You will have the option to add an event-specific t-shirt to your entry for just £12.50 when you enter. Checkout the News article and Ts and Cs for more information.
NB the Ultra starts at 00:01 ie Friday night!
All of the pre-race information is now shown below, please take time to read ALL of this information.
The event requires over 100 marshals and stewards, so if you want to volunteer to help us in any way we would love to hear from you. Check out our volunteers' page for more details.
Can you fill your car with someone from your local club or car share? We've set up a Facebook group to help arrange that. Join that HERE to save money and emissions.
Send us a photo / screenshot of your public transport ticket to the event, or a photo of your bike in the event ground HERE and we'll randomly choose someone for a FREE entry.
We won't be holding a Safety Briefing as all of the ESSENTIAL information is covered below.
❌ There is NO parking at Rothay Park (our event village)
✅ For pedestrian access, use the postcode LA22 9DH
✅ Follow THIS LINK to Saturday's event parking and then follow our car park signs
✅ All day parking is £5 for cars, £6 for vans
✅If the ground is soft, use LOW revs and set off in a straight line
❌Only SMALL vans (max. VW Transporter) are permitted on our event parking (anything bigger could get stuck at the entrance and cause problems for everyone else)
❌ NO EXIT before 1pm as the car park is down a narrow lane
✅ Race number to be collected on the day AT LEAST 1 hour before your Start Time (within registration opening hours)
✅Your race number must be attached HORIZONTALLY or the timing chip won’t be read
✅ Set off at your allocated time or you won't show on the Results
✅You can swap your entry to a shorter distance at least 1 hour before the earliest Start Time of the two (e.g. if you wanted to swap to a 1pm Challenge to the 2pm Race, 12pm is the deadline).
✅To arrange this you can either: edit your entry online before Thursday 3rd July or see us in person at Registration
✅ Carry your own water or bring your own cup for the water stations on course or by the marquee
✅ If you arrive at a closed gate, please close it behind you – there may be sheep in the fields
✅ If you find the terrain is tricky, be prepared to slow down so that you can negotiate it safely
❌No over ear or in ear headphones (bone conducting ones permitted)
❌Snot rockets or spitting on the course
❌No pushing past other runners or members of the public
✅ Be considerate to other trail and road users - our events rely on the goodwill of others
✅ Have a wonderful day
Please note, registration for each race closes 1 hour before your scheduled start time.
Ultra 100k and 55k Start Lists are published below alongside the Ambleside 14k & 23k ones. They were last updated on 8th July.
Race numbers are collected when you register and kit check.
You will be able to swap to a shorter distance at the event when you register, so long as you're at least one hour before the start time of the earliest contest you are swapping to / from (or the close of Registration). See Susan at Registration and please be patient.
Friday 11th July 2025
14:00 Registration / kit check opens in the main marquee at Rothay Park for Lakeland Trails Ultra 100K and Ultra 55K
20:00 Registration closes
Saturday 12th July 2025
00:01 START: Lakeland Trails Ultra 100K (23 hour time limit)
06:45 Car Park opens at Rydal Farm
07:00 Registration opens (For the Ultra 55K we recommend you register on Friday in case of last-minute delays)
09:00 START: Lakeland Trails Ultra 55K Challenge (13 hour time limit)
10:00 START: Lakeland Trails Ultra 55K Race (12 hour time limit)
11:00 START: Lakeland Trails 23K (5 hour time limit)
13:00 START: Lakeland Trails 14K (3 hour time limit)
15:00 Children's Fun Trails (Please listen for announcements as this may be subject to change)
15.30 Après Trails live music with singer / songwriter Pete Lashley
16.30 Prize giving & spot prize giving for 23K and 14K
Sunday 13th July 2025
11:00 Après Trails Party including live music from the amazing Pete Lashley
12:00 Prize Giving and Spot Prize Giving for 100K and 55K
Registration (and ID & Kit Check for the Ultra events - see the tab below) will take place in the main marquee. Numbers are also collected at Registration
For the 14k & 23k, Registration closes 1 hour before your Start Time.
Ultra 55k and 100k runners need to collect their race numbers and have a compulsory kit check before setting off. Please allow plenty of time for this and if you’re running in the 55k, please try and register on the Friday between 2pm and 8pm. Please note, there are NO exceptions to kit check requirements.
Ultra 100k runners - Please note photographic ID will be required (Driving License / Passport) to collect your Race Number
If you’ve got any questions about your entry, please go to the Enquiries desk on the right-hand side of the main marquee and a friendly face will help you.
Please note there are no entries on the day and entries cannot be transferred to another runner. Runners competing with someone else's number will be disqualified and will not be eligible for prizes or appear in the results. We will also prevent them from taking part in future Lakeland Trails events, such is the safety risk if something were to happen to a person whose details we don’t have on our system.
There will be a baggage storage area adjacent to the main marquee and Ultra 100k runners will have the option of leaving a bag to collect at the Glenridding Checkpoint.
Participation Statement
All participants in the Ultra must agree with the Participation Statement which is available to download HERE.
(There are no compulsory kit requirements for the 14k and 23k runs)
Our kit check is run by our Crew & volunteers who are part of the team helping you to have a safe and enjoyable event. While kit check can be a stressful part of registration, please treat them with respect and remember that any questions they may have about your kit are simply for your safety.
Please note that, regardless of the forecast or conditions on the day, there will be no change to these kit requirements, which form part of our approved Risk Assessments and Event Management Plans. Even on a hot summer’s day, it is not unknown for a hailstorm to roll in and for the temperatures to plummet. Some sections of the course are at a high elevation and would take some time to reach in case of an emergency.
Please note photographic ID will be required (Driving License / Passport) to collect your Race Number
You can download a copy of the Kit List HERE
KIT LIST
Full waterproof body cover, top (jacket) and bottom (trousers) A windproof is not sufficient. These items should have taped seams and the jacket should have a hood. If it doesn’t have taped seams, it won’t pass the kit check.
Head torch (fully charged) (AND for the 100k - with spare batteries or an extra headtorch)
First aid kit (to include minimum blister plasters, bandage and zinc oxide tape/ other tape to secure dressing)
You should also include any items you may need including any regular medication. We do not recommend the use of NSAIDs (e.g. Ibuprofen) during the race.
Spare base layer top, long-sleeved Base layer top needs to be long sleeved. Arm sleeves alone are not acceptable.
Hat & gloves. A Buff is acceptable as the hat.
Whistle Please check that it works in advance, especially if it is part of your running vest.
Mobile phone (fully charged) Please save our Safety HQ number 0161 818 2725 into your phone (only active on the Event Day for emergencies only)
Emergency foil blanket OR bivi bag
Emergency food & drink A minimum of 100ml of water (in a separate small bottle / soft flask) and one energy / chocolate bar. These items should be unopened when you cross the finish line.
We also advise you wear suitable trail running shoes and carry sun cream.
You are welcome to use a compass, poles and GPS but the course is fully marked
Feedstations are to supplement your own food and drink supplies.
Please arrive at the start with a full pack of water (1 – 2litres) and plenty of snacks to keep you going.
As part of our commitment to reduce our environmental impact, please play your part by coming self-sufficient with your own water supplies or bring your own re-useable cup. We will not be supplying cups at the Water Stations so please bring your own to be filled with Lake District water.
There are 9 Feed / Water Stations on the Ultra 100k course and 6 on the Ultra 55k course. You can view and download the information HERE.
The Trail Run 23k has 2 Feed Stations at Grasmere (9km) and Langdale School (15km). These will offer bananas, flapjack and water.
On the shorter Train Run 14k, we have added in a water station at 8.5km but we highly recommend setting off with water of your own.
Strict Safety Cut Off Times will be operated for the event - these have been prepared for the safety of everyone in consultation with mountain rescue, safety, medical and communications experts and will be strictly adhered to.
Feedstation location and safety cut off information is available HERE.
Bag Drop - 100k runners can leave one bag at our bag drop in the marquee - nothing larger than a 20l rucksack. This bag will be available at the Glenridding checkpoint. You will need to affix the baggage label that you receive at registration to this bag and leave it in the marquee no later than 8pm on Friday. The bags will be returned to Ambleside from the Glenridding checkpoint once it has closed to the Ultra 55k runners and the Crew have cleared everything away.
If you need to retire from the event, it is ESSENTIAL that you hand in your race number and timing dibber and / or tracker at a checkpoint or at the finish line. We have had instances when people have not done this and it leads to worry and a long night for our crew as we ensure unaccounted for runners are safe.
If you retire, we ask in the first instance that you get back to Ambleside under your own steam if at all possible. Maybe you could be collected from a checkpoint by family / friends? So long as you have confirmed your retirement with marshals at a checkpoint, and handed in your number and dibber/tracker, you do not need to return to Event HQ.
If getting back to Ambleside is not possible, we will do our best to bring you back with our checkpoint crew but there may be a significant wait.
If you retire at a checkpoint, an extra pair of hands is always welcome!
All Ultra 100k runners and those 55k runners who selected the option will be tracked and timed using GPS trackers.
You are liable for the safe return of your tracker / dibber. Non-returned ones will be charged at £50.
Follow your runners using the tracking links here:
100k (all runners)
55k (those runners who opted in)
With bus prices are capped at just £3 per journey, why not relax and take in the stunning scenery along the route, save on the cost of parking and reduce your carbon footprint?
Ambleside is on the 505, 555, 599 and 755 Bus Routes from Kendal and the 555 Bus Route from Keswick. The bus stop is only a few minute's walk from Rothay Park. You can find the latest timetable HERE
Send us a photo of your public transport ticket for all or part of your journey and we'll award one lucky winner at each event with a FREE ENTRY to a future event. Email your photos HERE
The environmental impact of travelling by car is much reduced if it's full so why not join up with your friends / running club members to travel together? If your car has 4 or more occupants, parking is FREE! There's always plenty to do in and around our venue and visiting local businesses helps support them too. Visit our Car Share group on Facebook HERE to start planning!
If you arrive by bike, we’ll have a bike rack available (bikes left at your own risk). Please use the link above to email us a photo of your race number and bike in Rothay Park to be entered into the sustainable travel prize draw.
Camping is available at Ambleside Football Club, adjacent to Rothat Park, our Event HQ at a cost of £15pppn, which includes access to toilets and hot showers. It is a quiet site and noisy groups are not permitted.
Please contact Dan at the club direct: daniel1988nevinson@gmail.com We are not respsonible for any of the booking process or the facilities offered.
There is no vehicle access to Rothay Park at any time.
For Registration on the Friday, there is plenty of on-street parking which requires a parking disc, freely available from many of the local shops.
We have bus information under the 'sustainable travel' tab above. With bus tickets only £3 per journey, why not arrive at the event relaxed and enjoy the scenery on the way?
If you arrive by bike, we’ll have a bike rack available (bikes left at your own risk).
All day parking is £5 cars and £6 for vans. Alternatively, fill your car with 4 or more passengers and park for FREE. We prefer payment by card machine, although we can accept cash. Please use our Car Sharing Facebook group to either offer or request a lift.
Our official car park is only open from 6:45am on the Saturday morning at Rydal Showground, a 1km walk to the start. The car park will be signposted north of Ambleside and you can find it using Google Maps from this link. Please pay by contactless card or use exact change.
Please note that vehicles larger than a VW Transporter van cannot be accommodated ie NO motorhomes or large camper vans and NO overnight parking.
If you wish to park closer to the Event Village, please use one of the public car parks in Ambleside. There will be plenty of capacity but do please allow sufficient time in case of delays. Miller Bridge car park, postcode LA22 0EE is located just behind Rothay Park. We are not responsible for the car parking at this site. This car park is also suitable for Ultra 100k runners who aren't camping.
If you are planning on using the following GPX files to navigate, please ensure you have the latest versions downloaded. We may be making a slight modification to the Ultra 55k route going past Brotherswater.
The most up-to-date gpx files are available to download from the the following links: Ultra 55k 280623 and Ultra 100k 280623 (right click and 'Save as' to download the files).
The shorter Trail Run 23k & 14k cross over sections of private land so we are unable to share the GPX files for them.
All courses will be well marked and marshalled by our magnificent Lakeland Trails volunteers, all of whom work hard to make your run as enjoyable and safe as possible. The courses have a variety of terrain, mainly beautiful, scenic hard packed trails with the occasional muddy section!
Please stay alert on any road sections and keep close to the right hand side. Our marshals don’t have authority to stop traffic, so please be prepared to slow down and wait if necessary.
Please be attentive at the end of your event as the route takes you through one of our parking fields.
If you think the terrain is too tricky, it’s fine to slow down or walk and take in the views! Some gates on the course may not be staffed so if you arrive at a closed gate, please close it after you – there will be lots of lambs in the fields and we want them to stay there. There are sections of private land which may only be used on race day and please put any litter in your pocket until you reach a bin.
For safety, in ear headphones are not allowed - but we do allow bone conductor headphones which enable peripheral sound to be heard.
Please also be considerate to other trail and road users. We share access with them and we rely on the goodwill of others to make our events possible.
VERY IMPORTANT: DOGS AREN’T ALLOWED ON THE COURSE
All contests set off from Rothay Park.
The finish is under our inov8 gantry. When you cross the finish line, it’s really important that your whole number is clearly visible so we can give you a shout out and cross check our timing system in case of any queries. Failure to display your number may result in disqualification
Once you’ve finished, if you've ordered a t-shirt you will be available to collect it from inside the marquee.
Results will be available in real-time via our website.
Pete Bland Sports will be onsite providing expert advice, selling a wide range of the latest inov8 products and race essentials with great discounts on all inov8 footwear and clothing – even their exciting new products.
There will be some great food and drink stalls including exciting offerings from our local caterers. Our regular caterers include Fiery Mammas Pizza, Katvandhu and Wrap Ninjas, with great coffees from The Coffee Bug and Podda and Wren Coffee. We sometimes have guest traders too! We use all small local businesses who sell locally sourced food.
A PA system with race commentary from our fantastic MC will keep you informed of progress of runners and give you a warm welcome as you cross the finish line!
Portable loos and a urinal unit are also on site.
We will have a fantastic selection of NEW merchandise available, including NEW sustainable 100% organic cotton hoodies & tees as well as Lakeland Trails' technical tees and NEW mugs. Check out our SHOP page for further information.
For the Ultra 55k and 100k, you can add a T shirt to your entry up to 3 weeks before the event (Sunday 21st June).
For Ambleside 23k and 14k runners event T-shirts also must be ordered in advance. It is possible to add one to your entry retrospectively by logging into your account, up to 3 weeks before the event (Sunday 21st June).
Your race number will indicate the style (unisex or female) and size of your t-shirt. If you have deferred from last year, we will order you a t-shirt if you requested one when you entered.
T-shirts can be collected in the marquee after you have completed your run but unfortunately cannot be collected on behalf of other people.
Please note - if you are not attending the event and want us to post your event t-shirt to you, we can do so for £5. Please make that payment HERE a minimum of 2 days before the event (by 10th July). We cannot arrange this any later and refunds are not available, in line with our Ts and Cs.
If it's your first event and you want to find out more about how the event works or have any questions, please introduce yourself to one of our friendly marshals and we will be happy to make sure you get the information you need!
All children Under 12 have the chance to run alongside, or maybe even in front of, Zeraffa, the long-lost cousin of the late and much-loved Gerry the Giraffe. Entry is only available on the day and is free for competitors’ children. The Fun Trails give children the buzz of the race day experience so please give them your support. You never know – they might be the next world champions! All the children are rewarded with a special finishers’ sticker. As the emphasis is on FUN and participation, there are no winners’ prizes. Bring your whole family along to make a great day of it!
The Fun Trails are scheduled to set off at 15:00 but please listen out for announcements as this is a large and complex event and timings sometimes need to be revised.
Spectators are very welcome and really help create a fantastic atmosphere in the event village. There is plenty of entertainment at the start and finish arena; bring deck chairs, rugs, cameras and a smile!
For this year we also recommend watching the Ultra 55k and 100k events from our NEW Feedstation Checkpoint at The Gather in Grasmere. This new checkpoint will be a great place to watch the runners in all our events, whilst enjoying some refreshements as the runners come through!
The legendary singer / songwriter Pete Lashley will be performing live for an hour with Prize Giving following on afterwards. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow competitors, the organising and marshalling teams.
There will be a great range of Spot Prizes up for grabs. We’ll choose the winning numbers at random during our Prize Giving ceremony.
Pete will be performing at 15:30 on the Saturday and again at 11:00 on the Sunday
We will have James Kirby and Paul Mitchell, our professional photographers on the courses. FREE photos will be available to download from www.Facebook.com/lakelandtrails on the Monday after the event.
Ultra 100k |
Open Class: First 3 Men & Women / Veteran Classes First Male / Female V40, V50, V60, V70 |
Ultra 55k |
Open Class: First 3 Men & Women / Veteran Classes First Male / Female V40, V50, V60, V70 |
Trail Run 23k |
Open Class: First 3 Men & Women / Veteran Classes First Male / Female V40, V50, V60, V70 |
Trail Run 14k |
Open Class: First 3 Male / Female |
Please note that prizes will not be posted out.
We’ve also have a range of Spot Prizes including free race entries and other goodies. Winners will be chosen at random and we'll have a few ways of selecting them!
The 55k and 100k courses have been evaluation by ITRA and awarded 3 and 4 points respectively. ITRA points are not awarded in the Ultra 55k Challenge, just the Race. Results will be submitted to them as soon as possible after the event.
Our events do not qualify towards the UTMB - please direct any queries about that to them direct.