Trail and Fell running in the Lake District
EXPLORE AND DISCOVER
We are located at the foot of the Helvellyn range with High Rigg, Clough Head and the three Dodds, Helvellyn and Blencathra in close proximity. From our fell gates you can run all the trails of the Helvellyn range without crossing a single road.
If you are recce’ing a Bob Graham, we are ‘underneath’ Leg 2 and within very easy distance of Leg 1 and Dunmail Raise at the start/end of Leg 3. To find out more about the Bob Graham, watch this 20 minute film of Elsey Davis’s Winter Bob record attempt. Inspirational!
As well as the Bob, Keswick is home to the start and end of the George Fisher Tea Round (previously known as Abraham’s Tea Round), which is a roughly 30 mile challenge to run around all the summits that can be seen from the George Fisher Tea Room. See Joanna’s race report for how she got on with this challenge. The Keswick Mountain Festival offers a high energy and very safe introduction to a wide range of sporting and outdoor events, as well as live music and inspirational speakers: we have taken part in all its running events over the years from 5K to 50K. Their events are a great way to test yourself and push your boundaries, and the festival arena, overlooking Derwentwater, offers all sorts of fun for spectators and supporters.
St. John’s-in-the-Vale is on the route for the Thirteen Valleys (and Seven and Five Valleys) ultra trail races, which explore all the valleys of the Lake District, very handy for the Tour de Helvellyn, and directly underneath the Lakes in a Day ultra route, which traverses the Lakes from North to South. If you prefer West to East, we are a stone’s throw from the halfway point of the Lakes Traverse route, so ideally located for both recce’ing and supporting runners on the race. We are also ideally located for the Lakeland 50 and 100 mile events, and Lakeland Trails 50 and 100 kilometre ultras. If you love the trails and want to feel inspired and to learn more, do listen to the Tea and Trails Podcast, a weekly trail running podcast that loves to talk about running, tea and trails. Hosts Edwina & Gary talk about recent ultra races, what’s been going on in their lives, coaching and interviewing a variety of runners and race organisers.
One top tip if you are planning ahead is to order a Harvey Map of one or more of the many fell race routes. If you happen to be here at the right time of year for the race, you’ll find them very friendly and welcoming affairs. But if not, the fell race routes are always brilliant adventures, and Harvey’s small, weatherproof maps remove all the guesswork. Of course, all our walking route recommendations and books can also be used for running routes.
For ‘easy’ running days we recommend taking the Coffin Track for a gentle run up to Low Rigg and Tewet Tarn, where you’ll be rewarded with wonderful views for very little ascent. A loop of High Rigg from Fornside offers a bit of everything you could want from the fells in under 9.5km – steep rocky ascents, rolling peaty tracks, tarns if you need a dip, speedy grassy downhills and views of all the other fells you might want to explore! Or why not try one running one of our fantastic easy-underfoot and easy-to-navigate walks?
PARKRUNS
Keswick surely has the highest ratio of ParkRuns to residents of any UK town! Choose from Keswick ParkRun, along a fast, flat tarmac’d railway line through a dramatic gorge, a challenging, hilly forest trail at Whinlatter ParkRun (both at 9am on Saturdays), or the 2km Keswick Junior ParkRun for 4-14 year olds in Fitz Park, at 9am on Sundays.
GUIDED RUNNING, RECCES AND RUNNING NAVIGATION, SAFETY & SKILLS COURSES
If you would feel more confident taking a guide, that can be a great option. As well as taking you on some magnificent routes, they will share tips and ideas to encourage your adventures.
If you are looking for a personal running guide, Jenny Bushell Adventures will design a bespoke itinerary around your requirements, whether you are seeking a particular mountain summit, a race recce, or just some great views! Jenny is a UKA Coach in Running Fitness and a qualified Mountain Leader, as well as a keen local trail and fell runner. She loves introducing people to her favourite routes, and is equally happy guiding you on a recce of your first fell race, exploring some lower-level trail running, or spending the day bagging Wainwright summits.
The superb team at NAV4 offer year-round Skills and Safety courses for fell and trail runners as well as recce days of many of the local races; Joanna has done two of their race recce days, and can attest that they were very informative and fun days out.
For those beginners with an interest in trying their foot at trail running, Into the Hills Trail Running offers workshops for beginner and improver runners, helping people understand navigation, kit and safety, as well as exploring the stunning local trails with supportive, friendly and experienced guides.
ROUTE PLANNING SUGGESTIONS – BOOKS AND MAPS
As above, Harvey Maps of the fell races are brilliant. If you have an annual subscription to OS’s online mapping app you can plot your routes in advance, and download these to your watch. Komoot and AllTrails routes are often good for running. Many of the big events listed above can be found on the route finder sections of OS maps, and then shortened or amended for recce’s or simply for great route ideas, no need to do the event. Joanna often runs a fell race route or a section of a big ultra because the routes are always spectacular and its a great way to explore a new area. George Fisher and Bookends in Keswick sell a variety of books with suggestions, our favourites, equally good for walking or running, are:
Great Mountain Days in The Lake District by Mark Richards As much as we love and use our Wainwrights books, we find that sometimes Alfred gives so many options that we spend hours debating and decision-making. Mark Richards does this planning for you, suggesting fifty circular routes with maps, drawings, photographs, gradings and estimated timings to help you match your group’s ability and confidence levels. The descriptions are enticing and informative and his selection of routes includes both some of the great classics and other lesser known, but equally delightful, trods and peaks. Definitely of the best guides to the fells we have tried
Peak Bagging Wainwrights by Karen and Dan Parker; suggests 45 routes to complete all 214 of Wainwright’s Fells in the most efficient way, based on Steve Birkinshaw’s incredible non-stop route around all of them in 2014.
OS, Komoot, Strava, Garmin, AllTrails and other apps are great for routing, but Mountain Rescue recommend that you always take a paper map and compass (and the skills to use these), just in case you lose signal or battery. Its also a good idea to tell someone where you plan to go, so that they can call for help if you don’t return when expected. Joanna emails a GPX of her planned route to someone who isn’t running with her, just in case.
SAFETY ON THE FELLS
Before heading out onto the fells we strongly advise that you fully prepare for unpredictable weather, and difficult terrain. We’ve put together a whole blog about this as it really could be a matter of life or death: Read this before you head for the hills! In summary: think about your skill level, remember that the weather can change quickly on the hills, and take emergency gear (especially a paper map, compass, bivvy and headtorch). The weather can change an easy walk into a significantly challenging experience. It’s also worth checking out Adventure Smart‘s guide to staying safe on the fells.
Finally, if you’d like to receive our full guide to crafting your perfect adventure, from conception to completion, designed specifically for those who want to challenge themselves, have a new personal goal and push their boundaries, sign up here. It contains information and resources to help you choose your epic challenge, guide you through the training and skills you’ll need to acquire, and all-importantly how to master your mindset for success.
