The weekend of July 28th-30th will see the 15th running of the Lakeland 100-mile and 50-mile races. This first post outlines brief essential details of the race. I have also aimed to draw various key statistics about the race into one place.
In a second post HERE I preview some of the leading runners.
Montane Lakeland 100 and 50 mile race Start Lists.
Entry lists for the both the 100 and the 50 mile races can be viewed HERE
Live tracking will also be available HERE
OVER 2,000 ENTRIES
The entry lists show well over 2,000 entries across the two races, with over 700 in the 100 mile and over 1500 in the 50 mile. While there will be the inevitable fall off in numbers on the actual start line, it can certainly lay claim to being the largest 100 mile and 50 mile fields assembled in Great Britain.
Why does Montane Lakeland 100 stands out from the crowd?
While there are now an increasing number of ultras-races of different distances in the Lake District, this seems to be the one that has consistently grown and is now on many runners’ wish lists.
AS well as being a target race for mere mortals just aiming to finish, it also tends to attract a good sharp end to both races.
The race website proclaims the race to be “The UK’s premier ultra-distance Trail Race.“ It certainly does have a good case for making this claim, along with other events.
It also claims to be “The most spectacular long-distance trail race which has ever taken place in the UK.
That is indeed a bold claim. Many runners and race organisers would make a good case for other events throughout the country.
Even for other events in the Lakes, as the event tends to wind through valleys and around main summits, rather than go over any of the Lake’s spectacular ridges like Helvellyn or popular summits like Scaell or Skiddaw.
However, let’s not get too picky, but accept that a 100-mile circuit in the Lake District, wherever it goes, certainly ticks two key boxes for anyone. A life-enhancing experience in splendid and spectacular scenery. The small army of volunteers, many working quietly away unseen in the background ensure the event works well. The visible checkpoint crews, who bring the event to life by offering physical and emotional support to all the runners fast and slow, also help to make the event an enjoyable experience.
The route of the Montane Lakeland 100 and 50
The 100-mile race starts and finishes in the village of Coniston at 6 pm on Friday, 28th July.
The route encompasses one loop around the Lake District and has 6,300 metres climb.
After going through the western lakes via Eskdale, Wasdale and Buttermere, some of which will be in darkness, it reaches Keswick.
It continues to Matterdale, through Dalemain, and on past Haweswater
and through Kentmere before reaching Ambleside.
The race is self-supported, with crew support not allowed. However, the villages and towns like Keswick, Pooley Bridge and Ambleside gives friends, and family a chance to see their runner as they pass through.
The last 20 miles take you to Langdale before climbing back and over to Coniston.
Fourteen well-stocked checkpoints have to be reached by cut-off times. The cut-off for the complete 100 miles is 40 hours.
Allegedly 40-50% of the 100-mile runners fail to finish this event.
100 mile race records and Stats.
100 mile Course records,
The current course records are held by Mark Darbyshire for the men with 19:10:27, set in 2021, and by Beth Pascall for the women with 21:29:36 in 2016.
The 100-mile winners since 2008, when the race started, are listed below
The top ten fastest 100-mile times are shown in the chart below.
Total Lakeland 100-mile finishers each year 2028-2022
The number of finishers year on year since the first races in 2008 , in some ways mirror the rise and growth of trail running as a top level sport, and as a key recreational activity. There are many runners now who, a few years ago ,never thought they were capable of running 50 or a 100 miles. Finishers of course do not reflect actual entries as a good percentage of entrants either don’t reach the start line or having started door make the finish. Lakeland like other top ultra races has a cap on entries as well.
Montane Lakeland 50 Mile race
The 50-mile event has 3,100 meters of climb.
The race website claims it to be “one of the greatest ultra-trail challenges in Europe if not the World.”
Again, other worthy options are available.
The course starts at Dalemain, in the North East Lakes near Penrith, and runs over the second half of the 100-mile route. See map above
The race starts at 11:30am on Saturday and has a cut-off of 24 hours.There are six manned checkpoints, identical t the last six checkpoints of the 100 mile race. The race starts at 11:30am on Saturday and has a cut-off of 24 hours.If you do the Math, you will realise that unlike the 100, an experienced hiker can walk the 50 miles within the time limit.
Like the longer 100-mile race, it attracts some of Britain’s top trail runners, aiming to stand on the podium and run close to 8 hours or less. It also attracts walkers and hikers taking on their challenge of just completing 50 miles.
Although neither course takes you over any of the famous Lakeland summits or ridges, it still packs a punch with some challenging climbs and remote and beautiful places.
50 mile Course records and Stats.
The current 50-mile course records are held by the husband and wife team of Casper and Katie Kaars-Sijpesteijn. Caspar set the men’s record of 7:34:07 in 2016, and Katie the women’s record, with 8:02:19 in 2022. This broke her previous mark from 2017 by a mere 13 seconds.
The 50-mile winners since 2008, when the race started, are listed below.
The top ten fastest Lakeland 50-mile times to date are in the chart below.
Total finishers in the 50 miles each year.
With the large entry for both races, there is every chance that both races will see record numbers of finishers in 2023.
Thanks in order to Katie and Kim for being my unofficial proof readers and keeping me right on some stats!
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