Lakeland Ultra Trail - what's so good about it and who should try it

CurraNZ ambassador, Rachel Langrish, is a seasoned runner and participant in the Lakeland Ultra Trail event and shares her knowledge on what’s so special about it, who should run it and how to prepare for it.

'I have been coming to the Lakeland 50/100 race weekend every year in some capacity (competitor/marshal/supporter) since 2013.  The Lakeland 50 was my first proper ultra in July 2013 and back before ultra running massively took off; I did enough to finish on the podium as second place female.  I was already scheduled to return in 2014 when it was announced the race would be the trial for the GB trail championships and I finished 5th female (the top 3 were selected to represent GB). 

As I was prioritising other races and working around the lockdown, I didn’t take on Lakeland 100 until 2023.  Despite poor training with an ankle sprain and issues from the start but especially from 40 miles onwards; I managed to finish in 15th female. 

Why it’s a good race to enter

It’s a very fun event and the community around the race are brilliant; both in the lead up to and during the whole race weekend!  Each of the check points on the 50 /100 mile events have a theme and it’s a great boost to the spirits of the runners to be greeted by a range of volunteers wearing different fancy dress themes!  It’s a sell out race every year via a ballot system which is testament to the popularity of the race.

Who should consider entering it?

Anyone who wants to experience beautiful trails, loves the great outdoors and is ready for a challenge.  The 50 mile race with 10,000ft elevation starts at Dalemain and finishes in Coniston. It is a very inclusive event due to the 24-hour finish line cut off which is very generous and open to all abilities; walkers as well.  There is normally around a 90% finish rate for this race.

The 100 miler (105 miles with 22,000ft) is known as the “Ultra Tour of the Lake District” starting and finishing in Coniston.  This race requires more experience and is a serious undertaking with a 40-hour cut off as well as tight cut offs along the way; meaning normally around 50% of the field finish.  Everyone including the race leaders has one full night out on the trail, but the majority of people have 2 nights out.  The race starts at 6pm Friday night and the cut off is 10pm Sunday morning; meaning sleep deprivation is a massive factor and by the time some competitors finish the 100 they could have been awake over 50 hours!

Tips on how to prepare for it

I think it depends what participants want out of the race for how it is best to prepare. 

For those wanting a decent time/performance in the 50 mile I think it’s useful to have a marathon training style approach say 3-6 months prior to the race to be in decent shape/fitness on runnable terrain.  Then in the last 3 months before the race get more specific spending time on the course and bringing in more hill work/stair master sessions. 

Those just aiming to complete the 50 miler with no time targets could probably get away with just a time on feet approach mainly hiking with a pack and focusing on what kit to take if they plan to be out a long time.

For the Lakeland 100 I think its preferable to have completed quite a few 50 mile races and maybe some races around the 20-24 hour mark before giving it a go.  This isn’t essential and some competitors go into the Lakeland 100 quite quickly once they have the qualifying criteria (of which finishing Lakeland 50 under 16 hours is one of them).  Though I think there are benefits to being a bit more of a well-rounded runner before attempting it.  It depends on your  life experience as well as some competitors have great skillsets from being in the forces/mountain rescue etc even though they haven’t completed a lot of races.

It is a great event in the Lakeland district and worth considering - check it out.