Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 training guide

Malham Cove to Fountains Fell

You climb Malham Cove at just over a mile, then follow the Pennine Way through the dry valley of Watlowes and past Malham Tarn. Fountains Fell follows before the first checkpoint on Silverdale Road at 12 miles. It is a lot of climbing early, so the first hour should feel almost too easy.

Pen-y-ghent, Ribblehead and Whernside

Pen-y-ghent comes next, then the long run round to Ribblehead Viaduct (21 miles) and the climb of Whernside before Philpin Farm at Chapel-le-Dale (27 miles). The organiser notes that the climb up Pen-y-ghent can get busy, so expect some queueing in places.

Ingleborough and the run home

Ingleborough is the third big summit, dropping to Horton in Ribblesdale (34 miles) and back to Silverdale Road (38 miles). The last 12 miles return to Malham past Janet’s Foss. Slower runners will finish this section in fading light, so carry your headtorch where you can reach it.

Climbing is the job

With 2,593 m over 50 miles, and the Three Peaks steep, rocky and slow, this is a proper hill race. I think most people underestimate how much power hiking they will do. Practise hiking hard with hands on knees, then running straight off the top.

Descents decide the second half

Your quads take a beating coming off Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Build regular downhill running into your long runs from the start of the block, so the legs are ready for it by spring.

Long days on the feet

Unless you are racing near the front, expect a very long day. Back-to-back weekend runs on hilly trail, in the kit you will race in, teach you more than one huge long run. Practise eating real food on the move too, because the checkpoints serve sandwiches, potatoes and fruit as well as drinks.

Keep your running and strength work in one place. Explore MaxMile for your Pennine Barrier preparation, or compare the levels of personal coaching.

Run the flat and gentle sections, hike every steep climb from the very start and protect your legs on the descents. The cut-offs leave little room if you blow up, so know them: 10:19 at Silverdale Road (12 miles), 13:33 at Ribblehead (21 miles), 15:43 at Philpin Farm (27 miles), 18:25 at Horton (34 miles) and 19:40 at Silverdale Road (38 miles).

There are no drop bags, so carry what you need and top up at every checkpoint. If you reach Horton with something left, the final 16 miles are where you can make up real time.

The Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 is on Saturday 1 May 2027, about 24 weeks from early November 2026. That is room for a proper base phase through the winter and a race-specific block from mid January, which suits most runners stepping up to 50 miles.

Your biggest hilly long runs and back-to-back weekends belong in March and early April, ideally on the Three Peaks themselves or similar Dales terrain. Then taper for about 17 days, which matches the MaxMile taper for 50 miles. Deferrals must be requested eight weeks before the race and transfers three weeks before.

Mandatory kit is a seam-sealed waterproof jacket (at least 10,000 mm), a long-sleeved base layer kept dry, at least 1 litre of water capacity, a charged phone in waterproof covering with the race numbers saved, a foil blanket, a headtorch of at least 75 lumens, a backup light of at least 25 lumens that is not your phone, 500 calories of emergency food, a whistle and the GB Race Tracker. The event is cupless. A compass and the OS OL2 map are recommended.

Bib collection is on Friday 30 April from 17:30 to 21:00 or on race morning from 04:15 to 05:30, and you must collect your tracker on the Saturday. Participant parking on the showfield is free, and camper vans may stay from Friday evening, but tent camping is not allowed there. Crews may not attend checkpoints 1, 3 and 5, and only one vehicle per runner is allowed.