Andy Berry Wins Lakeland 100 and Female Montane Athletes Finish Podium

The 2023 Montane Lakeland 50 & 100 races have concluded with Andy Berry claiming first place in the Lakeland 100 race after a record number of participants crossed the finish line, with a 91% success rate for men and a 92% success rate for women across both races.

Renowned as one of the toughest long-distance trail races in the UK, the Lakeland 100 ‘Ultra Tour of the Lake District’, is a circular, non-stop route encompassing the whole of the Lakeland fells and sees participants tackle climbs, descents, and rugged terrain while battling through darkness along certain stretches.

The difficult conditions and challenging navigation mean that the race sees on average a 40-50% drop-out rate over the 100-mile course, with the vast majority of those pulling out by the halfway point.

The route includes approximately 6300m of ascents and consists almost entirely of public bridleways and footpaths, beginning in Coniston and heading south before completing a clockwise loop which takes in the Dunnerdale fells, Eskdale, Wasdale, and Buttermere, before arriving in Keswick.

From here, the route continues to Matterdale and over to Haweswater before returning via Kentmere, Ambleside, and Elterwater and eventually heading back to Coniston for the finish.

Participants of both the 100 and 50 races follow the same route, with the 50 race starting at the halfway point. Time limits are set for both races; 40 hours for the 100 and 24 hours for the 50.

The Lakeland 100 men’s event saw Andy Berry take first place, with a time of 20 hours 3 minutes, pipping Jarlath McKenna at the death to record the third-fastest time the race has ever seen. Sabrina Verjee was victorious in the women’s event, recording a time of 23 hours to finish over 3 hours 46 minutes ahead of Ukrainian Dariia Bodnar, who was running in the event after being sponsored by Montane.