With elevated ridgelines, breath-taking exposure, and fast and furious descents, the Lake District Sky Trails have some of the most iconic skyrunning races in the UK. The races are a real test of skill and endurance, with all three races earning athletes points towards UTMB qualification.
Scafell Sky Race
First up was the Scafell Sky Race, a race that takes in technical single-track trails from the beginning to the end. The course includes sections of scree and scrambling. If you think that sounds challenging enough, how about adding England’s highest mountain along the way?
The circular route allows you to run from the centre of the Great Langdale Valley, with the events village based in front of the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, over Lakeland fells and through Lakeland valleys, whilst you summit England’s highest mountain en route and traverse some of the most challenging trails in the central Lake District. With sections of scree and light scrambling thrown in, it is a serious test of nerve, skill and endurance.
There was a great mix of skyrunners of all abilities, with many taking the Rab SSR on as their first ever skyrace, through to the elite end of the field seeing a return of Tom Evans, second place in 2018 and Georgia Tindley, with elite runners such as Jayson Cavill, Brian Sharp, Oliver Mitchell (third place in Snowdon Sky Race 2022), Mark Darbyshire (Lakeland 100 winner in 2021), Spencer Shaw (SSR previous winner and CR holder in 2021) and in the mix for the women there were Helen Brown (South Wales Wmns Record Holder), Alicia Schwarzenbach (placed 3rd in the Snowdon Sky Race). Outside of the elite runners, Roberta Guibillini had a fantastic race, taking 1.5 hours of her own time from last year’s race.
As usual the race had a great mix of nationalities and out of those that came to run on the day, they had skyrunners of Italian, United States, Canadian, Irish and Dutch nationality.
Tom Evans, who is well underway with his preparations for tackling the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), produced a strong performance taking the victory with an incredible time of 4:31:12, beating the course record by 33 minutes!
“Being able to race in the UK is always very special. Scafell Sky Race is one one the most epic races I have ever done. To win and set a new course record makes it even more special. From the supporters to the organisation, it’s the most amazing race!”
Elsewhere Georgia Tindley went on to win the women’s race this year and set a new course record in the process with a great time of 5:48:56.
“The route was really cool, interesting and varied. I loved skirting Great Gable and running down the slab. Definitely a course you want grippy shoes for!
“It was a really challenging mix of conditions: the rain of the last few days meant it was boggy and wet underfoot, with water running off making the rocks super sloppy in the first half. Then in contrast, the heat of the day was a struggle!
“I was happy with my performance and pleased to knock some time off the record. It felt like a hard day out with it being my longest run since Glen Coe, but the beautiful route made it easier.”
Runners were greeted by a warm welcome at the finish line in the Langdale Valley, with many staying locally to make a weekend of it.
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Lakes Sky Ultra
If you’re looking for a serious challenge, this is it. Inspired by the great ultra-distance sky races of Europe, Lakes Sky Ultra is one of the most technically demanding course-marked races in the Lake District. Skyrunners will take in Striding Edge and Swirral Edge amongst other wonderfully technical terrain, demanding that the competitors have superb mountain skills.
In July 2022, runners from Mexico, Spain, Poland, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England took to the start line under bluebird skies of Patterdale. The hardy and determined pack of runners set off on the newly reversed course of the Lakes Sky Ultra.
The seventh edition of the Rab Lakes Sky Ultra got off to a great start with the competitors taking on some seriously technical terrain. A Spanish runner told race director Charlie that, “the course reminds me of Ultra Pirineu and Zegama in the Basque country, it made me think so much of my home area.”
As the heat of the day became more and more intense, the competitors headed onto Striding and Swirral Edges, where a lead started to open up by Brian Sharp running for Rab. Richard Keefe, a local runner from Penrith was putting up a fantastic chase, attacking the pole position as they dropped into Ambleside in the blistering afternoon sunshine. Brian responded and put the pressure on up the lengthy ascent of Red Screes. Richard Anderson and Charles Tidball were battling it out for third and fourth position, whilst Brian pressed on to extend his lead.
As the runners dropped into Haweswater, the heat became intense, with many runners finding the ascent of Rough Crag and Longstile Edge exactly that.. rough! On reaching the summit of Long Stile Edge, Brian dashed down to the finish line ribbon, taking the win with a time of 08:04:56, almost 20 minutes ahead of Richard Keefe who took second place. Richard Anderson battled away to take the third podium position.
In the women’s race Holly Wootten returned after last year’s win. She ran really strongly, dominating from the start and kept a comfortable gap away from Tess Elias and Helen Brown, who was second place in the Rab Scafell Sky Race.
Following a great start to the season in the Lakes, setting a new course record on the Adidas Keswick Mountain Festival 50km Ultra Trail race, Holly kept the pressure on, challenging the male podium spots as well. Holly took the win in a time of 09:11:52.
Tess Elias kept chasing Holly until the very end keeping the rest of the male runners at bay, finishing around 30 mins behind Holly. Tess had a cracking race and sailed over the line into second place with a time of 09:45:09.
Helen Brown, who is also having a great time on the UK skyrunning circuit this year, kept the pressure consistently on Tess for the second place. Helen came across the line in third place with a time of 09:52:55, which completed the women’s trio.
All runners thoroughly enjoyed the race and the weather although it was extremely hot for running and racing through the day. Race director Charlie reversed the course for 2022 allowing the athletes to run hard over the Edges of Helvellyn without getting fouled up with the popular mountaineering tourist route.
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Pinnacle Ridge Extreme
If you’re looking for some real excitement, some really technical ground and some really technical hands-on rock experience during a race then look no further, they have it all in the Pinnacle Ridge Extreme. This short, but exceedingly hard race packs a massive punch, weaving its way around the Helvellyn Massif taking in some of the best lines, best scrambles and best descents.
Held on the same weekend and location as the Lakes Sky Ultra, runners from the Czech Republic, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Spain, Poland, Scotland, Wales and England took on the super extreme Rab Pinnacle Ridge Extreme 2022.
This was the third edition of the race and it certainly doesn’t become any easier as the years roll on, with some seriously extreme terrain and four graded scrambles on route to the finish.
Andrew Lamont looked incredibly calm on the start line, letting the younger and less experienced skyrunner’s hold the pace at the front as they left the start at 10am on the dot. The first proper ascent out of the Glenridding Valley takes the runners through the old lead and silver mines of Greenside and by this point Andrew started to challenge the lead pack and push for a lead. Jayson Cavill stated his legs “felt like lead” and his breathing was a little out of sorts until he was out of the hot valley temps. Once Jayson made it over Sticks Pass, he began to press Andrew and chase him down. Another one of the competitors, Matt Manning also responded and took to chasing Jayson with the lead three pushing hard up to the first technical section of the race over Brown Cove Crags via Stepped Ridge, a grade II scramble.
In the women’s race, Rab athlete Georgia Tindley, who claimed she was going to “take it easy and go for a jog”, accidentally took a wrong turn crossing Glenridding Beck, which added an extra 2km to her race! Thankfully after realising her error, it didn’t seem to slow her pace and as the runners started to spread out, Georgia was on a mission to challenge both the main podium spots and course record.
Swiss runner Natalina Neuenschwander was hot on her heels, however Georgia’s pace meant Natalina was just missing out on catching her, giving Georgia a clear run for the first podium position. Alicia Schwarzenbach, who has had a strong season so far this year having taken third place in the recent Rab Scafell Sky Race and in the Snowdon Sky Race back in May, kept the pressure on to stay in contact with Natalina, but never close enough to challenge the second place.
Coming back to the men’s race, Andrew Lamont maintained his pace and ran a smooth race to claim first position, with a time of 04:26:02. Jayson Cavill kept the pressure on, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Andrew, crossing the line in second place with a time of 04:38:17. Matt Manning took the third podium spot, crossing the line in 04:47:11.
Georgia Tindley crossed the line in fifth overall place, taking the win in the women’s race and setting a new record taking an incredible time of 30 mins off Kristina Aluzaite’s record from 2021. The official time and new record was an awesome time of 05:02:57.
Natalina kept the pressure on all day, throughout the heat, crossing the line to take the second place in a time of 05:50:57 with Alicia Schwarzenbach completing the women’s trio to take third place in a time of 06:14:51
Many runners mentioned the fantastic nature of the course, where it literally changes from rock to grass to bog to hands-and-knees ascent of the climb to Pinnacle Ridge just before the final ascent, skyrunning at its best!
The Rab Pinnacle Ridge Extreme is really as it says in the title, you cross ‘pinnacles’ over four different ‘ridge-lines’ and it is, for all intense and purposes, a very ‘extreme’ race, not for the faint hearted and only for those who possess climbing skills to make the cut through the vetting process.
Entries for next year’s Lake District Sky Trail races are now open! You can find out more at https://www.lakedistrictskytrails.com