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Kielder Ultra Trail

10-Apr-2021 Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, Kielder Water & Kielder Forest Park, NE48 1ER, Northumberland, UK (England)

YOUR RATING

6 REVIEWS

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Trail Race Race Terrain

82KM / 51Miles
1 Day

50KM/31M

DIFFICULTY Race Difficulty Beginner

Entry From £60 GBP

Visit the race website

An ultra running event based in the vast expanse of Kielder Water & Forest Park, Northumberland...from lakeshore to heather moorland, beautiful trails & superb scenery.

82k & 50k Route Options...

The Park spans 600 square kilometres and is home to the largest forest in England and the largest man-made lake in northern Europe. The area features mile upon mile of purpose-built trails including forest walks, woodland singletrack and heather clad moorland. Add to this a few little unique features & this will be an ultra trail run like no other.....the perfect way to explore this amazing area.

The routes

These will be fully marked so no navigation experience necessary.

82km: Encompassing all the fantastic highlights from both routes. The course incorporates a unique blend of some of the more remote areas of the forest and also the main attractions.

50km: This is a superb route whether you are looking to complete your first ultra or an experienced runner. The course is one loop encircling Kielder Water, incorporating the tranquil Lewisburn Valley, Kielder Observatory and Skyspace, Kielder Castle, Bakethin Reservoir nature reserve, Kielder Viaduct, Bellingburn Valley & sections of the Lakeside Way. The route also climbs onto open moorland on a number of occasions to offer stunning panoramic views over the whole of Kielder Water and across to the Scottish Border.

UTMB Points: If you're looking to collect points for the UTMB these will be qualifying events.

"The whole experience was one of the best days running I've ever had and reminded me why I love the sport of ultra-running. To get the win was amazing but the support and friendships made were beyond doubt the highlight of the day. Thanks to the team, fantastic and professional organisation and a route that will live long in the memory"

Included

Professionally run event, qualified and experienced personel at various checkpoints, qualified medical support, online registration, fully marked routes, route maps, commemorative race t-shirt and unique finishers medal, refreshments at finish, hydration and feed stations, on site catering, event photography, toilets.

Entry Fee

£45 - 50k

£55 -82k

Read Simon Pryde's review of the 2014 edition HERE.

Event Organiser
ian mulvey

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Beginner

Elevation: Very little change < 500 metres. Benign running terrain, not technical.

Suitable for: First ultra runners completing a marathon or doing regular long distance running in the last six months.

Intermediate

Elevation: Increase of up to 1000 metres

Suitable for: Runners who have completed at least one ultra distance race (or similar event) or are doing long distance running (>26 miles) regularly, with elevation shown.

Advanced

Elevation: Increase of up to 1500 metres

Suitable for: Runners who have completed several ultra distances or similar events, or are doing long distance running regularly, with elevation shown.

Expert

Elevation: Increase of up to 2000 metres with some challenging climatic conditions (e.g. ice, snow, humidity or heat) and or technical terrain

Suitable for: Experienced runners who have completed at least regular ultra distances in last 12 months, or are doing regular long distance running (>50 miles) with elevation and conditions shown (where possible). Admission to these races may be subject to evidence of recent qualifying race participation and recent medical examination certificate. Check with the race organiser regarding entry requirements.

Brutal

Elevation: Increase of up to 2000 metres with very challenging climatic conditions (e.g. ice, snow, humidity, heat or at high altitude) and or technical terrain.

Suitable for: Very experienced long distance ultra runners (min 3 years’ experience) or are doing regular long distance running (>50 miles) with elevation and conditions shown (where possible). Admission to these races is often subject to evidence of recent qualifying race participation and recent medical examination certificate. Purchase of specialist kit is often recommended for these races.

Endurance - Multi-activity

Type: An ultra distance race including at least two of the following activities such as running, swimming, cycling, kayaking, skiing and climbing. It may also include different climatic conditions (eg ice, snow, humidity, cold water, mud or heat).

Suitable for: Experienced multi-skilled athletes who have trained for the different activities included in this event. Admission to these races may be subject to receipt of a recent medical examination certificate. Check with the race organiser regarding entry requirements and any specialist equipment required such as a wetsuit, skis or a mountain bike.

Global - Virtual

Type: A virtual race which can be run at any time shown on the dates shown, on any type of terrain in any country.

Suitable for: For runners from beginners to experienced as you choose your own course and challenge based on the guidelines and options set by the virtual race organiser.

Review Kielder Ultra Trail

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Philtreefrog

12:27 09-04-18

First Ultra
2018 Kielder Water 50k Ultra Marathon

After a rather dull but quite famous half marathon road race last September, I thought I would set myself a challenge and signed up to my first trail marathon near my home town running 27.5 miles up the North East Coast.
Whilst this was an amazing run in itself (Endurance life Coastal Series), in all the excitement of signing up I spotted the High Terrain Events Kielder Ultra 50k, running through the beautiful Kielder forest and round the reservoir. How hard could another 3.5 miles actually be?

So after paying my entrance fee I decided to check out the route and found myself quite under prepared, standing on the start line last Saturday wondering what madness possessed be to choose Kielder as my first official ultra.

At the start of the race, an extremely helpful fella called Chris started chatting to me and most likely took pity on me as he ran every step of the way, giving encouragement and much needed motivation.

The hills were brutal, as was the mud and, well, everything; but what an amazing day! The race organisers were brilliant and through the pouring rain gave encouragement at every checkpoint.

The scenery was predictably beautiful and whilst the I could have happily lay down in a ditch towards the end, running with Chris and towards the end Iain, gave me the motivation/discipline to stick to the pace and eventually finish in under 6 hours. I suspect both Chris and Iain could have sped away but they both kept with me despite my insistences for them to blast off for a better time.

I have to say, kudos to the 100k runners who had to complete two loops. It took me 20 minutes to change my shoes, never mind run the route again.

Whilst the scenery and sheer joy of trail races has me hooked, I think it’s the comradery of trail running over my (admittedly) limited experience of mass road events that is the reason I’m hovering over the enter button for my next challenge.

Runboyrun35

11:19 12-04-16

I've ran around Kielder probably 20 times, I've enjoyed spending hours exploring the endless trails and paths in every kind of weather, it truly is a magical place to run, so I looked forward to this event, in the back of mind I thought I could do ok and maybe sneak a placed finish....
So it started, leaving the house at 7:30am, dropped the dog at day-care and headed off, just over an hour away, the sun was shining an no traffic on the road, the day was off to a great start. As we headed over the County Durham border into Northumberland the cloud started to descend, my other half checked twitter and informed me that there had been a covering of snow overnight! Fine by me, I love all seasons. Upon arriving we met Ian, Paul and the team, registration was quick and easy, kit check and a swift change into race gear and it was time for the briefing. I kissed the good lady goodbye (she had to pull out due to injury) and I headed to the start line. I had planned to hang back and slowly pick off people once I'd settled into a pace, my best laid plans had gone out the window and when we started and I found myself firmly at the front with another guy.
We turner away from the start and there was already a small group leading off and gap appearing to the rest behind, quick glance at my watch and, 7.40m/m pace, oopps! Still "run as you feel" I kept telling myself.
Within the first mile or so the course deviated away from the normal lakeside path I knew so well and off into the forest. now with the overnight snow and previous week of biblical rain the course was a little damp. Some lovely forest trails, a quick scramble up a hill then into some boggy grassy pits of freezing mud and water. there were suddenly only myself and two others, Mark and Simon. We exchanged pleasantries, swapped a few stories, jumped over some felled trees, waded through more muddy bogs and put in a bit of a lead.
The first CP arrived around 9 miles, Kielder castle, we were greeted to cheers and a lovely spread. Quick water refill and we were off, this time only myself and Simon. We ran for a further half a mile and realised it was starting to warm up, quick change of layers and Mark re-joining us we were off.
The next 10 or so miles were tough, challenging terrain (Kielder with teeth I kept saying) the weather was starting to warm up which suited me but Mark and Simon had a lot more speed on the flatter (undulating) sections. Hats off to these guys, they kept checking back to make sure I was ok, it soon became clear we were working very well together as a team, which is strange in such an individual sport as running (this is what I believe sets ultra-running apart from other individual pursuits).
More swamps/bogs/claggy trails and we reached the top of a cragg, stunning views back across Kielder, this was a big turning point, I knew the next CP wasn't far and there was a fantastic downhill section.
We reached the CP, again great support from the organisers, quick refill and we were off.
We ran across the dam and kept checking back to see who was behind. We hadn't seen any other 50km runners since mile 2 and there were none insight. We pressed on along the very runnable sections of the Lakeland path, quick glances behind and still nobody. About 5 miles from the end, Simon thought he saw another runner, they would’ve been around a mile behind and it would’ve taken a ridiculous last few miles to catch us, nonetheless we pressed on, upped the pace until around 2 miles to go. We knew then that we couldn't be caught.
Such was the teamwork we'd had over the last 4 or so hours and the great conversations enjoyed we decided it would be fitting if we all crossed the line together.
The whole experience was one of the best days running I've ever had and reminded me why I love the sport of ultra-running. To get the win was amazing but the support and friendships made were beyond doubt the highlight of the day.
For our efforts were received some amazing prizes from Salomon, the best post-race soup I’ve ever encountered.
thanks to Ian and the team, fantastic and professional organisation and a route that will live long in the memory.

Bmoranne

11:04 04-05-15

Did the 50k!! Great event!! Really nice organisation/marshals/aid stations. Definitely coming back next year!

cprsmum

09:04 04-05-15

I did the 50k this year as my first ultra. I would definitely recommend it - well marked, friendly & helpful organisers/marshalls and great grub at the food stops! The B&B the night before was a great idea - if that's offered in future years I would definitely do that as it made the early starts much easier.

therunningmanx

06:36 04-05-15

The 100km race includes a couple of extra loops to the 50km option. These extras make the 100km a brutal and beautiful experience. The first loop includes a fell section with some steep climbs and boggy marshland. Tough going but the views from the top are breathtaking and give you an appreciation of how stunning the area is. Whilst the path around the reservoir is good, fast going the extra loops are what make the 100km the challenge that it is. Not to be under-estimated this race is well worth the trip and the early start.

MattyB

05:58 04-05-15

Did the 50k this year, really enjoyed it. Mostly fast course with a couple of tricky bits, well marked and great support on the way around. Would definitely recommend as one to do.

Kielder Ultra Trail

10-Apr-2021 Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, Kielder Water & Kielder Forest Park, NE48 1ER, Northumberland, UK (England)

The routes

Included