Lakes Mountain 40 Mile

Description:

40 technical miles with around ten thousand feet of ascent and descent. Under hyped and aimed solely at those with good mountain running and ‘hill skills‘ – this is no tame trail race! A 6am dawn start will set you up for a daylight completion – maybe!

This is a tough, unmarked mountain trail route including the summits of Helvellyn and High Street, on a variety of terrain but predominately Lakeland mountain paths. Good basic navigational skills will be required. Fancy a group recce? Check out our calendar to find LM40 recce dates and other events!

Per our event management ethos the total number of entries will be limited (max 200), so don’t miss out!

WHERE: The start will be from Askham at 6.00am. Unlike ‘TdeH’, ‘LM40’ has a mass start to appease those racing snakes amongst you who like to share banter or exchange steely glances with your peers. Spring time in Lakeland means the weather could be doing anything and dusk may come early on a gloomy evening, but we expect the majority of runners to take around between ten to twelve hours, with some racing the sun home on a fifteen or sixteen hour day. (Don’t miss last orders in The Queens!) This is a tough route for mountain runners. Whether you are training for The Fellsman, Lakes 50/100, UTMB, The Spine Race, or a BG this will be a big tick in your training log.

Checkpoints

513 237 Askham Community Centre – Start / Finish

457 182 Loadpot – Trig Point

441 110 High Street – Trig Point

417 144 Angle Tarn – Large Boulder on ‘Isthmus’ *

394 160 George Starkey Hut – A592 / Track junction (drinks+)

324 136 Wythburn Church Carpark – (drinks+)

342 152 Helvellyn – Trig Point

337 166 Whiteside – Summit Cairn

394 160 George Starkey Hut – A592 / Track junction (drinks+)

406 169 Place Fell – Trig point

435 191 Martindale Church – Sign by front gate

* An Isthmus is a ‘narrow neck of land joining two large bodies of land’

(drinks+) = hot and cold drinks and some small ‘nibbles’ – expect savoury and sweet but no gels or sports drinks.

Unmanned controls must be ‘self-clipped’.

YOU WILL NEED A MUG OR BOTTLE

A mixture of mountain paths, trails and tracks, and the occasional bit of tarmac provide a logical route between checkpoints. You are welcome to take any route between checkpoints, as long as it’s ‘legal’, ie, does not cross private land, uses rights of way through enclosed farmland. You have free route choice over open access land. Three main road side checkpoints will re-supply you with food and drink, and there will be our infamous ‘Soup Plus’ on arrival back at the finish.

A Control Description Sheet will be issued at Registration on Friday evening / Saturday morning. A bad weather route may be used if conditions are extreme.

Kit – Full winter running gear required!

This is high and exposed mountain running; therefore you need to wear or carry good mountain running safety gear. Waterproof jacket and trousers (no uncoated pertex), winter weight long sleeved thermal base layer, long thermal leg covering, spare fleece or primaloft jacket. Warm hat and gloves, mug and/or drinks bottle, head torch, compass, whistle, map(your choice), food and drink, survival BAG, (not a blanket please) First Aid kit advised.

Askham / Accommodation

Askham is a great venue being on the edge of the National Park, with a range of local accommodation options, and good rail connections via Penrith. You can also book a bit of floor space at Askham Community Centre for Friday night, if you wish, ready for the early start.

Registration

Registration will be open at Askham between 8:00 and 10:00pm on Friday and again from 5.00am on Saturday. Parking is limited but adequate at Askham Centre , if we all park considerately. Please co-operate. To arrange car sharing try posting on our nav4Adventure facebook page. Penrith has a mainline rail station just five miles away. Askham Community Centre will be a quiet zone between 11.30pm and 5.00am as people will be sleeping.

Entries

Entries are restricted in line with our ethos of responsible event management. So don’t miss out!

Training / Recce Opportunities

Although the course is unmarked, the navigational skills required are not too difficult. We usually complete a recce run which will cover the first and last parts of the route. This is a great opportunity to run with Joe (Race Director and NAV4 Adventure guru) and ask questions about the ’40’ or other NAV4 activities. The cost is just £20 which includes the use of the village hall for parking, toilets and tea or coffee at the start. Date TBC Contact us for details! Alternatively, you could enhance your skills by booking yourself onto one of our excellent ‘Mountain Running Skills‘ training days or ‘Mountain Running Essentials‘ weekend.