2015 Format update + video, SHAFf, beer, food and cakes

2015 Course Information

We are now able to confirm the course distances and height gains for the 2015 Great Lakeland 3Day™. Please remember that these are the planners optimum routes… it is possible to run further!

All three courses offer superb running from Ravenglass in the southwestern corner of the Lake District through the central fells and back again. There are long sections of superb ridge running, high passes and fast valleys for each course. As you would expect, the Elite Courses takes in more of the highest and most challenging terrain, whilst the C Course picks a route between some great Lakeland Cafes and therefore is more valley based. The A and B Courses offer incremental increases in difficultly.

All the courses are slightly less distance than last year but the B and C Courses make up for this by having a little more ascent. The A and E Courses have very similar amounts of ascent when compared to 2014. We feel that the courses are generally more runable than 2014 but with some distinct tougher sections. Overall, we believe that the 2015 courses will be very similar in standard to the 2014 courses.

Registration and Overnight Dry Bag Drop

Registration is open 1800-2200 on Friday evening and again 0600-0800 on Saturday morning. It would be very helpful if competitors could register on Friday evening and deposit their Overnight Dry Bag at the same time – this will reduce queues and a rush on Saturday morning. Once deposited, competitors will not have access to their Overnight Dry Bag until arriving at the Overnight Camp the following day. Please allow at least 30 minutes to register and deposit your Overnight Dry Bag. This is important to remember especially if you are planning to do the B or C Course and need to get one of the buses on Saturday morning… they won’t wait! Overnight Dry Bags can also be deposited on Saturday morning if competitors need equipment from them for Friday night.

Friday Night – Best of ShAFF - Beer, Films & Food 

The Event Centre opens from 1600 on Friday afternoon. Please join us at the Event Centre on Friday evening where we will be serving food, showing a program of the Best of Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (ShAFF) and serving beer. Hot Meals and tickets for the Best of ShAFF need to be booked in advance via SI Entries. Deadline for ordering food is Sunday 26th April. Beer and cake are for sale on Friday night and do not need to be booked in advance. There is no need to book to camp on Friday evening; this is included in the price of the event.

Saturday Start Times - B and C Courses

Competitors on the B and C Courses will need to get a bus leaving the Event Centre at 0730 and 0830 from Ravenglass. The journey is about 30 minutes to the start. Tickets for the bus are allocated at registration on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday Start Times - Elite and A Courses

The Elite and A Courses start from the Ravenglass Event Centre and competitors on these courses may start anytime between 0700 and 0900.

Cut Offs

In a change from previous years we have stopped provided ‘Timing Guidance’ on the Elite, A and B courses. This is because a very small number of competitors ignored the guidance and continued late into the night, arriving well after our 2000 Course Closure Time. The knock on impact to our logistics, volunteer marshals and other competitors is disproportionate and therefore we are introducing Cut Off times on these courses. 

The Elite, A and B courses will be one checkpoint each day with a Cut Off time associated with it. This checkpoint is approximately midway through the days course. If a competitor reaches the Cut Off checkpoint after the Cut Off time, they must switch to a shorter course, which is clearly explained on the map. Any competitors who proceeds on the full course after failing to arrive at the Cut Off Checkpoint in time will be disqualified from the event. Sorry if this sounds a little draconian but the Cut Off times are appropriate for a 2000 finish at the Overnight Camp, which is the latest possible finish time. 

Course Closure Time

All the courses close at 2000 on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Any competitors arriving at the Overnight Camps after the 2000 Course Closure Time are automatically downgraded to an easier course. If you do think you are going to be late, please make every effort to send a message to the Race Director on the emergency phone number printed on the map.

Earliest Finish Time

The earliest finish time at the Overnight Camps (Saturday and Sunday) and back at the Event Centre (on Monday) is 1200 (midday). The start times are flexible and it is the competitors responsible to judge their start time appropriately relative to the speed they intend to run or walk. We are making this change as there were competitors’ arriving at the Overnight Camps at the same time as us in 2014! Remember we need to wait for the last runner to set off, pack the event infrastructure, drive to the new Overnight Camp and get set up again before the first finisher… it is very tight time constraint! Anyone arriving before 1200 will not be able to punch the Finish box and therefore race time will continue until 1200 for that person.

GL3D 2015 T-shirts

We hope to have the designs online shortly. If you would like to get a high quality, commemorative t-shirt  for just £14.99  these can only be ordered in advance via SI Entries. Deadline for ordering t-shirts is Sunday 19th April.

Joey's Coffee

On a final note, we are delighted to say that Joey's Coffee will be attending the event and selling superb, fair-trade, gourmet coffee on the morning of each day. No better way to get fueled for the day ahead!