First-timer’s guide to the Great Lakeland 3Day™

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

The Great Lakeland 3Day™ takes place each year in the Lake District on the early May bank holiday weekend. It’s a 3-day mountain journey with two overnights (camping) and a variety of courses to choose from. 

WHERE IS IT EXACTLY?  

The event centre (for registration and parking) is revealed two months before the event. The event centre also changes every year allowing participants to explore a new area of the Lake District. Previous events started in Pooley Bridge, Ennerdale and Coniston.  

Come and explore our excellent courses through the beautiful Lake District ©Steve Ashworth

WHAT MAKES IT SUCH A GREAT WEEKEND? 

The event is famous for its laidback, friendly and welcoming atmosphere. It’s all about enjoying the beautiful scenery and some great trails, spending time with fellow runners and relaxing in camp. There’s also complimentary cake at the end of each day!

DO I NEED TO CARRY ALL OF MY KIT? 

No, we transport all of your overnight kit between campsites so that you can focus on your journey. You will need to pack spare clothes, food supplies, cooking and camping equipment. We ask you to pack everything inside a drybag. Remember there is a weight/size limit of 13kg and 60L.

Our event team will transport your overnight dry bags to the overnight camp(s) so that you can focus on the running ©Steve Ashworth

DO I NEED TO COOK MY OWN FOOD? 

You are welcome to register and camp over on the Friday evening before the start. Meals will be available here by pre-order. We recommend bringing enough food supplies for the rest of the three days. Food vendors will be on hand at the overnight camps after each day of running to offer luxury food options (think delicious burgers, proper coffee) but as service cannot be guaranteed we recommend you also bring your own provisions. At the finish on day three, we will provide a tasty finisher’s meal to all participants. 

WHAT ARE THE OVERNIGHT CAMPS LIKE?

The overnight camps are usually rural rather than remote, but participants should not expect any shops, pubs or cafes to be in the vicinity. Facilities will be very basic with water available and portable toilets rather than a campsite toilet/wash block. The participants' marquee will be available at each overnight camp for hanging out in and cooking in.

The perfect place to spend a weekend! ©Steve Ashworth

WHAT COURSES ARE THERE TO CHOOSE FROM? 

There are six courses to choose from: Café, Herdwick, Wainwright, Fellrunner, Extreme and Adventure. The Café course is perfect for runners looking to gain more experience and is also suitable for long distance walkers. And yes, you will visit some lovely Lake District cafés en route! The Herdwick course is great if you’re looking to step up to a longer challenge without being as physically demanding as the Wainwright course. The Wainwright course will summit more peaks and is a great option for those with a little more experience. The Fellrunner course is a tough course for those looking for a long day out in the fells. The Extreme course is the most challenging and great training for multi-day expedition races like the Dragon's Back Race and the Cape Wrath Ultra. The Adventure Course gives you complete flexibility – visit whichever checkpoints you want each day, and see how many different ones you can visit in total over the weekend.

WHEN DO I NEED TO TELL YOU WHICH COURSE I WANT TO DO? AND CAN I CHANGE MY MIND?

You can choose your course on the morning of the start and then switch courses on the following day(s) if you wish!

Café, Wainwright or Expert - Which will you choose? ©Steve Ashworth

HOW FAR DO YOU RUN EACH DAY? 

Over the three days you should expect to cover roughly the following: 

  • Café - 50km and 2,000m of elevation

  • Herdwick - 65km and 3,000-3,500m of elevation  

  • Wainwright - 80km and 5,000-5,500m of elevation

  • Fellrunner -  100km and 7,000-7,500m of elevation

  • Extreme - 120km and 8,000-9,000m of elevation 

  • Adventure - You choose!

The first two days will be slightly longer allowing for a shorter final day so that everyone has time to get home after the finish.

CAN I WALK SOME OF IT?

The Café course is specifically aimed at walkers (or runners wanting a more relaxed weekend). The Café course has fewer checkpoints each day and a route more focused on valley traverses and 'middle mountain' terrain between the overnight camps. If you’re a speedy walker, you may be able to complete the Herdwick course within the cut-off times but it will be more challenging than the Café course. The Wainwright, Fellrunner and Extreme courses are definitely designed for runners, and only 'speedy walkers' would complete the Wainwright course within the cut-off times. It is not possible to complete the Fellrunner or Extreme courses if you are only walking.

Whichever course you choose, you will be treated to fantastic Lake District scenery! ©Steve Ashworth

WHEN DO YOU START AND HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE EACH DAY? 

Start times are totally flexible and normally anytime between 7am and 9am. On the first and second day you have until 8pm to finish the course and then until 3pm on the final day. We recommend thinking about what distance you would be happy to cover (running or walking) in a day when choosing your course. 

DO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE?

Some basic map reading skills are recommended but the courses are fairly straightforward, sticking to well-defined mountain paths with check points on obvious features like tarns or summits.

Don’t yet feel fully confident using a map and compass?

We provide a recommended route for both the Café Course and Herdwick Course. This will be available as a GPX file that you can download to your device, and will be on display.

It’s the perfect way to build your confidence finding your way on the trails and fells.

In addition to your paper copy of the event map that you will receive at registration, there will also be the option to download Digital Mapping via the Avenza App. This will be exactly the same as the paper map, with all the same features and checkpoints, but it will be accessible on your smart device.

We will also have people on hand ready to answer any questions you may have about the map or navigation. This is a great event to practise your navigation and get more experience. 

It's time to practise your navigation skills ©Steve Ashworth

CAN YOU RUN IN TEAMS? 

You can sign up with friends and family or by yourself - all results will be counted individually. Many participants team up and run all of the three days together and a friendly atmosphere also means that it is easy to meet new people while out on the course or back in camp. There is also the Great Lakeland 3Day participant Facebook group where you can connect with fellow runners.  

WHAT KIND OF PREPARATION IS RECOMMENDED?  

We would suggest planning some days out in the UK hills, either walking or running, in preparation for the event. Back to back days over a weekend would be ideal. If you have any doubts about your experience, then please just get in touch. Remember that the Great Lakeland 3Day is a great opportunity to cover some miles and practise your navigation skills but also to enjoy the beautiful Lake District scenery and relax in some lovely camping spots!

We all love running but don't forget to chill out too! ©Steve Ashworth

Previous
Previous

Guidance on your options if you can no longer attend

Next
Next

Photo guide to the Great Lakeland 3Day