2026 Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Season returns at Scafell!
The SKYRUNNER® UK & IRELAND Series is back with a vengeance! This weekend, the 2026 series kicks off in the Langdale valley in the Lake District, with two incredible SkyRaces taking place. Both the iconic Scafell Sky Race and new Sky Ultra take in a mountain of technical trails and scrambles, as well as summiting Scafell Pike — the tallest peak in England.
Rab Scafell Sky Race – Classic English Skyrunning!
The 40km & 2,800m+ Rab Scafell Sky Race first took place in 2017, and is the brainchild of Charlie Sproson, owner of Lake District Sky Trails & Mountain Run - one of the key instigators of UK Skyrunning since 2015. You can discover the route in full on our Strava account HERE.
This incredible Lakeland route is sure to test even the hardiest of Skyrunners! ©Tanya Raab
This Saturday, a strong field of 150 skyrunners will be toeing the Scafell Sky Race start line at 08:00, all set to test themselves against this much-loved and technical course. Starting in the Great Langdale Valley at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, athletes run some of the most challenging fells and scenic valleys of the central Lake District, in a rollercoaster ride that keeps giving until the very end. Highlights include a full traverse around Great Gable past Napes Needle, the Corridor Route to Scafell Pike and the unique Great Slab descent off Bow Fell!
Stunning, moody landscapes will make for a memorable day of skyrunning tomorrow ©Tanya Raab
Keep your eye on the prize, as there’s a handy £200/£100/£50 up for grabs for the top 3 M/F finishers in both SkyRaces, as well as some tidy prizes from event presenting partners Rab – check out their full range of mountain running clothing & equipment HERE.
You can find out more about the Scafell Sky Race on its website HERE. Why not also follow on social media via the Facebook Page HERE or Instagram HERE.
Both routes demand absolute commitment to the mountain! ©Tanya Raab
Ones to Watch
Weather conditions currently look favourable for some very fast racing: overcast but dry, with temperatures around 10-12°C on the tops. Could such conditions see the course records fall again this year? These were both established at last year’s event and currently stand at 04:25:30 (Bertie Houghton) & 04:51:56 (Naomi Lang).
In the men’s race, all eyes will be on Ed Brewer (UTMB Index 772) – second overall in last year’s series and Snowdon SkyRace champion. He’ll however no doubt be tested by stiff competition from Mark Baines (673) and Andy Bryce (665).
Can Ed Brewer kick off his season of Skyrunning with a win at Scafell? ©Tanya Raab
The women’s field, Polish athlete Natalia Gaik (665) who finished sixth in January’s Arc 25 will likely face close competition from Bethan Logan (646) – also second in last year’s Overall Series. One to watch out for however could be Steph Knapman (588), who’s stepping down in distance after a convincing victory at last year’s inaugural Scafell Sky Ultra.
Bethan Logan climbing to victory at last year’s Copper SkyTrail ©Evan Davies
As always, there will be some talented underdogs speedy newcomers who will take the course by storm and surprise us all. So tune in for all the real-time action on the day (details below)! Why not also follow on social media via the Facebook Page HERE or Instagram HERE.
And be sure to follow the racing live via Open Tracking HERE.
Both races take in iconic scenery overlooking the Wasdale Valley ©Tanya Raab
Rab Scafell Sky Ultra — An epic returns!
Now in its second year, the ultra-distance Rab Scafell Sky Ultra starts at 06:00 tomorrow. This new ultra is a technical 63km with 4,400m+ that will test the endurance and stamina of both experienced and aspiring mountain ultra athletes. Starting at the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, competitors will battle it out over sections of the Scafell Sky Race before branching off after the first feed station to take in an extension over Kirk Fell, through Wasdale and up and over Scafell Pike, before taking a different line into Great Langdale.
From here, runners head back out and over to the Coniston Fells, where they’ll be treated to the impressive Prison Band between Swirl How and Wetherlam before heading back to the event centre for the final time. This 'Tour de Force' of the Central and Southern Lakes is expected to become yet another firm favourite in the Lakeland skyrunning calendar.
The new ultra rollercoaster, packed with technical trails and jaw-dropping ridgelines.
Top-ranked athlete in the women’s race is Helen Newman (605), who will likely be challenged for victory by Jess Partlett (598) – last year’s Seven Sisters Skyline champion. Further competition looks set to be given by Sarah Kennie (567) and Angeline Dresser (523).
Jess Partlett en route to victory at the 2024 Mourne SkyUltra ©Evan Davies
In the men’s race, all eyes will be on Mark Darbyshire (880), who’s stepping up in distance after finishing second in the Sky Race in 2022. A clear favourite (full list of accolades HERE), he could well be challenged by Jeremy Swainson (767), who claimed several top results in last year’s series, including second at Snowdon SkyRace, to claim 4th overall in the final rankings. Also, Rab athlete Ben James (714) will likely be right up there in the mix!
Mark Darbyshire in action at the 2022 Scafell Sky Race ©Lake District Sky Trails
Be sure to follow all the racing live via Open Tracking HERE.
A fest of technical, rocky trails await this weekend! ©Tanya Raab
The UK & Ireland Series
The 2026 Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Series is made up of 13 SkyRaces across which points will be awarded to the top 300 finishers in every race. For the runners with the most points, the best three race results will count to a final series standing. To learn more about the Overall Series structure, prize pool and how the points ranking operates, please see HERE. To learn more about each of this year’s races, see HERE.
Which race will you join us for this year?…
A selection of these SkyRaces also count towards the SkyUltra® Series (INFO), U23 Series (INFO) and Irish Championships (INFO) respectively. All races contribute to the Masters Age Cat Series’ (INFO) too.
Follow Along Online
Keen to see how the races unfold on Saturday? Live GPS tracking will be available to view HERE & HERE and regular updates throughout the day will be shared on the Skyrunning UK Facebook Page HERE and Instagram account HERE.
We hope you’re as excited as we are about this year’s season of SkyRacing! In the meantime, stay tuned for the race report arriving on Monday to get the full scoop on how tomorrow’s action unfolds.
