2026 Skyrunner® National Series Returns to the Lake District.
This weekend, on Saturday 18th July, the 2026 Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Series returns to the Lake District. As we reach the halfway point of the series, the battle is on for overall series points and podium glory, and there are three iconic races to unfold:
Rab Helvellyn Sky Ultra: 57km & 3,700m+ (also second race of the SkyUltra® Series).
Rab Pinnacle Ridge Extreme: 28km & 2,700m+, featuring Grade 3 scrambles.
St. Sunday Sky Race: 29km & 2,050m+ (also first race of the U23 Series).
This is the second weekend of racing on this year’s series brought to us by Lake District Sky Trails, headed up by Race Director Charlie Sproson, who also hosted the Scafell Sky Race weekend. At present, conditions look favourable, with a warm and sunny forecast, and the recent hot spell should make for dry and fast terrain.
Classic Lakeland skyrunning awaits runners of all abilities this weekend! ©Joel Jameson
Rab Helvellyn Sky Ultra
Kicking off at 6:30am on Saturday 18th July, the Rab Helvellyn Sky Ultra has gained a reputation as England’s most technically challenging ultra. The elevation alone – packing 3,700m into its 57km – makes it a test of strength and endurance, but it also traverses three of the Lake District’s most notorious ridgelines: Long Stile Edge, Swirral Edge and Striding Edge.
Those who have the nerve to look down will be rewarded with spectacular views of Lake Windermere, Ullswater and Haweswater, and explore some of the best off-the-beaten-track trails the Lake District has to offer.
The route is now run in an anticlockwise direction, to avoid hitting Striding and Swirral Edges at busier times of day. Participants will have a maximum of 14.5 hours to complete the arduous route, but some will need less than half of that. Read on to see just some of the names you can expect to find at the sharp end of the race!
The Helvellyn Sky Ultra traverses the indomitable Striding Edge ©Joel Jameson
The line up for the men’s race features a mix of seasoned sky runners and fast trail runners. Second in last year’s race and back for another bite of the cherry is the U.K.’s Alex Hamlet (UTMB Index: 796). He finished behind Rob Sinclair last year and is the top ranked runner for this year. He’s since won the North Downs Ridge 50K and placed fourth in the Mozart 100 by UTMB 117K.
Coming off a third-place finish in the Scafell Sky Ultra, the U.K.’s Ben James (714) certainly has the relevant skill set to podium again. He placed fifth in the 2022 Lakes Sky Ultra and third in the 2023 Snowdon SkyRace.
Ben James in action at last month’s Scafell Sky Ultra ©Nathan Phua
Also vying for the win will be the UK’s Sam Harper (744), who won last year’s Dartmoor in a Day Ultra 51K in course record time, and placed third in the 2025 Brecon Beacons 51k. Marcus Jolly (722) has strong recent form with wins at the 2026 Race Across the Isle of Skye 122k and Thunder Races 50k and could be in contention also.
In the women’s race, Becky Hill (606) is one to watch, showing improving form this year with a fifth-place finish at UTS 50K, up from 18th at the same race in 2025. She’ll face competition from Beth Albon (571), sister of the famous Jon, who placed 12th at last year’s UTS 50K and has also previously contested the Ring of Steall SkyRace and the Ultraskymarathon Madeira.
Epic landscapes and technical ridges await in the Helvellyn Sky Ultra! ©Joel Jameson
Ireland’s Sorcha Kearney (580) should be comfortable on this technical course, having placed eighth at the 2024 Snowdon SkyRace and 12th at the same year’s Mourne Skyline. The UK’s Rachel Green (579) has some strong results over similar distances, including fourth at the 2024 Hurtwood 50k, and could well be in the mix too.
Live GPS tracking is available to view HERE and regular updates throughout the day will be shared on the Skyrunning UK Facebook Page HERE and Instagram HERE.
Rab Pinnacle Ridge Extreme
At 7:30am, an hour after the ultra gets under way, racers will set off for the 28km Pinnacle Ridge Extreme, with a maximum allotted time of 10 hours for completion. Far from the “little sister race”, the shorter Pinnacle Ridge Extreme demands even greater technical competencies than the ultra. Hopeful entrants were vetted for climbing experience, as the race features five graded scrambles on its route around the Helvellyn Massif, balanced with runnable ascents through the heart of the Glenridding Mines and scree-skating descents. Packing 2,700m of climbing and descending into its 28km, this is skyrunning at its most raw and pure!
A head for heights is required to take on Pinnacle Ridge! ©Tanya Raab
In the women’s race, Cat Wain-Hobson (564) has some strong credentials in the mountains, having won last year’s Snowdon SkyRace and placed third overall in the series. Already this year she’s placed second in the Great Langdale 21K. She’ll have competition from Belgian Cien Bories Lowyck, who has had plenty of podium finishes at home, including a win at the 2025 Bear Trail 58k.
Cat Wain-Hobson en route to victory at last year’s Snowdon SkyRace ©Evan Davies
South African Marina Egorov (573) has a stack of strong results in international trail races, including a win at the 2021 Bryce Canyon 50K in the U.S. and eighth at the Pikes Peak Marathon that same year. But how well will that speed transfer onto this extreme route?
The UK’s Petra Brewer took fifth at last year’s St Sunday Mountain Race, and seventh at the Mourne SkyTrail, and also looks promising as she steps up to this more challenging event.
On the men’s side, team GB runner Ben Rothery (882) shouldn’t be far from the front. He’s been in the mix at the highest level, finishing 16th in the Up and Down at the 2024 European Off-Road Running Championships and 21st in the 52K trail race at the 2026 European Championships. Closer to home, he won the Lake District 48K earlier this year. Coming off a win in the Scafell Sky Race earlier this year, last year’s second-place finisher Ed Brewer (769) is back for another lap and will be a strong contender for the win. Brewer also took second in the overall series last year.
Ed Brewer en route to second place at the 2024 Pinnacle Ridge Extreme ©Tanya Raab
Irish ultrarunner Joe O’Leary (739) will be working through different gears over this shorter distance, but can’t be ruled out. He’s previously placed third in the Winter Spine Race and won the Spine Challenger North.
Colin Brearly (666) finished just outside the top 10 at the 2024 Snowdon SkyRace and could also be in the frame, and who knows who else might be hiding in the long grass?! Live GPS tracking for this race is available to view HERE.
Absolute concentration is a prerequisite for taking on this unparallel SkyRace! ©Tanya Raab
St. Sunday Sky Race
The St. Sunday Sky Race starts at 9:00am and is the opening race of this year’s Under 23 Series. Billed as a stepping stone to harder and longer SkyRaces, this one takes in technical trails over St. Sunday Crag and the Eastern Fells. Covering 29km and 2,050m of elevation gain, it still packs a punch, and racers have 10 hours to complete the course.
St. Sunday Sky Race: The perfect Lakeland intro to skyrunning!
In the women’s race, 2024’s third-place finisher, Abigail Blatchford (488), is back for another run. Having also placed fifth in the 2024 Copper SkyTrail, skyrunning light seems to be her chosen niche. Lucy Milling (560) looks like a solid contender also. She was fourth in last year’s Helvellyn Sky Ultra and recently took sixth in a big field at the Bath 50K Challenge. France’s Rhiannon Wooldridge (552) finished sixth at this year’s Lake District 23K, and should be near the front. Annie Garside (UTMB Index: 566) will be taking a step down in distance after winning the Welcome Way 50 Mile earlier this year.
Lucy Milling navigates Striding Edge at last year’s Helvellyn Sky Ultra ©Joel Jameson
In the men’s race, defending champion Kris Jones (905) was set to return for another bite of the cherry, but looks in doubt now due to a niggling Achilles. Ryan Jones could be in the running too. More accustomed to longer distances, he placed seventh in the 2024 Dragon’s Back Race and won the 2025 Dragon 100 Mile. Welshman Steve Shanahan (648) and Poland’s Hubert Feret (616) placed fourth and fifth respectively at last year’s Copper SkyTrail, and they could be in the mix. Jason McKay (644) is also one to watch, after his recent sixth-place run at the Scafell SkyRace.
But with quite a young field of runners in this one, there is even more room for surprises! Live GPS tracking is available to view HERE and if you’re looking to take your first steps into skyrunning, then you can still enter on the day for the Place Fell 15K, also on Saturday, or the 6km uphill race, the Swirral Grind taking place on the afternoon of Friday (neither are part of the Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Series).
The 2026 Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Series: Which races will you be doing this year?
It’ll be all to play for across three certified SkyRaces this weekend, with valuable series points up for grabs for all finishers, as well as prizes for age cat winners V40 upwards.
Stay tuned for race reports arriving on Monday, for the exclusive on how the weekend’s action played out…
