Seven of the greatest fell races in the Lake District, united in one iconic series. Over 24 years of history, time-based scoring and a genuine test across every valley and ridge the Lakes can throw at you. Brennan Townshend has won the Trophy outright.
The Lakeland Classics Trophy is one of fell running’s most venerable competitions: a series of seven legendary Lake District races contested over the summer season, with a perpetual slate trophy awaiting the overall male and female winners. Now in its third decade, the Trophy draws serious fell runners from across the UK who want to pit themselves against both the mountain terrain and a field of equally committed competition.
Unlike the Lakes Grand Prix (which uses a points-based positional system), the Lakeland Classics Trophy uses time-based scoring. Your finishing times, adjusted for course difficulty, are your currency. There is no hiding from a bad day — every minute counts. The scoring system rewards consistent effort across the whole series rather than a single brilliant performance, and the “minimum two Super Long” rule ensures that runners engage with the biggest, most demanding races in the calendar.
The seven races span five months, from late May to November, taking in some of the most celebrated ground in British fell running: Duddon, Ennerdale, Buttermere, Wasdale, Borrowdale, Three Shires, Langdale. These are not average Tuesday-evening races. Each is a substantial AL-grade undertaking requiring serious preparation, mountain navigation ability and race-specific fitness. Completing all seven — let alone contending for the Trophy — is a genuine achievement.
Races are divided into two categories: “Super Long” (the four biggest days) and “Long” (still serious AL-grade races). You must complete at least two Super Long races to qualify for the overall standings. Your best three results from across both categories count toward your final score.
| Race | Approx Date | Category | Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duddon Valley Fell Race | Late May | Super Long | ~24 miles, ~8,000ft — the Duddon fells, out-and-back classic |
| Ennerdale Horseshoe | Early June | Super Long | ~23 miles, ~7,000ft — full circuit of the Ennerdale fells |
| Buttermere Horseshoe | Early July | Super Long | ~18 miles, ~6,500ft — High Stile ridge and back |
| Wasdale Fell Race | Mid July | Super Long | ~21 miles, ~8,700ft — Scafell massif, remote and unforgiving |
| Borrowdale Fell Race | Early August | Long | ~17 miles, ~6,000ft — the most famous fell race in England |
| Three Shires Fell Race | Late September | Long | ~14 miles, ~4,500ft — Little Langdale classics, prize giving here |
| Langdale Horseshoe | November | Long | ~14 miles, ~4,500ft — Langdale Pikes circuit, dramatic season closer |
Exact dates and distances vary year to year. Always check the official Lakeland Classics Trophy website and individual race organisations for current information.
The Lakeland Classics Trophy uses a time-based scoring system — a departure from the positional points used in most fell series. This is what makes it both fair and demanding. A runner who finishes mid-pack at Wasdale but pushes hard all day can score as well as an elite runner cruising to an easy win at a shorter race.
Only your three best results count toward the final standings. This gives you the flexibility to drop a bad day or prioritise your strongest races — but it also means every race you enter matters, because a poor result might displace a better one from your scoring three if you race the full calendar.
To qualify for the overall Trophy standings, at least two of your counting results must be from the Super Long category (Duddon, Ennerdale, Buttermere, Wasdale). You cannot build a winning score on the Long races alone. This rule exists to ensure the Trophy is contested across the series’ most demanding terrain.
Finishing times, not positions, determine your score. This levels the playing field across different years when fields vary in strength, and it means bad-weather editions (which typically slow everyone down equally) still produce fair comparisons. It also means you always have something to race for, even if the top places are locked out.
There is also a team competition alongside the individual Trophy. Teams typically consist of three or more runners from the same club, with the combined scores counting. If you’re club-affiliated and targeting the series, check whether your club is fielding a team — team selection and strategy can add another layer to your race planning.
The prizes for the Lakeland Classics Trophy reflect its deep roots in Lake District fell running culture. The overall male and female winners receive perpetual slate trophies — hand-crafted, tactile objects that carry the names of previous winners and speak to the landscape these races cross. Category winners (V40, V50, V60 and beyond) receive Bentham mugs: a beloved piece of fell running memorabilia.
The prize giving takes place after the Three Shires race in late September, bringing together runners from across the series for what amounts to an informal end-of-summer celebration. This gathering — muddy legs, results tallied, slate trophies changing hands — is a reminder of what fell running is really about: community, shared suffering and a deep affection for the Lake District hills.
The Trophy is supported by Pete Bland Sports (the Kendal-based fell running institution), Inov-8 and SPORTident. Entries to individual races are managed separately through each event’s own entry process.
Targeting the Trophy means planning a summer of serious fell racing. The four Super Long races — Duddon, Ennerdale, Buttermere and Wasdale — each represent a major physical effort in their own right. Racing two or more of them in the same season, while also maintaining the fitness to run Borrowdale or Langdale competitively, demands a structured approach that few runners manage without a plan.
The Super Long races are the heart of the Trophy. Duddon and Wasdale are particularly demanding — both involve sustained technical terrain, big ascent totals and several hours on the fells. Build your spring training so you arrive at Duddon (late May) with genuine long-race fitness: 20+ mile training runs with 5,000–7,000ft of ascent, not just road base.
The Trophy calendar stacks significant races across the summer. Ennerdale (June), Buttermere (July) and Wasdale (July) can come in rapid succession. Don’t underestimate recovery — racing hard at Ennerdale and then trying to run Buttermere six weeks later without adequate recovery is a recipe for a disappointing result and possible injury. Build recovery weeks into the plan.
Wasdale and Duddon in particular are not races to navigate on the day for the first time. The lines off Scafell Pike at Wasdale, the route across the Duddon fells — these require prior knowledge. A recce day on each of your target races is time well spent. You will run significantly faster and more confidently on terrain you’ve covered before.
You need three results, with at least two Super Longs. Think early about which three you’ll target as your scoring races and which you might race for fitness or experience without pressure. This shapes your training emphasis — if Borrowdale is one of your counting three, you need a sharpening block before August. If it’s your “free” race, you can use it differently.
The Trophy races are technical AL-grade events. Descending ability is at least as important as climbing fitness. Quad strength, ankle stability and confidence on rough ground all need training. Include regular fell reps, technical descent practice and strength-and-conditioning work through the winter and spring to arrive at the season ready for what the terrain demands.
Wasdale, Duddon and Ennerdale all take winning runners well over 3 hours, and most competitors considerably longer. Race nutrition matters: gel dependency will leave you struggling by hour four. Train your gut to handle real food on the move — flapjack, dates, rice cakes — and practise your mid-race eating strategy in training before you rely on it in a Trophy race.
Each of the seven Trophy races has its own character, history and demands. Understanding what each one asks of you will help you target the right three for your strengths.
Starting and finishing in the Duddon Valley, this is one of the longest days in the Lakeland fell calendar. The route takes in the high ground above Seathwaite, crossing remote ridgelines far from any road. Navigation and fitness both matter here. Duddon is often described as a “fair” race — honest ascent and descent with no gimmicks — which is fell running shorthand for “there is nowhere to hide.”
At around 23 miles and 7,000ft, Ennerdale is the longest race in the Trophy. A full circuit of the fells surrounding Ennerdale Water, it takes in some of the most remote terrain in the Lake District. Weather changes quickly up here. The race has a strong cult following among serious fell runners — if you finish Ennerdale, you have earned something.
The Buttermere Horseshoe traverses the High Stile ridge, one of the finest fell ridges in the Lakes. The views are spectacular on a clear day; the navigation is unforgiving in cloud. This race suits runners with strong technical descending ability — the lines off High Crag and Red Pike are fast for those who know them.
Wasdale is often considered the hardest race in English fell running. Starting from Wasdale Head — England’s most remote valley — the course takes in Scafell Pike and the surrounding giants with nearly 9,000ft of ascent. It is a race that separates those who can suffer in spectacular surroundings from those who cannot. Arriving at Wasdale Head in racing condition is the goal of a whole training season.
England’s most famous fell race. Borrowdale starts at Rosthwaite in the heart of Borrowdale and traverses some of the Lake District’s finest ridges. The field at Borrowdale is always deep and competitive. This is one of the Long category races, which means it counts toward your Trophy total — and racing it well can anchor a strong scoring three.
Three Shires (late September) doubles as the Trophy prize giving — the final scoring race before results are tallied. Langdale Horseshoe in November is the season closer: shorter legs, autumn weather, a field that has self-selected down to the committed. Both are beautiful races and important counting opportunities for runners who have had a tough summer or are dropping a weak early result.
Brennan has won the Trophy outright. We build bespoke training plans for fell runners targeting the series — from first-timer to podium contender.
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