Participants in this year's Keswick Mountain Festival trail run
Keswick Mountain Festival organisers have thrown down the gauntlet to mountain runners with the announcement of a new 50km ultramarathon.
The mountain race will take in Borrowdale, Buttermere and Newlands and is a new addition to next year’s festival.
Trail-running, cycling, triathlon and open-water swimming all feature in a growing list of outdoor challenges on offer to visitors to the Lake District town.
Entries to the sporting events, including a 1.5km Derwent Island swim, as well as a short 5km run, opened today.
The festival takes place on 16 and 17 May next year.
Lucy Scrase, Keswick Mountain Festival director, said: “The sports events at Keswick Mountain Festival always help to create an amazing atmosphere over the weekend.
“The combination of the setting and the variety of challenges provides interest and excitement to competitors and spectators alike. Sights such as the open-water swimmers on Derwent Water are really spectacular and our other athletes get the opportunity to cycle and run in some really beautiful surroundings.
“We’re particularly excited about the addition of the 5k and 50k distances to the trail-running programme. They are very different events that together help highlight the wide appeal of the festival.”
Four-times Ironman Triathlon world champion Chrissie Wellington, who attended this year’s festival and tackled the 21km trail run, said: “The Keswick Mountain Festival provided a superb mix of sport, interesting and inspiring talks, great music and fabulous food, in a fantastic venue, with one of the most beautiful backdrops in Britain.
“To do the trail half-marathon was the icing on the cake for me, as I got to immerse myself in Cumbrian countryside, including all its very challenging ups and downs.
“The camaraderie among the competitors was fantastic and the overall race organisation was superb. I would love to return next year.”
Organisers say they will add more details nearer the festival, but sports events entry can be made now via the Keswick Mountain Festival website.
