The route includes Striding Edge, a grade-one scramble

Runners in a new skyrunning event in the Lake District are being promised it will be ‘gnarly, hardcore and awesome’.

Entrants tackling the Lakes Sky Ultra will have to traverse both Swirral Edge and Striding Edge as well as the grade-three scramble up Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag.

Top fell- and skyrunner Ricky Lightfoot, victor in this year’s Three Peaks Race, will take part, along with Es Tresidder, winner of the Snowdon Horseshoe Race.

The inaugural 50km Lakes Sky Ultra will start in Ambleside on 12 September, and follow a route up to Fairfield, on to the Helvellyn massif, before dropping down into Patterdale. The High Street ridge is next, with a final jink up Red Screes after crossing Kirkstone Pass.

Runners will also have to tackle Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag

There will be prizes for two super stages, races within the race, for the fastest ascents of Red Screes and the final descent into Ambleside.

Race director Andrew Burton said: “The course is designed to test the wits of skyrunners by taking them over graded scrambles, and despite additional safety features which will be employed, the course remains a super techy 50km of fun.”

Organisers said the route will be fully marked and flagged, so no navigational experience is required.

“Underfoot terrain will be mixed. Grassy trods, well worn mountain paths, bare rock, scree, open fell, white grass and tussocks will all feature on this fully marked route. Use of hands will undoubtedly be required,” they said.

“There will be a safety team on the hill, with marshalled control points at high-level locations along the course.

“Due to the nature of the terrain, competitors will need to carry their own food and drink for significant sections of the course, and finish with at least 200 calories of emergency rations.

Bring your cowbells, but leave the cow at home

“However, we encourage racers’ families, friends and support teams to make their own way to marshalled points on the fells and at road crossings, preferably with a cowbell or two to add to the atmosphere and character of the race.”

There will be a cut-off at Patterdale and another at Kirkstone Pass, to ensure timely completion of the race route in daylight hours. The race will be run between 7am and 9pm.

More details are on the True Mountain Lakes Sky Ultra Race website.