Home » News » Race Directors report and thoughts - Helvellyn Skyrunning Weekend 2025
in Race News / Skyrunning
I never thought we would make 10 years is the first thing I want to say!
In 2014 I found out about Skyrunning. I had been doing it in the Lakes, but we just called it either enchainments or rock and run, as in the shop. There was no specific name.
I met Ian Corless at the Berghaus Trail Chase, of which I planned the routes and dealt with permissions for Ourea Events. Ian showed me pictures of Kilian on Tofeo Kima, I was blown away and sold instantly, this was my tribe.
I was offered the opportunity to plan a race in the Lakes for 2015. This is where it all started. See the history film below:
Role on 11 years [there was a blip in 2020 if you remember] and we delivered the 10th Edition of what started out as the Lakes Sky Ultra.
Its been through many changes, different routes, different events centres, but for the last 3 years we have been operating out of the Patterdale KGV Playing Fields, with 3 sky race routes, 1 vertical and 1 technical trail race.
This year we delivered all 3 sky races on one day plus our trail race, Friday night saw the [now] typical vertical race, which is finally catching on.
If you would like to catch up on the front end of the racing over the weekend, then read the in-depth Skyrunning UK report here:
The sun shone for the Vertical Skyrunners taking on the SG850 and the racing was epic, over 30 runners took part and course records fell in the mens race.
Saturday's racing starts early with the Rab Helvellyn Sky Ultra heading out at 07:00.
We had been watching the weather intently since Wednesday after I sent out the Online Safety Briefing, with whispers of thunder storms and lightening now being present.
Saturday morning started very benign in consideration to the still reports of floods and thunder and as the day progressed, it never appeared.
With the Rab Helvellyn Sky Ultra underway, extreme skyrunners now collected under the start/finish gantry for the start of the Rab Pinnacle Ridge Extreme, one of the most extreme skyraces in the world and certainly the most extreme in the UK. Greasy rock would meet them at Brown Cove Crags for the first scramble of the day, as the race progressed heavy downpours would fall on all runners, but not a jot of thunder or lightening, however the racing was extremely close and humid.
10:00 saw the start of the St Sunday Sky Race with Carmine de Grandis warming up the skyrunners as usual with his unique accordion performances, which have become a regular feature at certain UK trail, mountain and skyraces. We'll be looking to develop some of this joy and fun for 2026.
The St Sunday Sky Race [SSSR] is fast and furious and the leaders certainly showed this for the 2025 edition of the race with the mens CR being completely smashed.
The SSSR course crosses the top of Pinnacle Ridge, the finishing scramble on the Rab Pinnacle Ridge Extreme, and joins into the Rab Helvellyn Sky Ultra route at the technical ascent of Cofa Pike.
In the 'single day race format' that we trialled for 2025, this meant we had many runners out in the mountains of Helvellyn and surrounds, creating a very exciting and busy race day. We hope other mountain users enjoyed seeing skyrunners racing their little [big maybe] hearts out over our local fells.
11:00 saw the final start of the day with the Place Fell 15k, a technical trail route circumnavigation the base of its namesake, Place Fell, which stands proud overlooking Glenridding and Patterdale from the eastern shores of Ullswater.
Very under subscribed for 2025 and the only reason we think this is the case is that with the event spread over 2 days, as in previous years, the timnings clash didn't allow 'partners' to had over kids and dogs to get their 'fix' of skyrunning and racing in.
We will be moving the start time to later in the afternoon to allow this to grow back in popularity.
The Eastern side of the skyrace routes take a much more ethereal feeling type of skyrunning, less technical underfoot, but jaw dropping views. Its what makes the Lake District Sky Trails races in this weekend so tough; hard and technical rocky ground gives way to much more runnable terrain, assuming your legs are still in shape after the bashing of the Helvellyn and Fairfield Massifs.
The descent into Haweswater for the Helvellyn Sky Ultra is one cruel drop, but it makes it that much sweeter when you finish. The St Sunday Sky Race misses the drop for a more continuous flow and feel, as with High Street attained, its all [pretty much] downhill into the events centre back in Patterdale.
With the let down of food not being served at the Scafell Skyrunning Weekend we wanted to make sure everything was as it should be but with all the best laid plans, things can and will go wrong.
Aleks Kashefi, a friend of mine who now resides on the West Coast, was booked to add a European flair in a Lakeland way, serving Herdwick [local sheep] and locally rear Gloucestershire Large Black pork in Panuozzo sandwiches. Aleks is the only guy I know to have run, in sub24 hours, the Bob Graham Round in sandals! Unfortunately Aleks' van engine blew up on the Tuesday of event week.... bang... that was a show stopper.
We had a last minute shout out and an Indian Street Food vendor said they would jump in.
Thankfully we had the AWESOME Super8 Pizza Van booked as well, as on Friday morning our Indian Street Food Vendor rang to say they had van trouble and would be there Saturday still. On Saturday morning they told us they could not make it....
No worries, we still had Grace and her SUPER 8 Pizza crew, who did us proud all weekend.
Unfortunately, Friday also saw the Lakeland Gelato pull out and advise us their van had blown up....... 3 vans in one weekend......
However, we hope you enjoyed the Lakeland Horse-box Bar and our regular Coffee providers from Podda and Wren, locally roasted in Kendal.
So not quite the variety we had hoped for, but we had food for you all.
We also brought back the amazingly salty cramp busting soup from extremely local cafe, Fellbites in Glenridding, which we know went down a treat and really does bust those crampy demons in your legs!
Over the last 12 months I have had a variety of conversations with Rogier Wouter and Debbie Saunders, who oversee the Dutch and Belgian Skyrunning Federations, same idea as the Skyrunning UK banner here in Great Britain and Ireland.
They expressed a desire to host their FINAL for their skyrunning season in the Lakes. Of course we were 100% honoured and wanted to make this work for all. Last season they graced Austria with their presence as there are no mountains in The Netherlands and only small hills in south Belgium.
It was a great pleasure to welcome so many Internationals; and for skyrunners training on 10m sand dunes and small hills, they are some seriously good runners!
We love show casing our beautiful English Lake District and our routes weave through much heritage from the Lead and Silver Mines of Glenridding and Greenside to the 3rd [4th] highest mountain in the Lakes, being Helvellyn, to the streets of Ambleside and the Eastern Fells that are wild and free, finishing over High Street, of which an old Roman Road runs along its spine whilst the famous Herdwicks graze and idly watch skyrunners sweat their way round the routes, absorbing the beauty surrounding them.
I hope they tell everyone they see, of the beauty and toughness of the races here in the UK, we welcome all skyrunners to take on our courses and be blown away by the resonant beauty of the Lakeland Fells.
I am also extremely happy to have been made aware by the ITRA that our ultra distance skyrace was picked to be part of the ITRA UK National League series, all adding to the weight of the very established roller-coaster of a route.
Again an honour to have the St Sunday Sky Race, not only part of the U23 Category series, but also the qualifier for the Skyrunning Masters World Champs in Bulgaria later in the year.
Michael Jones, Skyrunning UK/SkyRun Eyri et all, will be in touch in the next 2 weeks tio conform who has made the selection to run in what looks like an awesome area for the World Champs.
Well done for all of you who were trying out.
So this brings me to the end of my RD Report and Thoughts
My season is short in delivering races, starting with the fantastic Keswick Mountain Festival in Mid May, middling with the Scafell Skyrunning Weekend, backing up the action at the amazing Love Trails Festival and finishing the week after with our won Helvellyn Skyrunning Weekend.
This 3 month block takes so much out of me, its a true baptism of fire, but I do love it. It approaches with trepidation, then the steam train is on the tracks as we deliver KMF, by the time I get to the Helvellyn Skyrunning Weekend I am ready to get off at the next stop for a break and rest, get back to my own running and hopefully bask in some glory that we did a great job.
With all the comments I have received at each event, face to face, with the comments you kind people have emailed me or posted on social media or have sent me a personal message, I feel my team and I have done a fantastic job for 2025.
Yep there have been errors, hopefully you feel these were sorted smoothly. Yep, there are still loose ends to tie up and sort out. Yep there are improvements for 2026 to be designed and enacted, but I now look to the autumn and winter months with a smile on my face, hoping for snow and that illusive BGR on skis [will it ever happen, will my fitness align with the snow gods who are so fickle now in the Lakes], as now Tom Simpson [winner and CR holder of the Rab Pinnacle Ridge Extreme and local skier] has it also on his radar.
Wishing you a fantastic continued season and looking forward to catching up with you all at other events I am attending as Running Poles UK, your one stop shop for Running Poles.
Catch me at:
L100/50 Ultra Tour de Lake District - Friday 26 to Sunday 28 July - This weekend
The Lap | Trail Race - Friday 13 to Sat 14 September 2025
Skyline Scotland - Friday 19 to Sat 20 September 2025
You came, the wind and rain blew hard, some of you conquered, some have un-finished business. A frank and honest RD
