Steel Fell Race

Wednesday August 6th 2025 at 7.15pm

Steel End Farm, Thirlmere, Keswick Cumbria CA12 4TW

GR 322128

Race summary

The race is 5.0Km long with 400m of climb

The race is categorised as - AS NS.

A means that

there is less than 20% of the distance on the road
there is at least 50m of climb per Km on average
the race is longer than 1.5Km

S stands for short so the race is less than 10KM

NS means that some navigational skills are required

H0w to get there.

From Keswick take the A591 towards Grasmere. At the head of Thirlmere take the right turn (ignore any "road closed" signs) take the first left into steel End Farm.

From Grasmere take the A591 south over Dunmail Raise and at the foot of the pass take the left turn (ignore any "road closed" signs) take the first left into steel End Farm.

Parking will be either in the farmyard or the start field or on the roadside on the minor road around Thirlmere. Follow the marshal's instructions.

Registration will be in the barn behind the main house at the farm.

Entries

You must be over 16 to enter.

Entry on the day only

Entry is free but you invited to make a donation to this year's charities Cumbria MRT and Cumbria Mind.

Kit requirements

As this is a short A race the kit requirement is at the discretion of the Race Organiser.

You should bring a full set of FRA kit with you. (that is waterproof whole body cover {with taped seams and integrated attached hood}, hat, gloves, map of the route,compass, whistle and emergency food). If you are required to carry this kit then there may be kit checks.

If the weather is good the RO may relax this requirement. The weather in August usually allows this to happen BUT DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED because the weather can change very quickly round here.

Course Map

The Course

The race starts in the field next to the farm and leaves through the gate at the South Eastern corner. Then you follow the tarmac cycle path along the fell bottom till you reach a gate (which will be open). Once through the gate you take a sharp right off the track and the hard work starts as you follow a faint path up a steep grassy slope to a gate in the fell wall. After this gate it doesn't get any easier as the path continues up a steep climb which eventually levels off a bit before meeting a fence which you cross at a stile. After that you simply keep the fence on your right and run along an intermittently boggy ridge till you spot the marshal at the summit. show him your number!

The descent is simply a reversal of the climb until you reach the field where a flagged route leads you to a slightly uphill finish.