Trail running legends return to Montane Lakeland 50 & 100 2026

CHASING TRAILS
MONTANE LAKELAND 50 & 100 2026

Every year, trail runners of all levels gather in the Lake District to celebrate trail running at its finest during the Montane Lakeland 50 and 100. These races are a cornerstone of running in the area, taking in some of the best scenery and most challenging terrain, all while bringing up some amazing stories. Here’s the best of what went on this year.

- Kate, Founder

(Photo credit - No Limits Photography)

Lakeland 100

The “ultra tour of the Lake District,” this 105-mile route may not take runners to summits in the area, but it takes in some of the most outstanding views and packs a serious punch in elevation and technicality. It starts in Coniston and moves clockwise through lakes, fells, rock and grassy terrain, stiles, bogs, and everything else the Lake District can throw at you. 

This year, some legends of the event returned to race: previous two-time winner and current record holder Mark Darbyshire and previous winner Anna Troup among them. It was an interesting race, with the top 5 close together throughout the night (the race starts at 6pm), then slowly spreading out. Some of the early contenders in the women’s race fell back, leaving the podium to Shirley Murray, coming in third in 26:09:25, close behind second-placed Leonie Ansems de Vries (26:05:26). At the front, however, it was Anna Troup who claimed the crown with a fantastic run in 25:39:33. 

In the men’s race, the top contenders battled through about 11 hours together: Mark Darbyshire and Peter Stock shared some miles through to Kentmere, where unfortunately Peter retired. Mark would then go on to find himself chased down by Caspian James, who was recovering ground after an early navigation error set him further back from the lead. By the end, Mark held on to a solid 48-minute lead and crossed the finish line in 18:51:31 - just a bit longer than his record on the course (18:45, set in 2024). Caspian then finished in 19:39:38, followed in third place by Will Howard in 20:44:15.

Lakeland 50 

The 50-mile Lakeland race covers 80 km and 3000 m of ascent, taking on the second half of the 100-mile route and presenting a serious challenge, as well as a test of somewhat “faster” running. The women’s race was a duel between Katie Kaars-Sijpesteijn, this year’s Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100k runner-up, and Charlotte Fisher, this year’s Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100-mile runner-up! Quite the match-up… Charlotte led early on, with Katie hot on her tail, and then lost the lead after going off-course, becoming the chaser.

For Charlotte, this was a training race and hard stimulus ahead of tackling the UTMB in August, so she didn’t push hard to reclaim the lead, settling instead for practicing her nutrition and getting back into racing mode after a slower couple of months (as per her Instagram). Katie would eventually cross the line in first place after running 8:23:31. Charlotte followed in 8:40:45, while Robin Collins was third in 9:34:29.

In the men’s race, it was an exciting battle to the wire! Ry Webb and Rob Forbes battled through the course, pushing each other on for the entire race while chasing early front runner Andy Grey. Despite both struggling with cramps for the last 20 miles, they reeled in Andy, and Ry pushed on to establish a small lead after the very last checkpoint. The result: a very tight race, with the top three all finishing within three minutes. Ry took the win in 7:44:29, followed by Rob in 7:45:40 and Andy in 7:47:07. 

Lakeland 50 On the Ground: Rhys’ Story

I caught up with Rhys Turnbull, who ran the Lakeland 50 in 8:29:11, to get a view from the middle of the pack. It was his third time running here, after first being introduced to the event by his in-laws, who’ve been attending it for nearly 10 years.

“When I first signed last year, I was aiming to train for a sub-8 hour finish (having completed both previous editions in the 8:18 and 8:16), but unfortunately I picked up an injury in May, which massively hindered my training. But removing the time goal completely, I looked at different things I could work on without having the ideal fitness levels.”

This meant better pacing, aiming to be fresher towards the end of the race, and actually enjoying the atmosphere and the first miles so much more. The experience was quite different: “I even got comments from other runners and spectators telling me I didn’t look like I was suffering - which was a boost!”

Rhys’ favourite part of the race was passing through Ambleside, a goosebump moment as it feels like the whole town stops to cheer on the runners. It’s a bonus if you go through there at peak beer garden time, assuming the weather is nice!

I asked Rhys what other tips he would have for people running Lakeland 50 in the future. Given his learnings this year, he told me: “Hold yourself back until Kentmere: conserve the legs, save the excitement, and you’ll have a much better day.” Finally, don’t forget to take it all in: the Montane Lakeland races are both great events, so thank the marshals and make sure to encourage every 100-mile runner you may pass along the way!

The Montane Lakeland races are definitely bucket list items after following them closely for the past two years for Chasing Trails. It’s really inspiring to see runners like Anna and Mark come back and put on amazing performances here, years after their initial success, but also to hear from those who’ve changed their perspective with every year they have returned. I can see why Lakeland 100 is a “Lakes institution” - one for the future event calendar, for sure!

- Alecsa Stewart