There are two ways of looking at the Borrowdale Fell Race. One is to say this is a very difficult race, in an extreme environment, so unless you’re super good you frankly shouldn’t be bothering with it (how long can you reasonably expect marshals to wait at the top of Dale Head for you?). The other is to look at the two cut-off times – 3 hours 20 minutes at Sty Head, 4 hours 30 minutes at Honister – and if you think you can hit them, then it’s a challenge you’re entitled to take on. At present, I’m in the latter category, and despite my obvious limitations as a long-distance fellrunner I recently completed my fourth race out of four attempts (2019, 22, 23, 24). So here are 10 tips from my experience to encourage other run-of-the-mill fellrunners, who may be intimidated by the prospect, to give Borrowdale a go.

• Make it the focus of your summer:

The race is always the first Saturday in August, which gives you a few months of summer to build up to it. I did my first longer run in the Lakes this year at the Fairfield Horseshoe (AM) in May, moved up to the Buttermere Horseshoe short course (AL) in June, then a long run in the Dales in mid-July.

• Recce the course:

I was lucky enough to spend the summer of 2019 in Borrowdale so was able to become familiar with the route. I didn’t enter that first time until I’d fully recce’d the course within the cut-offs. So much can be gained from learning the course – terrain, navigation, lines, water fill-ups etc, and just knowing what you’re letting yourself in for. Be particularly wary of the risk of visiting Base Brown when traversing around Green Gable, an easy trap in mist.

• Train rough and long:

At 17 miles with 2000m of ascent obviously you need endurance, but perhaps more importantly at Borrowdale is the ability to run on rough ground, because that’s what you get the whole way round. Keep to the fells in the build-up, the rougher the better.

• Plan it around the cut-offs:

I mentioned the 2 cut-offs earlier, miss them and you’ll be directed back to the finish and be DNF’d in the results. The key is to pace things so that you’re comfortably within the cut-offs, so you’re not worrying about them and to give you flexibility in the event of the unexpected. This year I hit Sty Head in 2:48, Honister 4:00, about right. Once through Honister, you can tackle Dale Head in whatever time you wish!

• Break it down into 8:

The race has 8 checkpoints you have to dib and your splits are presented in the results. I find this quite useful in terms of visualising the race, breaking it down into 8 individual sections, each of which is its own mini-challenge:

1: Start to Bessyboot – flat initially then steep climb

2: to Esk Hause – lengthy undulating trods

3: to Scafell Pike – gradual climb, increasingly rough including boulder-hopping

4: to Sty Head – initial steep scree descent, then descent along/to side of Corridor Route

5: to Great Gable – steep climb

6: to Honister – undulating descent on rough ground

7: to Dale Head – steep climb

8: to finish – steep descent on rough ground

• Take it easy the days before:

In my mind, the only things running can really do for you in the days before a big race is get you knackered or injured. This year on the day before I took the day off work, watched the Olympics and got my stuff together, ideal.

• Get there early:

Start time in Rosthwaite is always 11am, it’s nice to arrive early to get your number and gear sorted and, more importantly, get some decent banter in with anyone you know, which I find really relaxing – takes your mind off what’s ahead!

• Start slowly:

Within 200 metres of the start you’re faced with a major bottleneck where the course joins the Cumbria Way. So start slowly, let the fast runners go through, and accept the 2-minute “delay”. It’s actually a blessing in disguise, slows you down when the adrenaline may be running high.

• Be ready for changes mid race:

The sun may be shining when you set off, but it can all be very different on the summit of the Pike 2 hours later! Obviously you have to take minimum FRA kit but be prepared for rough conditions, the need to navigate etc. This year I set my compass to the bearing off Great Gable pre-race and indeed needed to use it.

• Recover after:

The DOMS are likely to be bad so don’t be afraid to sit in the river after or do a gentle recovery walk/”run” the following day. And reflect on how it all went, this may increase your chances of coming back to do it all again in following years!

My Borrowdale times (so far):

• 2019: 4 hours 19 minutes
• 2022: 4:22
• 2023: 5:23
• 2024: 5:07