Stanza Stones Summer Edition
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Stanza Stones 50 mile Ultra - Summer and Winter editions
The event is a 50 mile linear ultra across the South Pennines with over 6,800 ft of ascent. The route links the towns of Marsden and Ilkley and visits all six Stanza Stones as well as the village of Haworth.
Two editions are held in different seasons. The route starts at Marsden Cricket Club (HD7 6NN) and finishes at Curly Hill Scout Camp in Ilkley (LS29 0DT). Camping is available free in the summer edition; a campsite bed hire option is offered for both editions. There is an optional coach transfer from Ilkley to Marsden on race morning. Registration takes place on the Friday evening before the event and again on the morning of the race.
Minimum age to enter is 20 years. The race provides six checkpoints with food and water, and three indoor checkpoints in Mytholmroyd, Haworth and Bingley that serve hot food. OpenTracking live coverage is used during the event. Finishers receive a memento, may purchase a cotton finishers T-shirt, and are offered a finishers meal; changing rooms and showers are available at the finish.
The route crosses high moorland and valleys and follows sections of established paths including parts of the Pennine Way, Stoodley Pike, Haworth Moor and Ilkley Moor. The Stanza Stones consist of six poems about water carved into rock and placed along the route; the project was commissioned by Ilkley Literature Festival in 2010. The event is licensed by the Trail Running Association and is held under UK Athletics rules. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
