Pennine Barrier Ultra 50

Event overview

The Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 is a 50 miles trail ultramarathon held in Malham, Yorkshire Dales National Park on Saturday 2 May 2026. The route includes approximately 2593m of ascent. The event has 750 places and a stated overall cut-off of 18 hours. The event is held under UKA and Trail Running Association permit and carries an ITRA / UTMB performance index. The published entry fee is £119.

Course and logistics

The route starts and finishes at Malham Showfield and follows sections of the Pennine Way and the Yorkshire 3 Peaks way-marked trails. Key features on the course include Malham Cove, the Dry Valley of Watlowes, Malham Tarn, Fountains Fell, Janet's Foss and the three peaks Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. There are five checkpoints located around miles 12, 21, 27, 34 and 38. Checkpoints provide fluids (cola, tailwind, water, juice) and a range of foods including sandwiches, salted potatoes, fruit and snacks, with vegetarian and vegan options noted. No dropbags are permitted. A GPX file for the route is provided.

Rules, safety and kit

Runners must be at least 20 years old and must have completed an organised marathon prior to entry. Pacers and support runners are not permitted. Support crew access is restricted at certain checkpoints and limited elsewhere. Mandatory kit must be carried and may be checked; items include a waterproof coat (sealed seams, min 10,000mm), long-sleeved base layer in a dry bag, water container (min 1 litre), charged mobile phone, emergency blanket, headtorch (min 75 lumens), backup light (min 25 lumens), emergency rations (min 500 calories), whistle and the event GPS tracker (property of GB Race Tracker) which must be returned. A charge applies for lost or unreturned trackers. Medals are tiered by finishing position: Gold for top 200, Silver for 201–400 and Bronze for 401+. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.