Stanza Stones Ultra

Stanza Stones 50 mile Ultra

The Stanza Stones Ultra is a 50 mile linear route in the South Pennines with over 6,800 ft of ascent. It links the towns of Marsden and Ilkley and passes through high moorland and the valleys that carve through them. The course visits six carved Stanza Stones titled Snow, Rain, Mist, Dew, Puddle and Beck, and includes the historical village of Haworth and sections of the Pennine Way, Stoodley Pike and Ilkley Moor.

The event runs in summer and winter editions. The minimum age is 20 years. The route starts at Marsden Cricket Club and finishes at Curly Hill Scout Camp in Ilkley. Support includes six checkpoints with food and water, and three indoor checkpoints offering hot food in Mytholmroyd, Haworth and Bingley. There is live tracking coverage, a GPX route file and segmented PDF maps for the four legs. Camping is offered only in the summer edition with an option to hire a bed on event nights; there is an optional coach transfer from Ilkley to Marsden. At the finish participants receive a memento, may purchase an optional cotton T-shirt, and are offered a finishers meal plus changing rooms and showers. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.