Length: 461 miles
Location: West Coast of the UK
The race is now in its 39th year, and was inspired by the climbing and sailing exploits of Barmouth resident Major H.W. Tilman. This unique event takes combined teams of runners and sailors up the beautiful and treacherous West Coast to Fort William, with the runners going ashore along the way to scale the highest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland.
The sailing distance is around 389 miles and the hazards of the passage include sand bars, the passage of the rocky Menai Strait, numerous tidal gates, and shallow harbour entrances, and there is even a whirlpool to beware of! It is demanding coastal sailing to challenge any skipper and crew and the weather could be anything from gales to calms, during which teams man the oars. It is often both during the race!
For the runners the challenge is to run up and down Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis from the coast. They will be on the mountains in the dark some of the time and will cover 72 miles of running and 14,000 feet of climbing, plus 26 miles of cycling in the Lake District. They may also have to row a yacht, learn to sail and cope with seasickness and a lack of sleep before they even set foot on land!