07:00
Age 14 & over
£250-£300
Since 1998, the SCARPA Great Lakeland 3Day® has offered a 3-day challenge quite unlike any other.
Long mountain journeys, spectacular scenery and an amazing mountain experience!
Simply enter the event and choose whichever course you prefer on the day!
Your ‘luggage’ will be transported while you enjoy three days of glorious Lake District fell-time, unburdened by the weight of your tent, food, and other overnight kit.
Enjoy flexible start windows, complimentary hot drinks, and a choice of the most delicious cakes each day.
Here's a snapshot! See the Route section for full details:
Have a great adventure and stop at some great cafés en route.
An excellent stepping stone to more challenging courses.
How many Wainwrights will you summit?
The ‘Fellrunner’ course is an awesome challenge.
Tackle some tricky terrain on the Extreme Course.
Pick an adventure that suits you!
Expect mountain trails and footpaths, ridges and valleys, rather than contouring, bee-lining and bogs. Unlike a mountain marathon or orienteering event with complex navigation, the emphasis is on long mountain journeys, spectacular scenery and an amazing mountain experience!
Part of the appeal of the Great Lakeland 3Day® is being self-sufficient in navigating your way around the Lake District for three days - so the route isn't marked.
The route you choose is up to you - no routes are marked on the map (or on the ground). You are provided with a choice of courses each made up of a series of checkpoints for you to join up as you see fit.
Some basic map reading skills are recommended but the courses are fairly straightforward, sticking to well-defined mountain paths with checkpoints on obvious features like tarns or summits.
If you're not confident using a map and compass, a recommended route for both the Café Course and Herdwick Course is provided. It’s the perfect way to build your confidence finding your way on the trails and fells.
A mandatory and recommended kit list is readily available. A lightweight 1-2 person tent is required.
Dogs must be attached to the participant on a lead or harness at all times, both on the courses and at the Event Centre and overnight camps. Rules apply.
Threlkeld
Keswick
Cumbria
CA12
UK
Start, finish and registration venue
The adventure starts here - the excitement and anticipation builds as participants arrive to meet their fellow GL3D-ers.
Camping (tent or camper van) is available at the event centre Friday night and is included.
Family and friends are welcome to camp Friday evening only. Family, friends or other visitors are not allowed on to the overnight campsite(s) during the event.
Upon arrival at an overnight camp, you’ll be welcomed in with a choice of complimentary cake and a hot drink.
Then, once you’re reunited with your dry bag (or simply find your tent if we’re at the same overnight camp for a second day), you can chill out.
All participants share the same overnight camp(s) to maximise camaraderie; queue plenty of discussions on the day’s courses and route choices, and of course ‘what course to start tomorrow’.
A typical GL3D overnight camp is usually rural rather than remote (think a farmer's field in a rural location) and portable toilets are provided. Please do not expect showers. Some overnight camps allow for participants to make use of the nearest river or lake for taking a dip in, which can be, er, very refreshing!
Available at each overnight camp, the communal marquee can be used by participants to hang-out in, eat and cook meals in and generally put the world to rights in. Info Point will also be located here.
There are some exciting talks planned:
Ultra-runner and adventure lover. Happiest when in the hills with my dog or exploring new trails.
Leading sports dietician specialising in REDs, female health and eating disorders.
Dr. Megan Lowery, BSc, PhD, is a senior sports scientist and passionate advocate for female athlete health. With over 9 years of dedicated experience in elite sports, Megan dedicates her expertise to optimizing the performance and well-being of athletes. As the female athlete health lead, she focuses on debunking myths and providing evidence-based strategies for harnessing the power of hormones, training, and nutrition across the menstrual cycle.
"When feet fall apart…"
Connecting East & Southeast Asian outdoor enthusiasts across the UK and celebrating representation.
One of the most treasured components of the SCARPA GL3D® is that participants simply enter the event, and then choose whichever course they prefer on the day. This could be the Wainwright course for all three days, or for instance Wainwright on day 1, Herdwick on day 2, and so on with any ‘mix-and-match’ combination possible:
Daily average ~17km / ~650m
3-day total ~50km / max. ~2000m
Enjoy exploring the stunning Lake District at your own pace, and visit some top cafés and pubs along the way.
For those less confident with navigation, a recommended route for the Café Course will be provided. This will be available as a GPX file that you can download to your device, and will be on display.
Daily average ~22km / ~1100m
3-day total ~65km / [~3000-3500m]
Named after the iconic sheep that roam the Lake District Fells, this brand new course is longer than the Café course, but not as challenging physically or navigationally as the Wainwright. It’s perfect if you’re looking to step up to a longer running challenge through some beautiful landscapes.
For those less confident with navigation, a recommended route for the Herdwick Course will be provided. This will be available as a GPX file that you can download to your device, and will be on display.
Daily average ~27km / ~1800m
3-day total: ~80km / [~5000-5500m]
This course covers a similar distance to the former ‘Wainwright Short’ course, but it’s been renamed because it’s certainly not short. Designed to take you to the best Wainwright summits in the area, it’s a fantastic weekend out for anyone looking for an adventure.
Daily average ~33km / ~2400m
3-day total ~100km / [~7000-7500m]
Approximately equivalent to the former ‘Wainwright Long’ course, the ‘Fellrunner’ course is a great challenge for those looking to explore some remote parts of the Lake District. The distance and height gain make this a tough course, but the views will be ample reward.
Daily average ~40km / ~2900m
3-day total ~120km / [~8000-9000m]
Similar in distance and height gain to the former ‘Expert’ course, the ‘Extreme’ course is for those looking for a real challenge. Not for novices, the ‘Extreme’ course is perfect for those wanting to push themselves to their limits, while taking them to the most beautiful parts of the Lake District.
This course is ideal for those training for events such as the Dragon’s Back Race® or Cape Wrath Ultra®, or who simply fancy a good leg-(and brain)-stretcher of a weekend!
Daily average: Whatever you choose!
3-day total: Whatever you choose!
A popular and exciting addition last year, on this course, you really can choose your own adventure.
Visit whichever checkpoints you want each day, and see how many different ones you can visit in total over the weekend. Walk/run for as long as you want and make up your own route! Results ranked by number of unique controls visited over the weekend (and then by time if a tie). Remember you must still return by the course close time each day!
For paired Mountain Marathon style orienteering events, over one or two days, where one of the two runners is under 18, the other runner must be over 20 and must also be the parent or guardian of the junior runner. The minimum age for the junior runner is 14, and the following straight line distance limits must apply for each day of the event:
As the Great Lakeland 3Day® is a 3-day event and the minimum optimum distance (i.e. the planner’s route) on the Café course will exceed 20km, we do NOT allow those aged 16 and under to participate. Participants aged 17 may participate in the Café, Herdwick, or Adventure courses so long as they are accompanied by a parent/guardian aged 21 years or more and that the parent/guardian signs a parental consent form.
Entry fee
£250.00
Entry fee
£300.00
I can’t even begin to count the highlights. My 5th GL3D in a row. The people were lovely and chatty en route.The volunteers were amazing and I can’t begin to say how much I appreciate them. Needless to say I had a fantastic weekend and will be back. Sharon, 2023 participant
A truly beautiful weekend with the most inspirational humans, runners and marshals. This shall always be a weekend I treasure. Jeni, 2023 participant
I had some great adventures and learned loads from others and by myself. It truly is an open and friendly event, thanks to all who help make it so. Already booked next year. Gordon, 2023 participant
