Hope, United Kingdom · Saturday, September 26, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

Ladybower Reservoir 50k Ultra

Race completed

52 km Distance

1,490 m Climbing

4.8 Grit · Challenging

53.1167° N, 3.0333° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 29 m / km Rolling. Moderate undulations. Requires consistent effort across varying grades.

Time limit 11 hours 12:42 min/km average. Comfortable. Room to walk the climbs and stop at aid. About average for a 50K. Measured against 1055 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~785 Very large. Congested start, busy aid stations.

DUV results for the 2024 edition (51km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, September

Daytime high 17°C

Night low 9°C

Rainfall Mostly dry

Daylight 12 h 01 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for September — NASA POWER, grid elevation 151 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2024	51km	785	Nigel Hockin · 04:01:32	Gemma Hillier-Moses · 04:09:09
2023	50km	488	Michael O'Neill · 04:23:17	Katy Cherry · 04:57:50
2022	50km	232	Matthew Rushbrook · 04:20:13	Hannah Tyldesley · 05:01:21

The field grew 61% between 2023 (488) and 2024 (785). 26% of the 2024 field were women.

DUV results for the 2024 edition (51km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Course notes

terrain This is a rolling course. Expect fast, runnable sections where rhythm is key.
gear With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

Gear for this race

Chosen for 52 km of trail with 1,490 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 29 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition 52 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Pole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles 1,490 m of ascent to walk up.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 52 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Adidas

Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra to be perfect for midfoot and forefoot strikers, while iRunFar noted that the shoe feels incredibly effici…

★★★★★ 4.5

Adidas

Terrex Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra to have a grippy outsole and great lockdown, while iRunFar noted that the shoe works on a variety of trail conditi…

★★★★★ 4.5

Skratch Labs

Sport Hydration Mix

Clean electrolyte drink mix with real fruit flavor. Low sugar.

$20 ★★★★★ 4.5

Nathan

VaporKrar 12L

12L race vest co-designed with ultra champion Rob Krar, with insulated bladder pocket.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.6

Komperdell

Carbon Ultralight Vario 4

4-section folding carbon poles with compact pack size for mandatory gear.

$160 ★★★★★ 4.5

COROS

APEX 2 Pro

GPS running watch with 75-hour GPS battery, topo maps, and training metrics.

$500 ★★★★★ 4.7

All gear guides →

Overview

The Ladybower Reservoir 50k Ultra was a trail race held in Hope, United Kingdom, which took runners on a 52-kilometer course with 1490 meters of elevation gain. This meant 28.7 meters of climb per kilometer, a significant challenge for a 50k race. The 11-hour cut-off was more generous than 60% of 50k races, allowing for a 12.7 minutes per kilometer pace.

The race, organised by RunThrough Events, had a field bigger than 99% of 50k races, with 785 finishers in its 2024 edition. It was first run in 2022 and its third edition took place in 2024.

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.