Event information
There really is a route to suit all abilities - from families with young children to experienced walkers and those looking to push themselves to take on a new challenge.
Race guide
From kit to key timings, this race guide has all the information you need to know ahead of event day.
Click here for the Yorkshire Dales Festival race guide
How to enter children to this event
Registering a young runner for the 5 Mile walk
Entrants aged 0-14 must be accompanied by an adult entered into the event. Adults can accompany up to 2 children. You will need to do the following:
- The accompanied adult will need to purchase an entry through a 15+ entry type.
- Upon successfully purchasing an entry, they receive a confirmation email which will contain their reference number
- Register the child either through the 0-8 entry type or 9-14 entry type. There will be a question during the registration process asking for the accompanying adult's name and their reference number. Please insert your reference number here.
Registering a young runner for the 16 Mile walk
Entrants aged 9-14 must be accompanied by an adult entered into the event. Adults can accompany up to 2 children. You will need to do the following:
- The accompanied adult will need to purchase an entry through a 15+ entry type.
- Upon successfully purchasing an entry, they receive a confirmation email which will contain their reference number
- Register the child either through the 9-14 entry type. There will be a question during the registration process asking for the accompanying adult's name and their reference number. Please insert your reference number here.
26 Mile Walk
Start Time: 7:30am
This challenging 26 mile marathon route takes you through some classic areas of upland limestone countryside of the Yorkshire Dales, including Malham Tarn and the Pennine Way.
The area is well known for its excellent walking opportunities, and is a great place to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the countryside.
26 Mile Walk Map
View route mapDownload your maps
You can download this route on OSMaps here.
Elevation map

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Start and finish: Seattle Area Swimming Pool, Settle
Perfect for: Walkers looking for a big challenge!
Terrain: The marathon route incorporates several climbs, including Calton Moor and Weets Top, open grassy stretches, grass & gravel paths and quiet winding lanes. The varied terrain will provide a great challenge and includes stunning views of Malham Tarn, which is a beautiful focal point of the area.
Event timings: All entrants are to register at North Ribblesdale Rugby Club to register prior to the official start time
- Registration - 06:30am to 07:30am
- Event Start time - 07:30am
What's included?
- Access to a route map via an app and/or a printable map
- Course waymarked with plenty of signposts
- Checkpoints including water bottle re-fill opportunities and toilet provision
- Warm welcome back at the finish, where you will receive a wooden finisher’s medal.
16 Mile Walk
Start Time: 9:30am
This 16 mile walking route takes you through some of the most iconic landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, much of which is looked after by the National Trust.
The area is well known for its excellent walking and cycling opportunities, but it is also a great place to just get out in the fresh air and enjoy the countryside.
The limestone pavements you'll see are made up of blocks (clints) and cracks (grikes). The grikes are a damp, sheltered habitat for shade-loving plants such as hart's tongue fern, and also provide a home where tree seeds can germinate. In summer the clints have a covering of wild thyme, limestone bedstraw, rock rose and bird's foot trefoil.
16 Mile Walk map
View route mapElevation map

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Perfect for: Walkers looking for a challenging course and distance.
Terrain: The 16-mile walk not only offers a challenging distance, but also offers the chance to take in some of the most unique scenery of the Yorkshire Dales. The route passes over the River Ribble, climbs the Ribble Way over God's Bridge before ascending up the limestone landscape. Make sure you take a moment to glance back for spectacular views of Whernside and the Ribblehead viaduct!
At around the 6-mile point, the Ribble Way and the Pennine Way combine. This is a challenging section of the route as you descend towards Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Walkers will continue over the varied landscapes towards the River Ribble, taking the narrow river path before joining the road for a half-mile leading to Helwith Bridge.
After crossing under the bridge there is a steep descent via open road on Dog Hill Brow taking walkers over the bridge which sits just above Stainforth Force Waterfall, worth a pause under the tree cover to take this great view. Walkers then proceeding along the Ribble to Stackhouses, where the 16-mile route joins the 5-mile route at the weir crossing before climbing up through Langcliffe and before the final descent onto the winding streets of Settle.
Event timings: All entrants are to register at North Ribblesdale Rugby Club and will be taken via bus to the official race start at Ribbleshead. Shuttle bus timing to be confirmed in event race guide.
- Registration - 08:00am to 09:00am
- Event Start time - 10:00am
What's included?
- Bus Transport from Seattle Area Swimming Pool to the start of the event at Ribblehead
- Access to a route map via an app and/or a printable map
- Course waymarked with plenty of signposts and marshals
- Checkpoints including water bottle re-fill opportunities and toilet provision
- Warm welcome back at the finish, where you will receive a wooden finisher’s medal
Download your maps
You can download this route on OSMaps here.
5 Mile Walk
5 Mile Walk
Start Time: 10:00am
This exciting loop course takes on riverside paths, open fields and a challenging climb through Langcliffe before descending back into Settle where the run started. This is a great route for anyone new to walking or an event to do with children
5 Mile Walk map
View route mapDownload your maps
You can download this route on OSMaps here.
Elevation map

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Start and finish: Settle Area Swimming Pool
Perfect for: Beginners
Terrain:
- After the start and a short section weaving under the railway by road, the route quickly takes the quiet river path through Settle with views towards the famous dome of Giggleswick School.
- The route leaves the river path and takes the underpass at Settle School after which point the trails begin, alternating field and stile.
- At the village of Stackhouses, runners will take a short section of road before heading towards the weir crossing over the River Ribble.
- The climbing starts after the weir and a short road crossing taking runners on their ascent to the picturesque village of Langcliffe and the final climb before descending back into Settle, weaving through the streets back to the finish.
Event timings: All entrants are to register at North Ribblesdale Rugby Club to register prior to the official start time
- Registration - 10:00am to 11:00am
- Event Start time - 10:30am
What's included?
- Access to a route map via an app and/or a printable map
- Official event chip timing and results
- Course waymarked with signposts and marshals
- Warm welcome back at the finish, where you will receive a wooden finisher’s medal
Trail Runs


Getting there
16-mile trail run and walk participants
All 16-mile trail run and walk participants will be transported from North Ribblesdale Rugby Club to Ribblehead Viaduct via coach. These coaches will be parked in Lower Greenfoot Car Park (next to North Ribblesdale Rugby Club). Please note that parking at Ribblehead will be very limited.
Fundraising
Our Partner Charity
The 2021 Yorkshire Dales Festival will see funds go towards the Jane Tomlinson Appeal and its recently launched bereavement service, OWLS.
Children struggling with grief after losing a loved one are being offered support from a new service launched by the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.
OWLS (Overcoming Worry, Loss and Sadness) will offer help to youngsters aged 4 to 11 who have lost a parent, sibling or other significant loved one.
Based in Leeds, the service will offer practical and emotional advice and support for families, schools workshops, activity days where children can meet others affected by bereavement and 1-2-1 child psychotherapy for those most severely affected.
The Jane Tomlinson Appeal is the legacy of the late Jane Tomlinson CBE, who made headlines worldwide when she completed a series of seemingly impossible challenges after being diagnosed with incurable cancer and given just six months to live.
After raising almost £2m for charity, Jane, from Rothwell, Leeds, died in 2007, leaving three children, Suzanne, Rebecca and Steven. Steven was just 10 when his mum died.
It has long been the children’s wish that Jane’s legacy could be used to help other grieving youngsters.
Rebecca Tomlinson said: “Having lost our mum, we understand all too clearly the impact bereavement can have on children and young people.
“We’ve wanted to be able to do something to help for a long time so to be able to finally launch the OWLS service is a really proud day for us all.
“No child experiences grief in the same way; even brothers and sisters can cope differently. It can have a real impact, leaving children feeling anxious, sad and even angry.
“On top of all these feelings, there is a real chance, because of their change of circumstances, they might also have to move home or school – causing further upset.
“All of these things can, understandably, have a real impact on a child’s mental health and behaviour.”
Statistics show that adults who experience a bereavement in childhood are also more likely to experience problems in later life; they are more likely to suffer unemployment, have problems with substance abuse and are more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system.
Rebecca added: “With OWLS, we want to reach children when they need it most and when we can hopefully make the most difference.”
Figures show that a parent of children under 18 dies every 22 minutes in the UK; around 23,600 a year. This equates to around 111 children being bereaved of a parent every day.
One in 29 schoolchildren has been bereaved of a parent or sibling – that’s a child in every class.
In Leeds alone around 260 parents die each year.
Having identified a gap in bereavement support services in the Leeds area, especially those aimed at primary school children, the Jane Tomlinson Appeal has now established OWLS to:
- Provide practical and emotional support to primary-aged children (and their families) who have experienced a sudden or expected death of a parent, sibling or other significant loved one
- Offer reactive schools support teachers in a crisis situation and proactive schools workshops to help raise awareness of bereavement and to help reduce stigma around loss
- Organise monthly peer activity days, where children (and their carers) can get together to share experiences, and crucially to be able to laugh and ‘be children’ without worrying about feeling guilty or upsetting others at home
- Offer 1-2-1 child psychotherapy to children most severely affected; this offering sets the charity apart from most others and will help children who might presently have to wait months – or longer – for NHS therapy
The free service is now open for referrals, which can be made by a carer, health professional, teacher or anyone else close to the child. There is no need to go via a GP or health visitor.
Anyone who would like to donate to the service or would like to find out more about fundraising opportunities can go to https://www.janetomlinsonappeal.com/donate
OWLS is now also looking for volunteers to support children on the peer activity days. Volunteers will be given training and support. Anyone interested is asked to contact the service on owls@janetomlinsonappeal.com
Sponsors
Sponsors
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