The first and final edition of the Sea to Sea 300km started over a two hour rolling window from St. Bees in Cumbria on Saturday 28th March 2026. Runners were given 100 hours to make it to Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire using a route almost entirely based on the brand new Wainwrights Coast to Coast National Trail.
A podcast debrief of the race can be found on our channel here.
The race was there to replace the cancelled Northern Traverse, but to be run in a very different style, with no formal check points, course markings or safety teams. And the choice of whether to take it on Self-Supported, or crewed, with a list of around 20 locations provided to those runners who wanted to take the latter option.
31 runners began the event, the self-imposed limit we had for safety reasons. With Race HQ acting remotely and tracker monitoring provided 24/7, runners were required to obey all instructions from Race HQ including bad weather route implementation. Runners were also required to report in if they planned to stop on the trail for any amount of time.
The race started in largely good conditions, if windy and with the odd passing snow shower making going challenging but only for short periods. As the first night wore on, things depreciated and eventually the bad weather route was brought in for those departing Patterdale after 0030 on the Sunday. Many had by that time passed over the high point of the route at Kidsty Pike in some of the most spectacular dusk / sunset conditions, accompanied by the Martindale Deer.
The first of of four safe havens was reached at New Ing Lodge, Shap, before runners pressed on across to Kirkby Stephen and the Mountain Rescue Hut there which was being manned as an informal checkpoint by the team there, led by Hannah and Rhys Beddoe.
As Sunday wore on, the weather set in with wind gusts up to 60mph and heavy rain on and off through the entire day. That led to several retirements and bad weather route implementation again impacting the latter part of the field who were called on to bypass Nine Standards Rigg.
Runners then began making Reeth - Dales Bike Centre - where Jess Young and Dales Runners gave support to those who were without. Before the long stretch over to Richmond and across the Vale of York To Ingelby Cross. This marks the 50 mile to go point and the final National Park to be crossed - the North York Moors.
The race now stretched into Monday. Sabrina Verjee (La Sportiva) led the race over the final 100 miles crewed in the latter stages by her mum and finished first in 55:10. Martin Wilson previous winner of our Winter Downs 200 in 2024, reached RHB second in 56:31 again crewed for the majority of the race and third place was our own Founder James Elson in 58:14.
Second place lady went to Teresa Reason in 64:51 and third place lady to Kirsty Taylor - our only self-supported female runner.
19 runners made it home, with the final finish going to our only International Runner - Daniel Podzimek - coming home in 95:58.
A huge thank you to the MR teams along the route, Race HQ of Nici Griffin, Sharon McMullan, Drew Sheffield. Open Trackings Chris Mills and James Thurlow. And of course all the runner crews to making this special event possible.
Here are some race reports from runners who took part in the adventure:
Race Report - Richard Stillion
