It’s been a while since I’ve done some mountain training with some real elevation gain, since I completed the Race Across Scotland 215 in fact, back in August 2024. So about time I got some serious climbing into the legs in preparation for this years events! Enter – Yorkshire 3 Peaks.

If you’re a trail runner looking for a challenge or just looking for to get some decent elevation incorporated into your training, something that will test your endurance and strength, the Yorkshire Three Peaks (Y3P) is perfect. Covering just over 39km (24 miles) and climbing over 1750m (5,700 feet) of ascent across Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough, this well-known route is a beast.

The day started bright and early in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Car parked, trainers on, nutrition packed and good to go. Met up with Anthony for some company and uploaded the map to my Garmin.

We tackled the training run from the traditional anticlockwise way round, so Pen-y-Ghent was first, a steep but relatively short climb to warm up the legs. The trail wound upwards, rocky steps testing my quads early on and raising the heart rate. Reached the trig point in around 45 mins from setting off to find nothing but cloud and zero views. Never mind. A quick photo, a little bite to eat before letting gravity do its work on the downhill.

Pen-y-Ghent (694m) and 4.5km ticked off, now it was time for the rolling landscape, which was very runnable, heading towards the viaduct. The viaduct is about 17km in, and marks the start of the climb to Whernside, the highest of the 3 peaks. This climb is a bit of a slog at around 6.5km but does have some runnable sections where not very steep.

This climb is relentless. My “training run” turned into a determined power hike, my quads burning again, my heart rate up. We started the climb about 2 hr 15 mins in and 17km covered. The wind picked up as we climbed, the summit felt miles away, and the wind chill factor was taking effect on my hands and face.

But reaching the top would be worth it for the views this time, surely? But nope, same reward, zero views other than the whiteness of the cloud. We reached the Whernside trig point (736m) after about an hour of climbing, 3 hr 15 mins in and 23.5km covered.

The descent was a whole new challenge this time, steep, uneven, and a little technical in places, the kind of terrain that will challenge your quads and let you know if you have made the right trail shoe selection. This descent had the most mud and standing water on it, so watching my footing placement was essential.

We reached the little farm shop café at the bottom of Whernside after around 35 mins, the distance covered now was 27km. We stopped for 10 mins to use the facilities, top up water bottles, get some proper food down and a welcome coffee from the vending machine. I finally had the feeling back in my hands and face!

Ingleborough was up next. The route up was the hardest of the 3 climbs, a steady progressive climb, before some steep steps, then a very steep zig zag route with loose rocks where a bit of scrambling was required. A quick breather at the false summit before pushing on across the open ridge line to the trig point. We reached the summit of Ingleborough (724m) 4 hr 50 mins into the training run. Distance covered was 31.5km. No views again and the wind even more intense as we set off to pick up the trail and descend. Visibility was poor, so having the route loaded on my Garmin was a good idea, to ensure we stayed on the trail and didn’t venture too far away towards the very steep drop off.

The descent from Ingleborough was a little technical in places with a few patches of mud and water, but overall, very runnable. We ticked off the final 8km back to the car park in Horton-in-Ribblesdale in about an hour, completing the training run under in under 6 hours.

The stats:

Distance: 39.35km / Elevation gain: 1715m / Time: 5 hrs 54 mins / Avg. Pace: 9:01/km / Avg. HR: 157bpm

Thinking of Taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks?

If you’re considering running (or even hiking) this superb route, here are my top tips:

Pack plenty of snacks and water to keep you hydrated and fuelled for the climbs.

Prepare for all weather. Yorkshire likes to keep you on your toes. We had warm sunny spells at low level, followed by chill biting wind below 0 at the summits.

Shoe / trainer selection is essential. Ideally take a specific trail shoe with a decent lug profile and grip for running and similar for hiking. Make sure they are comfortable; you will be on your feet for at least 5 hours.

Make the most of the little farm café between Whernside & Ingleborough. Toilets, vending machines for snacks and hot drinks. And even a little shop, open at various times of the year serving hot food to order.

Embrace the adventure. It’s tough, but very achievable and certainly rewarding.

Already tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks? Let me know your experiences in the comments, and how you got on!