Kettlewell Anniversary Fell Race 2025

You can view the full Kettlewell Fell Race results on the SiEntries website, including timings and placings:

View Race Results on SiEntries →

Kettlewell Anniversary Fell Race. 8 km/5.1 miles; 554m/1800’ AS category Sunday 22nd June 2025.

A counter in the 2025 English Senior Fell Running Championships.
This is an ‘AS’ category race, run under the rules of the Fell Runners’ Association (FRA).  Runners must be 18 or over on the day of the race.
All proceeds to Upper Wharfedale Mountain Rescue Team and North Leeds Fell Runners.

Final Race details updated 14th June 2025

Travel: The race location is Kettlewell, Middle Lane Skipton BD23 5QX (village hall). The roads in Upper Wharfedale are narrow and can busy on a weekend, including many cyclists and walkers, so leave sufficient time to get to Kettlewell. Please car share wherever possible to minimise our impact on the area. The nearest rail station is Skipton which is 25km South of Kettlewell by bike. There is a Dales Bus Service which should be operating on race day (https://www.dalesbus.org/875.html)

Parking: Parking field is £5 per car (please bring correct change) and opens 9am. It is a well drained field on the left hand side of the road as you enter Kettlewell (before the bridge) and will be clearly signed. Please drive slowly and follow the directions of the parking marshals at all times. We would like to thank the local farmer and National Trust for allowing us to use this for the race.

There is a cricket square in the field which is fenced off with an electric fence – it is well marked, but be aware. There is strictly no overnight camping in the field. Please use local campsites or B&Bs instead. Please do not climb on or over or attempt to sit or stand on top any of the dry stone walls in the area.

The race start is in the parking field. There will be strictly no entry or exit to the field by car during the two race starts (1150-1205 & 1320-1135) –  follow directions of the marshals if you arrive during these times.

Registration: Opens 10am. Number and SI card collection will be in Kettlewell village hall, approx 250m from the parking field in the main village and will be signed. Please take care of traffic through the village – particularly over the bridges where there are no pavements. There will be safety pins available.

For safety reasons, if you collect your number and SI card, this is a declaration that you are intending to run. If for any reason you do not start, this must be treated as a retirement and you must report to the village hall immediately to hand in your number and SI card at registration.

Toilets: There are male and female toilets both in the village hall and the National Park facilities block in the main public car park. Be respectful of other users and leave them as you would like to find them.

Kit: Please bring full FRA kit in case the weather is bad. An assessment will be made on the day to confirm any mandatory kit requirements (random kit checks will be made before the start if this is the case). The Pete Bland Sports van will be in attendance and any missing kit can be purchased from them.

There are no showers. Kit bags can be left in the village hall at your own risk, but space is limited, so if possible please leave in your vehicles.

Race start, finish and SI card protocol: Race start is in the parking field and will be marked. Race finish will be on the farm track (see race map below).  You will need to ‘dib’ your timing chip in the box at the race checkpoint near Arncliffe (point 2 on the race map below) AND at the finish.

Women’s Race Start at 1200. Men’s Race start at 1330.

At the finish, there will be a finish funnel. Please race for the line – not the dibber box! – your position will be taken at the line and box to ‘dib’ will be presented to you just beyond the line. Marshals will be present to keep you in correct order.

After the finish, you must go directly to registration  and hand in your SI card timing chip to the registration team. This is an essential saftey requirement of the event (do not go to your car first). Failure to hand in your hired SI card may result in search teams being called out and will incur a cost of £30 from SportIdent to replace the SI Card (a broken SI Card will result incur a £15 charge).

Race Route including main hazards: A map of the race route can be found on the Kettlewell Anniversary page of the North Leeds Fell Runners website: https://nlfr.co.uk/kettlewell-fell-race-2025/ A limited number of these maps professionally printed on waterproof paper will be available at registration for £2 (proceeds to Moutain Rescue, please bring correct change).

The race will start in the parking field. After a short run up a track, there is an initial steep climb to a short scramble through a narrow rock chimney – please avoid pushing and shoving. There may be a short bottleneck here, but there is plenty of opportunity to overtake later, so plan your race strategy accordingly.

There are 3 wall crossings with stiles on the first climb: one approximately half way up and two at the top. There will be 3 stiles over the first crossing and two at each of the top crossings. We hope that this will minimise any queues, but please be patient and do not climb the dry stone walls as this could jepoardise the race future. Anyone climbing the walls will be disqualified.

The route down to Arncliffe is mostly grassy and fast. There are are occasionally rocky patches of limestone and many rabbit holes. There is also a kissing gate towards the bottom of the descent.

At the bottom of the second climb, there will be a marshalled check point with an SI card dibber box  which you must dib. A first aider will also be present at this location.

There is one unmarshalled gate at the top of the second climb. All other gates will be marshalled to ensure no escape of Sheep.

Retirements: If you are unable to finish the race, you must inform the nearest marshal and show them your race number. Upon return to Kettlewell, you must go to the village hall and hand in your SI card with the registration team.

First Aid: First aid will be in parking field and a mobile first aider will be out on the course near Arncliffe at the bottom of the second climb.

The nearest hospital with an A&E is Airedale General Hospital in Steeton (BD20 6TD) which is approximately 40mins drive by car.

Results: ‘Live’ results will be available a few minutes after people have ‘downloaded’ their SI-cards at https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/FRA-English/2025/Kettlewell/ subject to WiFi/mobile signal. You will also recieve a print out of your result with QR code which will take you to the results link.

Final results will be available on the North Leeds Fell Runners Website and usual locations after the race as soon as is possible.

Prizes: Prize Giving will be in the village hall at 3pm. Prize vouchers have been kindly donated by Pete Bland Sports and Inov8. Categories will be as usual for English Championship races.

The RO is a pest controller and a traditional feature of this race is the chasing of a rat runner for an extra prize. A runner will set off a little earlier than both race starts and the first to catch them may choose to take the rat from them and carry with you to present this to the RO at the finish for prizes donated to us by local artist and North Leeds club member Jen Roberts. There is no obligation to take the rat for those competing for category prizes.

Refreshments: There is no water station on route. Please bring your own if ou require it. Water and paper cups will be available at the finish.

Tea, coffee and cakes will be available in the village hall. No set charge, but all donations will be collected for Mountain Rescue. There are several pubs and cafes in the village.

Supporters: Supporters are always welcome but are asked not to obstruct the race route and (a special request from the farmers) not to sit or climb the stone walls.  All dogs must be on a lead at all times in the race field and out on the course.

RAB – Filming: The outdoor equipment company RAB are making a documentary about fell running and have some sponsored runners in the race. Their documentary is about the sport and the people who take part. You will see a film crew around and about and, on the course, so please greet them warmly and make them feel welcome. They may choose to interview you and it is entirely up to you to contribute or not. The film crew are not fell runners but are keen to get immersed in the culture of running over difficult ground in all weathers at this race and others.

Thanks: The RO would like to thank the members of North Leeds Fell runners and families who have been essential for putting this on. I would also like to thank Pete Bland and Inov8 for the prizes and Jen Roberts for donating the rat runner prizes, Airienteers for the loan of stiles and equipment, and finally to the local farmers and villagers allowing us to share in the beautiful area of Kettlewell, a part of God’s own country!

We are looking forward to seeing you on the day.

Previous Results

2024 RESULTS
2023 RESULTS
2022 RESULTS
2021 RESULTS
2019 RESULTS
2018 RESULTS
2017 RESULTS
2016 RESULTS
2015 RESULTS