WASTE FREE
KESWICK MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL
We're determined to keep the trails we use waste and litter free. We've therefore teamed up with our nutrition supporters Active Root to keep you fueled and hydrated in a waste free way.
Firstly, if you present them with your reusable cup at their finish line stand, you'll receive 3 free Sports Drink sachets.
Secondly, you'll be able to hire a 150ml Soft Flask from their stand for your event for just £5 Deposit, you can fill this with your own fuel or Active Root Gel Mix for free. (Your £5 will be returned when you return their Soft Flask)
Active Root's drinks will be available to try for free, at the finish line, exhibitor marquee and at aid stations during the 10k, 25k and 50k Trail Runs as well as all of the Cycle Sportives. You'll also have the opportunity to try Gel Mix during the 25k and 50k Trail Runs as well as at the Active Root stand."
Find out more about Active Root here: https://activeroot.co.uk/
NB: There will be no cups at the feed stations so please bring a re-usable foldable ‘soft cup’ or drinks bottle. You will need to carry this with you and use it on the course if you wish to use feed stations. Foldable soft cups will be available to buy in Sports Registration on the day if you need one.
DexShell Back O’ Skiddaw Cycle Sportive
£47.00
Sunday 22nd May | 9:00am
A great event open to cycle sportive enthusiasts looking for something shorter and occasionally furious on the climbs!
The Back O’Skiddaw 70KM sportive is graded as 2 out of 5 in the British Cycling sportive grading system, making it a moderately hilly half-day road ride in the Lake District! This ride has approximately 650 metres of ascent with an expected completion time of between 2.5 and 5 hours.
The course is fully tarmac, ranging from steeply undulating narrow single track, gated farm roads, to the quieter B and A roads in the area. If you’re new to cycling events then this is a great place to start but this sportive can also be enjoyed by cycling enthusiasts looking for something shorter and occasionally furious on the climbs!
This ride is open to electric and adapted bikes. As a potential participant you must study the ride information carefully and be confident that you can complete this ride comfortably before entering..
Pre Sales are Closed. Entries available on the day from Sports Registration on the Festival Village.
- Athlete Guide
- What's Included
- ROUTE DESCRIPTION
- What's great!
- Venue
- Testimonials
- Previous Finishers
- Sportive Checklist
- Cyclist Offer
Athlete Guide
You can download your KMF athlete information pack here.
Please make sure you read this prior to coming to the event, it will answer most if not all of your questions.
What's Included
- Free photograph
- Electronic chip timing
- 1 x feed station
- Event t-shirt (unless you choose to donate cost of T Shirt to National Trust instead)
- 1 x day ticket of live music & festival village activities
- Hydration will be provided.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
Click image to download hi-res version.
The Back o’ Skiddaw 70km Sportive takes you on a fantastic circuit to the quieter side of the Lake District National Park, and provides an exhilarating, occasionally hilly and beautifully scenic route without having to negotiate the big Lakeland mountain passes. First up on these quieter roads are the tranquil villages at the foot of Blencathra; Threlkeld, Scales and Mungrisdale. With the route heading anticlockwise out of Keswick, the mountains are always nearby on your left shoulder. Greystoke, the setting for Tarzan and other movies, is undulating, expansive and the roads take you far from the madding crowd. Onwards towards the halfway feed station at Millhouse, and at the Back o’ Skiddaw lie the villages of Hesket Newmarket and Caldbeck, with historic pubs, quaint cafes and idyllic cottages. Riding around the Caldbeck and Uldale Fells, the going feels remote – the open moorland brings great views, and the mighty Skiddaw comes into sight once again.
Descending down and along the roads back towards Keswick, with a café and toilets at Mirehouse (Dodd Woods), then you head through Applethwaite. It’s just a few miles to go from here and you become reacquainted with Keswick and all the family fun and action back at the Mountain Festival in Crow Park. So, that’s 70 kilometres and 650 metres of climbing. A good honest day or faster half-day’s ride. At a sedate pace, you can take this outing easy. At a faster pace, you can give yourself a real workout. Either way, the Back o’ Skiddaw Sportive is likely to take you into new territory.
The good news… we’ve identified an equally fantastic route out of town. It initially stays South of the A66 and passes the amazing Castlerigg Stone Circle. We’ll cross the A66 near Threlkeld at a well-managed crossing point. Marshals will ask you to dismount, and go across the A66 on foot, you can remount on the other side. Thanks to Highways England and Keir for the assistance on this.
CONTINGENCY PLAN
It is possible that events and courses at KMF may need to be amended at short notice due to weather issues, water levels, road conditions or road works.
By nature, many of these factors are not possible to know well in advance. For each event there are a number of alternative options available which can be implemented at short notice. The organisers and race directors will always have athlete and spectator safety as the highest priority, and within that context will seek to provide the best possible experience.All sporting events would be impacted if the KMF Festival Village has to be closed. In this instance, as long as circumstances allow, all starts and finishes would be relocated to Lake Road and Lakeside Car Park and the events operated as smoothly as possible.
There are numerous route options available as a contingency for the sportive, depending upon the reason for the re-routing. We would re-mark and re-marshal the course in any scenario.
What's great!
- 650 meters of climbing
- The course is fully tarmac with pleasant and quiet open roads in abundance
- Iconic scenery taking you on a fantastic circuit to the quieter side of the Lake District National Park
- Start and finish at Crow Park taking in a fantastic Festival atmosphere where your friends and family can watch!
Venue
The Festival Village is located adjacent to The Theatre By The Lake close to Derwentwater.
Address: Lakeside
Keswick
Cumbria
CA12 5DJ
Testimonials
Back O’ Skiddaw – what a great day! The organisation was 1st class. The route? Well that couldn’t have been bettered, with a bit of everything thrown into one loop. It will give something for every type of road cyclist. All in all the best fun I’ve had on the bike in a very long time!
Rob Hayles, Track World Champion and Olympic medallist
Sportive Checklist
Our friends at Saddle Skedaddle have pulled together a checklist for you to run through to check you have everything you need for your sportive!
Read about it here.
Cyclist Offer
Cyclist magazine is proud to partner with the Keswick Mountain Festival
Subscribe to the Cyclist community to get the magazine loved by road cycling enthusiasts around the world, your first 3 months for just £5.
WASTE FREE
KESWICK MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL
We're determined to keep the trails we use waste and litter free. We've therefore teamed up with our nutrition supporters Active Root to keep you fueled and hydrated in a waste free way.
Firstly, if you present them with your reusable cup at their finish line stand, you'll receive 3 free Sports Drink sachets.
Secondly, you'll be able to hire a 150ml Soft Flask from their stand for your event for just £5 Deposit, you can fill this with your own fuel or Active Root Gel Mix for free. (Your £5 will be returned when you return their Soft Flask)
Active Root's drinks will be available to try for free, at the finish line, exhibitor marquee and at aid stations during the 10k, 25k and 50k Trail Runs as well as all of the Cycle Sportives. You'll also have the opportunity to try Gel Mix during the 25k and 50k Trail Runs as well as at the Active Root stand."
Find out more about Active Root here: https://activeroot.co.uk/
NB: There will be no cups at the feed stations so please bring a re-usable foldable ‘soft cup’ or drinks bottle. You will need to carry this with you and use it on the course if you wish to use feed stations. Foldable soft cups will be available to buy in Sports Registration on the day if you need one.
Raise money for The National Trust
We are offering all competitors the chance to fly the flag for conservation & raise money for vital work to protect mountain rivers.