Limestone Way Ultra & Half
Limestone Way Ultra & Half | Event Information
Sunday 2nd October 2022
The 6th running of the Limestone Way Ultra – a 42.9 mile/69 km point to point trail running event following the iconic Limestone Way all the way from White Peak to Dark Peak through the Peak District National Park.
The Limestone Way Half Ultra takes place on the same day but competitors will tackle just the northern 17 miles (27.5 km) section of the route.
Please find all the relevant event information below, and please do not hesitate to get in contact with us if you have any queries. Final details will be sent out via email to all competitors in the week prior to the event which will include additional event details not found below.
Entry Fees
Standard Entry:
Ultra £66 *£64 Half £32 *£30
Late Entry: (from 1/9/22) – Does not include free tech tee
Ultra £66 *£64 Half £32 *£30
*Affiliate £2 discount per event – for competitors who are either; a member of a UKA affiliated club (with UKA Number) or the Trail Run Association (TRA Number).
Entry opens on 24/12/21
Entry closes on 18/9/22
Transport to the start:
Ultra £15
Half £10
Free 2022 Limestone Way car sticker
A free 2022 Limestone Way tech tee shirt to all online entrants* – choose your size when entering.
*Must have entered before 1/9/2022
Age Classes
Open to solo runners in a variety of age related classes. Minimum entry age for the Ultra is 20.
M: male 20 to 39 (Ultra) 18 to 39 (Half)
MV40: male 40 to 49
MV50: male 50 to 59
MV60: male 60+
F: female 20 to 39 (Ultra) 18 to 39 (Half)
FV40: female 40 to 49
FV50: female 50 to 59
FV60: female 60+
Experience (Ultra only)
Previous experience is essential, when you enter you need to provide details of similar distance events that you have undertaken in the past 2 years.
**IMPORTANT** Both the Ultra and Half are linear routes and if you choose to not pay for the early morning transport to the start you will have to arrange your own transport to either; get to the start from the finish location or to get from the finish back to the start location after the event. The paid organised transport is only in the morning before the start – there is no organised transport back to the start after the finish.
Safety Disclaimer
All participants must complete and sign our event safety disclaimer, you can either do it online or print and bring a filled out form to registration. Links to both versions of the form will be supplied with the final information and on the website in the lead up to the event (approximately 1 week before the event).
Failure to either bring a signed form to the event or submit the electronic form will result in a non-start.
Course
For the event there will be two detailed 1:50k OS route maps
NB. Additional safety information, emergency contact numbers etc will be added to the competition maps prior to the event date.
GPS Files
The use of GPS devices is allowed and you can download the GPS track below.
Ultra
Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/15401710
Half
Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/15401855
Distance
Distance Full: 69 km / 42.9 miles | 1590 m / 5217 ft of ascent
Distance Half: 27.5 km / 17 miles | 599 m 1965 ft of ascent
Course Records
Ultra – Men: 5:45:20 (2019) Women: 7:33:12 (2021)
Half – Men: 2:10:13 (2017) Women: 2:32:39 (2018)
Start Venue
Start Ultra: Ashbourne
Ashbourne Leisure Centre, Clifton Road, Ashbourne DE6 1DR (click for map / view on Google Maps)
Start Half: Monyash
Monyash Village Hall, Church Street, Monyash, Derbyshire DE45 1JH (click for map / view on Google Maps)
Finish Venue
Finish: Hope
Hope Sports Club, Hope, S33 6SD (click for map / view on Google Maps)
Transport to Start/Car Parking
**IMPORTANT** Both the Ultra and Half are linear routes and if you choose to not pay for the early morning transport to the start you will have to arrange your own transport to either; get to the start from the finish location or to get from the finish back to the start location after the event. The paid organised transport is only in the morning before the start – there is no organised transport back to the start after the finish.
Ultra
There is a large Pay & Display car park at Ashbourne (start venue) at Hope (the finish) there is medium sized car park along with a small Pay & Display car park and plenty of on street parking.
You are welcome to park at either end of the route however please be aware that once the event has started we will be vacating the venue and not returning. Therefore if you park at Ashbourne you need to make your own arrangements to return there after the event.
Coach from the start – £15 optional extra when entering
You have the option to book a coach from the finish venue (Hope Sports Club) to the start venue at Ashbourne. The coach will leave Hope Sports Club at 5:15 am prompt, if you are late the coach will not wait for you! If you arrive early please stay in your car and keep the noise down. You will be greeted by an event helper in the car park, who will ask for your name and check you in. Please wear a face mask whilst travelling on the coach to help protect all other participants.
Half
We urge all participants to park in Hope as parking in Monyash is relatively limited. All parking at the start venue is on street in and around the village, there is strictly no parking close to the village hall (we will send more details about this in the final information). At the finish (Hope) there is medium sized car park along with a small Pay & Display car park and plenty of on street parking.
Please be aware that once the event has started we will be vacating the venue and not returning. Therefore if you park at Monyash you need to make your own arrangements to return there after the event.
Coach from the start – £10 optional extra when entering
You have the option to book a coach from the finish venue (Hope Sports Club) to the start venue at Monyash. The coach will leave Hope Sports Club at 8:45 am prompt, if you are late the coach will not wait for you! You will be greeted by an event helper in the car park, who will ask for your name and check you in. Please wear a face mask whilst travelling on the coach to help protect all other participants.
Baggage
When we leave Ashbourne and Monyash we can transport baggage in our vehicles to the finish in Hope – this will be at your own risk – all bags must be clearly labelled with the entrants name, address and contact number. We also offer a ‘bag drop’ service to the checkpoints (ultra only), again bags must be very clearly labelled so as to ensure your bag gets to the right venue at the right time!
Vehicle Support
If you make your own transport arrangements then we are happy for supporters in vehicles to follow the event so long as:
(a) vehicles are parked sensibly at any point on the route.
(b) that nothing other than moral support is provided to runners by supporters.
Registration
Ultra Registration – Ashbourne
Open from 6.30 – 7.20 am
Half Registration – Monyash
Open from 9:30 – 10:30 am
Please ensure you plan your journey to the event so you can register and start on time.
Registration Process
At the registration event staff will provide you the following in a sealed plastic bag:
- EVENT MAP(S)
- RACE NUMBER AND SAFETY PINS
- SPORTident TIMING CHIP – you will be required to self-strap your Si Timing Cards (dibber) to your wrist and wear it for the duration of the event. A member of staff will be available for assistance if required but participants are urged to do it themselves.
Participants will be required to use their SPORTident timing chip at the START, CHECKPOINT(S), FINISH and DOWNLOAD. Details of how to do this will be explained in the EVENT SAFETY BRIEFING VIDEO (released a week before the event).
****The Golden Rule – if you are unable to complete your course you MUST let the organisers know either in person or telephone that you have retired. If you do not, you will be held responsible if the police or mountain rescue team is called out to search for you. A central telephone number will be provided on all event route maps.
Rolling Start Windows
Start – choose your start window when entering
Ultra: 7:00am – 7:30am
start windows every 10 minutes
Half: 10:00 – 10:50
start windows every 10 minutes
Finish will close at 5.30pm.
Start Process
ARRIVE AT THE START READY TO GO – participants must only arrive at the start line within their allotted start window and must arrive ready to go, with all the compulsory equipment.
SELF DIB TO START – participants are required to self dib into the SPORTident START box using their SPORTident timing card (dibber). How to do this is explained in the event briefing video.
Start Location
Ultra – Ashbourne
The start line for the Ultra is located at the far end of the pay & display car park at the beginning of Tissington Trail.
Half – Monyash
The start line is located directly outside the Monyash village hall.
Pre Event Video Briefing
Rather than having a start line briefing we will now record a video briefing that will be available to watch online before each round. A transcript of the briefing will be available to read.
Last minute updates if required will be provided to the participants at the start line.
You will not be allowed to start without having watched/read the briefing!
Checkpoints/ Feed Stations/ Cut off Times
There will be three marshalled checkpoints/feed stations on the Ultra route (one on the Half route) which will provide drinks and nutritional snacks*; checkpoints will have a cut off time after which runners will not be allowed to continue and when convenient you will be transported to the finish (not back to the start). Cut off times are confirmed as follows:
CP1: Bonsall – Distance 14 miles/22.5 km Cut off time 10.30am
CP2: Monyash (Half Start) – Distance 25.8 miles/41.5 km Cut off time 1:00pm
CP3: Peak Forest – Distance 36.9 miles/59.4 km (11.1 miles/17.9 km half) Cut off time 3:30pm
Finish: Distance 42.8 miles/69 km (17 miles/27.5 km half) Closing time 5.30pm
NB before entering you should carefully consider the cut off times based on your running ability
*This will be a mixture of savoury and sweet snacks complimented by sports nutrition from OTE. For those with specific dietary requirements you can find all the ingredients for the OTE products on the following pages Anytime Bars, Gels, Energy Drink.
**Participants will only be allowed to fill up their own water bottles and collapsable cups – no plastic cups will be provided**
Navigation & Signage
The Limestone Way is a permanently way marked trail signed with distinctive circular discs and fingerposts. In addition we will add our own highly visible blue on yellow arrows at ‘key’ junctions and anywhere else where there is any ‘uncertainty’ on where to go.
The event primarily follows the Limestone Way however there are occasions where we will divert you away from the way marked trail for safety or checkpoint reasons. These sections will be clearly signed with our own arrows and diversion signs.
A full colour, bagged A3 OS map section will be provided at event registration with the route marked on plus any relevant course planners comments – you are expected to have a basic ability to navigate using an OS map.
Equipment
Compulsory equipment is as follows:
- Off road trail running shoes – that in the organiser’s opinion are fully suitable for the type of off-road terrain to be encountered (NB no flat soled road shoes allowed).
- Waterproof jacket with hood (the jacket must be waterproof i.e. not just windproof/showerproof)
- Windproof leg cover*
- Hat & gloves*
- Other waterproofs/warm body cover appropriate for the prevailing weather conditions*
- A mobile phone
- Some money (in case you get stranded somewhere!)
- Sufficient food/drink to sustain you for the duration of the event – you must not totally rely on the feed stations for sustenance.
- The event map as provided at the start – emergency contact numbers will be printed on the back of the map.
- A torch (with spare bulb) sufficient to give 6 hours light. A Petzl or similar headtorch which contains multiple LED’s is fine but penlights are insufficient. (Not required for the Half)
- First aid kit (required for Ultra strongly recommended for Half) to include as a minimum: wound dressings, triangular bandage & roller bandage (pain killers aren’t compulsory but recommended).
- Face Mask – to be used whilst inside registration/checkpoint/feed station/download venues
Basically be sensible and come prepared and don’t skimp on equipment! Minimal kit, skimpy shorts and a thin running vest on a cold, wet day is an absolute guarantee that you won’t be allowed to start.
Event officials will disqualify anyone who in their opinion does not meet the above compulsory equipment criteria.
*These items may be relaxed on the day depending on the weather conditions, however the final kit list wont be disclosed until the morning of the event so please bring all of the above to the event. Please check the updated kit list board at registration or ask an event staff member if you are unsure.
Timing Awards*
Ultra Men: Gold sub 8:30 Silver 8:30 – 9:30 Bronze 9:30+
Ultra Women: Gold sub 9:15 Silver 9:15 – 10:00 Bronze 10:00+
Half Men: Gold sub 2:55 Silver 2:55 – 3:30 Bronze 3:30+
Half Women: Gold sub 3:05 Silver 3:05 – 3:45 Bronze 3:45+
* Timing awards may be amended on the day of the event depending on ongoing underfoot and weather conditions.
Finish
At the finish line there will be FINISH SPORTident timing box that all participants must stop and self dib into. If you don’t stop and dib you won’t be classified as a finisher.
After finishing head into the Hope Sports pavilion to download.
FINISH CLOSES AT 17:30 PROMPT!
Download
All participants must enter the Hope Sports pavilion to download their time, hand back their SPORTident timing chip and collect their certificate.
When you reach the download table you must:
SELF DIB
Self dib into the download SPORTident box.
REMOVE DIBBER
Remove the dibber using the provided scissors and place the dibber into the ‘dibber return’ plastic box and the used strap into the bin.
COLLECT CERTIFICATE AND RESULT PRINT OUT
You will be provided with your timing award certificate and result print out.
Post Run Meal
A vegan meal for all runners plus tea, coffee and juice and cake will be available to all finishers.
Please consider the environment and bring a reusable cup for your post run cuppa rather than using our disposable cups.
Results
Provisional results will be displayed on the day at the event; full results will be published on this website shortly after the event.
2021 results | 2019 results | 2018 results | 2017 results | 2016 results
Free Limestone Way Tech T-Shirt
T-shirts are limited edition and will be specially printed for this event only i.e. one for each entrant based on the size provided on entering. T-shirts will be given out at the finish on the day of the event. Sorry but no exchange of t-shirts will be possible if size incorrect.
Only available for entrants who entered before 1/9/2022
Alternatively you can choose your Trees not Tees when entering and instead of getting a tee shirt we will donate your tee costs to Trees not Tees.
Provisional 2022 design below
Class Prizes
Prizes will be awarded to class winners and runners up on each course. To reduce congregation and waiting post event prizes will be posted out to winners post event. NB: classes may be merged if entries are low. Prizes will only be handed out at the day of event at the designated prize giving time.
No Dogs
We are sorry but dogs are not allowed on any of our trail running events in order to comply with UK Athletics Insurance Policy
