LDMT - Event Archive

Nature of the Lake District Mountain Trail

	For history of the Lake District Mountain Trial
	For lists of completions
	For history of previous venues and results
	For history of previous winners

History of the Lake District Mountain Trial

The Lake District Mountain Trial was started in 1952 by the Lakeland Regional Group of the Youth Hostels Association as part of their twenty-first anniversary celebrations.

The first Trial started in Langdale, the runners ascending Bowfell, Esk Pike and Scafell Pike in turn and then descending by the corridor route to Styhead. From Styhead the route went up Great Gable, with the return route to Langdale by way of Rossett Gill. Later Trials took a different fixed course, but this was known in advance by the runners. The distance was normally about 29 kms and competitors were started at intervals. Most competitors wore heavy footwear. A women's race was also organised in 1953 and 1954, the route going up Rossett Gill to Esk Pike, over Bowfell and down the Band.

In 1956 the Lancashire Evening Post sponsored the event and a new organising committee was formed by the late A H Griffin. Representatives were drawn from mountain rescue teams, the Outward Bound Schools, mountaineering clubs and the Youth Hostels Association. The objective was 'to encourage among fell walkers and mountaineers the highest possible standard of safe and fast traverse of difficult mountain country'. The course was lengthened and the rule that competitors had to be members of the YHA no longer applied. A radical change in the event was made by keeping the course secret. The competitors were given an Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference for the first checkpoint. The other checkpoint references were revealed as they made their way around the course. In later events the competitors were started at intervals and given the grid references for the whole course a little way after the start In 2003 maps were issued already pre-marked with the course. The Lake District Mountain Trial became the first event in England to be run regularly on orienteering principles, a decade before the sport became firmly established in this country.

The Trial is now organised by the Lake District Mountain Trial Association which was formed in 1965. Membership of the Association is open to everybody who has an interest in the event. The Trial has grown from fewer than 50 competitors in the late Fifties to the present numbers. The women's event was revived in 1978 as a separate race. The severity of the event demands that all competitors are required to have the experience to cope with poor conditions. The Mountain Trial was shortened for safety in 1978 and 2004, and in 2013 the Trial was cancelled on the day due to severe weather. In 2017 the Long and Medium races had to be stopped, again due to severe weather.

The principal sponsor, Lyon Equipment, is committed to ensuring that the Trial retains its unique and traditional character among the Lake District fell events. The Association is committed to ensuring that the Mountain Trial will continue the tradition of a friendly event; never easy, sometimes desperate, with top fell runners and mountaineers finding it a sufficient test of stamina and skill for completion of the course to be reward enough. The more persistent are able to collect a special certificate for completing 21 classic trials (Men) or 15 medium or classic trials (Women).

List of the top completions

List of top Classic completions (including 2021) (opens new window)
List of top women's completions (including 2021) (opens new window)
Full List of Total completions (including 2021) (opens new window)
Lists prepared 16 September 2021. Please notify info@ldmta.org.uk of any mistakes.

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PREVIOUS VENUES AND RESULTS

1950 -	1960 -	1970 -	1980 -	1990 -	2000 -
	1960 Wasdale Head	1970 Kirkstone Pass Inn	1980 Stonethwaite, Borrowdale	1990 Seathwaite, Dunnerdale	2000 Duddon Valley
	1961 Wasdale Head	1971 Kings Head Hotel, Thirlspot	1981 Hartrigg Farm, Kentmere	1991 West Head Farm, Thirlmere	2001 No Trial - Foot and Mouth Disease
1952 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1962 Ullswater Hotel, Glenridding	1972 Woolpack Inn, Eskdale	1982 Steel End Farm, Thirlmere	1992 Seatoller, Borrowdale	2002 Buttermere Youth Hostel
1953 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1963 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1973 Travellers Rest Inn, Grasmere	1983 Coniston Village Institute	1993 Threlkeld	2003 Fell Foot, Little Langdale
1954 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1964 Greenside Youth Hostel, Glenridding	1974 Coledale Hotel, Braithwaite	1984 Glencoyne Farm, Ullswater	1994 Buttermere Village	2004 Kings Head Hotel, Thirlspot
1955 Honister Hause	1965 Travellers Rest Inn, Grasmere	1975 Newfield Inn, Seathwaite in Dunnerdale	1985 Dalegarth, Eskdale	1995 Hartrigg Farm, Kentmere	2005 High Tilberthwaite Farm, Tilberthwaite
1956 Seathwaite in Borrowdale	1966 Woolpack Inn, Eskdale	1976 New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1986 Braithwaite	1996 Stool End Farm, Langdale	2006 Seathwaite, Borrowdale
1957 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1967 Howtown Hotel, Ullswater	1977 Sykeside Farm, Brotherswater	1987 Travellers Rest, Grasmere	1997 Coniston Village Institute	2007 Hartsop,Patterdale
1958 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1968 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1978 Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere	1988 Hartsop	1998 Wasdale Head	2008 Eskdale. No Trial - Parking Field waterlogged
1959 Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale	1969 Wasdale Head	1979 Low Beckside Farm, Mungrisdale	1989 Wasdale Head	1999 Grasmere	2009 Eskdale
2010 -	2020 -
2010 Kentmere village	2020 No Trial - Cancelled due to coronavirus
2011 Mungrisdale	2021 Loweswater Village Hall
2012 Stair, Newlands Valley
2013 Borrowdale. No Trial - Cancelled due to extreme weather
2014 King George V Playing Field, Patterdale
2015 Longthwaite Youth Hostel, Borrowdale
2016 Newfield Inn, Seathwaite, Duddon Valley
2017 Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere
2018 Grasmere Showfield
2019 Stool End Farm, Great Langdale

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PREVIOUS WINNERS

Year	Classic course winner	Classic course women's winner	Medium course women's winner	Classic Course Team	Medium Course Women's Team
1952	R Moore			Leyland Motors
1953	R Moore		J Allsebrook	Leyland Motors
1954	J.Hand		H Myers	Carlisle Holiday Fellowship
1955	J.Hand			Border Harriers
1956	J.Hand	Jane Buckley		Border Harriers
1957	R.Shaw			Border Harriers
1958	J.Hand			Clayton-le-Moors
1959	E.W.Dance			Clayton-le-Moors
1960	J.D.Oliver			Clayton-le-Moors
1961	G.Brass			Preston Harriers
1962	G.Brass			No team finished
1963	P.Hall			Barrow AC
1964	P.Hall			Barrow AC
1965	M.P.Davies			Barrow AC
1966	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1967	M.P.Davies			Southern Navigators
1968	C.R.Fitt			Pendle Forest Orienteers
1969	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1970	M.P.Davies			Kendal AC
1971	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1972	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1973	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1974	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1975	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1976	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1977	J.Naylor			Kendal AC
1978	W.Bland		R.Coates	Borrowdale FR
1979	J.Naylor		R.Coates	Kendal AC
1980	W.Bland		R.Coates	Keswick AC
1981	M.Hudson		S.Parkin	Keswick AC
1982	W.Bland		R.Coates	Keswick AC
1983	M.Hudson		V.Mason	Keswick AC
1984	W.Bland		V.Thornton	Keswick AC
1985	W.Bland		S.Parkin	Keswick AC
1986	W.Bland		J.Smith	Keswick AC
1987	W.Bland		S.Parkin	Keswick AC
1988	M.Fanning		S.Haines	Keswick AC
1989	M.Rigby		H.Diamantides	Clayton-le-Moors
1990	W.Bland		S.Parkin	Clayton-le-Moors	Lakeland OC
1991	W.Bland		C.McNeill	Kendal AC	Ordnance Survey
1992	G.Bland		S.Parkin	Borrowdale FR	Keswick AC
1993	G.Bland		S.Parkin	Borrowdale FR	Ambleside AC
1994	G.Bland		J.Cory-Wright	Borrowdale FR	Ambleside AC
1995	J.Davies		E.Moody	Kendal AC	Ambleside AC
1996	P.Clark		A.Brand-Barker	Kendal AC	WCOC
1997	M.Seddon		A.Brand-Barker	Kendal AC
1998	M.Rigby		N.Lavery	Borrowdale FR
1999	G.Bland		S.Parkin	Borrowdale FR
2000	P Clark		S.Parkin	Kendal AC	Rucksack Club
2001	No trial - Foot and Mouth Disease
2002	B Bolland		A.Brand-Barker	Kendal AC	Rucksack Club
2003	M Hayman		E Cowell	Borrowdale FR	Dark Peak FR
2004	G Bland		N Davies	Borrowdale FR	Borrowdale FR
2005	I Powell		P Whitehouse	Borrowdale FR	Ilkley Harriers
2006	J Bland		A.Brand-Barker	Borrowdale FR
2007	Jim Davies		Karen Nash	Borrowdale FR	Ambleside AC
2008	No Trial - Parking Field waterlogged
2009	Steve Birkinshaw		Helen Whitaker	Dark Peak FR	Dark Peak FR
2010	Rhys Findlay-Robinson	Helene Whitaker	Kate Cooper	Borrowdale FR	South Ribble OC
2011	Tom Brunt	Helene Whitaker	Wendy Dodds	Dark Peak FR	Clayton-le-Moors
2012	Rhys Findlay-Robinson	Catherine Evans	Tessa Hill	Dark Peak Fell Runners	South Ribble OC
2013	No Trial - Cancelled due to extreme weather
2014	Hector Haines	Jasmin Paris	Kirsty Bryan-Jones	Dark Peak Fell Runners	Ambleside AC
2015	Rhys Findlay-Robinson	Nicky Spinks	Kirsty Bryan-Jones	Dark Peak FR
2016	Neil Talbott	Mary Gillie	Charlotte Watson	Dark Peak Fell Runners
2017	The Short Trial went ahead as planned. The Medium and Classic Trials were stopped after about 2/3rds of their length due to bad weather. 10 people did complete the full Medium course. Prizes were distributed. Trophies for the Classic were not awarded.		Chloe Haines
2018	Nicholas Barber	Helen Bonsor	Zoe Harding	Ambleside AC	Dark Peak Fell Runners
2019	Neil Talbott	Hollie Orr	Zoe Harding	Ambleside AC	Ambleside AC
2020	No Trial - Cancelled due to coronavirus
2021	Philip Rutter	Eleanor Johnstone	Martha Hart	Ambleside AC

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