2024 Pinnacle Ridge Extreme Race Report
Completing the trio of SkyRaces from Lake District Sky Trails this past weekend, competitors in the Pinnacle Ridge Extreme (PRE) set out from Patterdale at 8am on Sunday morning. Close but dry, conditions were ideal for some fast times on this course. PRE is a SkyRace unlike anything else; a 28km/2,700m+ course with five graded scrambles on route, scree descents, exposed ridges and a huge ascent profile for the distance.
The highlight for many is the hands-on climbing over Pinnacle Ridge, requiring technical skills beyond those required for most skyrunning events. The race is part of the Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Series and is extreme by both name and nature. Revisit the race route on our Strava account HERE.
As the field started to spread out on the climb up Brown Cove Crag, the front runners in the men’s race began to emerge. Leading the charge was Scarpa athlete Harry Holmes, then Philip Rutter, with Ed Brewer hot on his heels. But once the terrain changed to scrambling, Rutter (winner of the 2023 Glen Coe Skyline) seemed to come into his own, eventually overtaking Holmes before the Hole in the Wall CP at the base of Striding Edge. Brewer pushed hard to hang on to Rutter as he moved past Holmes, moving up into second position.
Rutter may have set off with Rob Sinclair’s 2018 CR in mind (03:57:02) but plagued by injury this year, he wasn’t expecting to get the result he did – a new course record of 03:48:15!
“This race is the perfect link-up of scrambles and that’s the stuff that plays to my strengths” says Kendal-based Rutter. “It’s just so much fun!”
Brewer holds fast to second place in the PRE 2024 © Tanya Raab
In the second half of the race, Brewer was unable to catch Rutter but managed to put some distance between himself and Holmes before also finishing under the previous CR in 03:56:56, with Holmes taking third in 04:03.
“This race has taken me to some bits of the lakes I’ve not been to before” says Brewer from Guildford. “Pinnacle Ridge is just unreal!”
Holmes, who may be more at home on the undulating fells of the Peak District felt that he lost time scrambling in descent but with his climbing background looks “forward to doing more SkyRaces in future”.
Previous CR holder Rob Brown finished 4th overall and 1st MV40 in 04:03. First MV45 was Tom Stoddart in 17th and first MV50 was Ian Young in 28th, and first MV55 went to Ady Gray in 49th place.
Full provisional results can now be found online HERE.
Men’s podium in the PRE 2024: Rutter, Brewer & Holmes 1st, 2nd & 3rd © Callum Robinson
In the women’s race, an enthralling contest unfolded at the front between Kelli Roberts of Helm Hill Runners and the course record holder, Scarpa athlete Sara Willhoit. The pair switched places a few times over the course but ultimately brought different skills to the table.
Speedy Willhoit excels over these shorter distances but prefers long climbs to technical descents. Roberts on the other hand is a local fell runner and accomplished climber (and holder of the female Cuillin Ridge FKT). Eventually Roberts was able to dramatically scramble passed Willhoit while descending Pinnacle Ridge and finish two minutes ahead of her challenger, with both athletes finishing under the previous CR in 04:32:03 & 04:34:36 respectively!
Mother to two young children, Roberts is looking forward to doing more “stuff that I just really want to do!” — getting back to more running and climbing.
Roberts making light work of the tough descents on PRE 2024 © Tanya Raab
Third across the line was Victoria Thompson in 04:46 - another local athlete and winner of the recent Snowdon SkyRace. “I really enjoy scrambling, the technical aspect of it, and I think it adds another dimension to racing” says Kendal-based Thomson, who finished well ahead of the rest of the women’s field. Thompson had targeted PRE as training race in preparation for the world-renowned Trofeo Kima in Italy next month. First FV40 was Emily Harrison (6th F) and first FV50 was Anne Sidel.
Full provisional results can now be found online HERE.
Women’s podium in the PRE 2024: Roberts, Willhoit & Thompson 1st, 2nd & 3rd © Callum Robinson
What Next?
The top 20 M/F overall finishers will now receive points towards their ranking in the 2024 Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Series and U23 Series (INFO). Series ranking charts will be added to the Skyrunning UK website imminently.
Find out your current ranking in the Skyrunner® UK & Ireland Series later this month.
Next up in the 2024 Skyrunner® UK & Ireland are the Seven Sisters Skyline races on 21st September in Donegal, Ireland:
Seven Sisters Skyline 55km & 4,000m+ — third race in the new SkyUltra® Series (INFO).
Seven Sisters Skyline 30km & 2,1000m+ (Ireland’s first sub-ultra SkyRace!) — part of the U23 Series and first race of the inaugural Irish Skyrunning Championships (INFO) alongside the 35km Mourne Skyline in October.
Entries are still open, so it’s not too late to be part of the Skyrunner® National Series! For full details see the event website HERE.
In the meantime, be sure to follow Skyrunning UK on Facebook HERE, Instagram HERE. And why not join the Facebook Group HERE or the Strava Club HERE.
See you in the Lake District again next year? © Tanya Raab
