Bronze Challenge 50K
Sat 20 Sep 2025 Hope Valley, Derbyshire, UK

Peak District Challenge | Bronze Challenge 50K

Take in the valleys of the dark peak and the scenic trails of the white peak and reach the highest point at 464m, with a 12-hour target time which is generous for runners and a brisk pace for hikers.

  • Sat 20 Sep 2025
Hathersage Memorial Hall, Hope Valley

Bronze Challenge 50K

08:00

Age 16 & over

£60

  • 50 km trail running + 1140 m ascent

Event overview

The Peak District Challenge is a trail running or trekking challenge that offers five levels of difficulty.

Choose to run or trek from 25km up to a 100-mile Ultra Marathon on suggested routes which follow good, obvious paths, and are generally waymarked national routes and easy to spot, however you have the flexibility to choose your own course most of the time.

Highlights

  • New 100 miles in 24 hours Ultra

    The newest distance! A challenging course with very tight cutoffs. You will need to maintain 7kph over all terrain, with 4,800m of ascent. Suitable for fast runners who’ve already successfully self-navigated 100km runs.

  • Gold Ultra | 100km in 24 hours

    With 3,200m of ascent, the 100km Gold Ultra Peak District Challenge should be attempted by fit and experienced ultra runners and long-distance walkers who want to see the best that the Peak District has to offer. The achievable 24-hour target means you’ll need to maintain 4kph.

  • Silver Challenge | 75km in 24 hours

    2,000m of ascent. Not to be underestimated, this route follows the easiest and flattest routes between eight checkpoints, but covers a long distance. For determined walkers and runners who are experienced travelling by daylight. Navigate yourself or join a guide overnight.

  • Bronze Challenge | 50km in 12 hours

    Taking in the valleys of the Dark Peak and the scenic trails of the White Peak, the Bronze Challenge has a total ascent of 1,200m and at its highest point reaches 464m. The 12-hour target is generous for runners, but shouldn't be underestimated.

  • Copper Challenge | 25km

    An achievable challenge, following a circular route from Hathersage to Baslow along riverside paths and back via a hillier crossing of Curbar and Frogatt edges. With some of the best views in the Peak, this challenge is for walkers or runners.

This event is part of Peak District Challenge.

Event video

  • Average fitness
  • Dogs allowed
  • Event village
  • Newcomers
  • Superfit
  • Teams

Corporate groups

Discounts for groups of 10 or more.

Are you and your colleagues looking for a challenge? Perhaps a new way of getting to know each other outside of the office? Or a way of making a contribution to a charity of your choice?

Thank you so much for all your help on this – it was a great day. [The instructors] were excellent – really helpful and supportive – please do pass on our thanks. I would absolutely recommend your team to anyone. I was very happy with the organisation and your patience. Please do keep me informed about activities and events – we all loved the Peak District and would certainly come up again. Paula

Kit list

A solo and team kit list will be readily available when you sign up.

Guided group pace

Guides will lead their group at “on-target” pace, (ie 9 hours for Copper, 12 hours for Bronze; the first 25km in 8 hours for Silver. If you chose to join a led group with a guide, you will need to walk at the group’s pace and stay together with your guide, so guided groups are not suitable for those looking for a fast time.

Dogs

Well-behaved dogs on leads, accompanied by responsible owners, are welcome however there is no support for dogs at all which includes the drop-out bus.

  • Bag storage
  • Bag transfer
  • Cafe
  • Paid parking
  • Rural
  • Toilets

Event HQ

Hathersage Memorial Hall
Oddfellows Road
Hathersage
Hope Valley
Derbyshire
S32 1DU
UK

Drop bags

For 100-miles-in-24-hours, Gold, Silver and Bronze challengers, there will be a drop bag facility during the second half of the challenge at The Cressbrook Checkpoint.

  • Check points
  • Cut off time
  • First aid
  • Food stations
  • Hilly
  • Marshals
  • Navigation required
  • Toilets
  • Water stations
  • Way markers

Overview

The Bronze Peak District Challenge starts between 7.30am – 8.30am on Saturday morning: There is a time-trial-style start at 1-minute intervals. You can choose when you depart, depending on if you’d like more spare time, or a later start.

Description

You will leave Hathersage in the Hope valley and walk up the Hope Valley on good paths past Hope and Bamford until you reach Castleton. From here, you will turn south to join the Limestone Way past Peveril Castle and trek through the valley nature reserve of Hay Dale.

Leaving the Limestone way you will meander through idyllic White Peak villages and the Derbyshire Dales nature reserves on your way up to Middleton Moor. A tracked section through the Peak District’s working landscape brings you to pretty Baslow and the final climb up to the Eastern Edges.

You pass above Baslow, Curbar and Froggatt edges with iconic Peak District views until you reach Padley and Grindleford, from where you will rejoin the Derwent Valley heritage trail, and follow the course of the river back home to Hathersage. The total ascent is approx 1140m over the 50km.

Will you make it inside your 12 hour target?

Cut off

The Bronze Challenge starts at 8am on Saturday, so the 12 hour finishing target is at 8pm.

Sustainability

  • Sustainability policy

  • Drinks
  • Goody bag
  • GPS tracking
  • Medal
  • Post-race meal
  • Snacks
  • T-shirt

All entries include a stew supper, goody bag on completion, bag care, and full safety support.

Self-navigating

  • Route guide booklet
  • GPS tracker for your team
  • Drinks and snacks
  • Hot meal and goody bag

Guided walking group

  • Mountain Leader
  • 12 people per group (approx.)
  • Safety equipment
  • No navigation
  • Drinks and snacks
  • Hot meal and goody bag

Support and refreshments

Motivation and encouragement are provided at Checkpoints with water top-ups and refreshments. Checkpoints are spread out every 10km around the course on average. The exact locations of checkpoints will be confirmed 7 days before the challenge. A stew supper on Saturday evening is all included in the price of your entry.

The professional, qualified safety teams monitor teams' safety throughout. Each team’s GPS tracker allows HQ to see each team’s exact location at any time, at any point around your challenge route, not just at checkpoints.

  • Age 16 & over
  • Entries open
  • Enter online

Age

  • 16-17 year olds must be accompanied by their parent/legal guardian. They can be part of self-navigating teams or join a led group with a guide. They are not permitted as solo entrants.
  • 18+ can enter as solo and/or self-navigating entrants.
     

Entry fees

Early bird entry fee

£60.00

Organisers of the Original Peak District Challenge™ since 2013!

Wilderness Development is an adventure activity provider, offering Peak District adventures since 2013 - the original and best!

Highlights

  • Safety

    Staff are qualified professionals, and a real-time GPS tracker covering the whole route is included for all entries. 2025 is the 13th year of organising the Peak District Challenge.

  • Quality

    From guides, to food hygiene, to printed mapping, quality is everything. The drop-out bus is available to everyone, and all signage is removed within 24 hours.

  • Fair and ethical

    Pricing is fair, transparent, and represents the real cost of putting on a great event to ethically-led; professional standards. Charities always keep all of their fundraising.

A brilliant event [...] The 50k was my first ultra distance event and I honestly loved every minute of it. Beautiful route, excellent organisation, friendly and helpful volunteers and tasty snacks - all the the ingredients for a superb day out. The lack of a mass start made it much more chilled, and helpfully, you managed to get perfect weather conditions too. Well done! Helen

I completed the 50km Bronze course last Saturday. What can I say? Such a lovely location and a well thought course options. There is a strong element of self navigation, and with 1,100m of ascent it's a fairly demanding event. The organisers and crew are all so friendly; It's impeccably organised, and there is a such a laid back attitude. Its an event and an adventure, not a mindless race! Seth

Exceptional check points in stunning locations, choice of supplies to help fuel along the route. Great public transport links, also off road parking for those that choose to drive. The ‘cafe’ gives you the option of a drink/food pre race and again at the end where a delicious hot meal was served, all included in the entry price. This race has a lovely calm feel about it, very friendly event with several distance options. Maggie

Other races at event

  • Fri 19 Sep
  • #1 of 0
Hathersage Memorial Hall, Hope Valley

Silver Challenge 75K

21:00

Age 18 & over

£75

  • 75 km trail running + 2235 m ascent
  • Fri 19 Sep
  • #2 of 0
Hathersage Memorial Hall, Hope Valley

Gold Ultra 100K

21:00

Age 20 & over

£80

  • 100 km trail running + 3300 m ascent
  • Fri 19 Sep
  • #3 of 0
Hathersage Memorial Hall, Hope Valley

100 Miles Ultra

21:00

Age 20 & over

£99

  • 100 miles trail running + 4800 m ascent
  • Sat 20 Sep
  • #4 of 0
Hathersage Memorial Hall, Hope Valley

Copper Challenge 25K

09:30

Age 12 & over

£55

  • 25 km trail running + 577 m ascent