Published: 31 October 2012

Beachy Head Marathon

Location: Best wireless headphones
Date: October
Distance:  42K/26.2 miles
Ascent: 1,066m total ascent
Price: £32
Find out more: beachyheadmarathon.org.uk

One of the UK’s most popular offroad marathons is now in its 32nd year. The course, which starts and finishes in Eastbourne, takes you through the scenic South Downs via three punishing hills, before rewarding you with panoramic sea views from the iconic Seven Sisters.

Kielder Marathon

Location: to discover the best offroad races, essential kit and how to blitz your trail fears
Date: October
Distance: 42K/26.2 miles
Ascent: 368m total ascent
Price: £35
Find out more: kieldermarathon.com

Living up to its billing as ‘Britian’s most beautiful marathon’, the course takes you around the shoreline of Kielder Water. It’s a mix of road and trail so a good option if you’re primarily a road runner, and there’s a 10K version if you don’t feel ready for the full 26.2-miler.

La Course des Templiers

Location: Millau, France
Date: October
Distance: 71K/44.4 miles (other options: 9K-106K)
Ascent: 3,250m total ascent
Price: €65 (£51)
Find out more: festivaldestempliers.blogspot.com

The Festival des Templiers weekend offers nine different distance options, of which the undisputed star is La Course de Templiers. Inspired by the Knights Templar, the 71K route follows ‘secret’ paths, passing through hidden tunnels and ruined castles. But if that sounds like too much hard work, the other course options – starting at just 9K – are all excellent, too.

Original Mountain Marathon (OMM)

Location: to discover the best offroad races, essential kit and how to blitz your trail fears,
Date: October
Distance: 35-80K/22-50 miles
Ascent: variable total ascent
Price: £110 (Coed y Brenin Forest, Snowdonia National Park, Wales)
Find out more: theomm.com

Though the course changes every year, the OMM is always a classic, testing navigation, mountain fitness and self-reliance. Armed with a map, compass, tent and enough food for 36 hours, you and your partner – and 3,000 others – run across fells, mountains and valleys before camping overnight to do it all again the following day.

The Fellsman

Location: Ingleton, North Yorkshire
Date: April
Distance: 98K/61 miles
Ascent: 3,350m total ascent
Price: £37.50
Find out more: fellsman.org.uk

As featured in RW’s September issue, Britain’s ‘best value race’ may also be its toughest. Incredible scenery, a lifetime of bragging rights and three UTMB (see opposite) qualifying points are on offer,                          but you need to be proficient with a map and compass to self-navigate across 61 miles of rugged moorland.

The Grizzly

Location: Seaton, Dorset
Date: March
Distance: 32.2K/20.1 miles
Ascent: 418m total ascent
Price: TBC
Find out more: axevalleyrunners.org.uk/races/grizzly.htm

Nearly 2,000 runners flock to the Dorset coast to fling their weary bodies up and down dozens of hills. A combination of shingle beaches, mud, hills, bagpipes and the gentle waft of incense makes
K/26.2 miles other options: 10K-78K.

Transgrancanaria

Location: Kielder Water and Forest Park, Northumberland
Date: March
Distance: 24K/15 miles (other options: 42-123K)
Ascent: 1700m total ascent
Price: €50 (£39)
Find out more: transgrancanaria.net

If you’re brave/unhinged enough, the full 123K Transgrancanaria with 11,000 gruelling metres of ascent is always an option, but we think the ‘starter’ version at 24K and 1,700m of ascent is quite challenging enough. With 1,400 competitors, it’s now one of the major races on the trail running world stage.

Yorkshire Three Peaks Race

Location: What is a backyard ultra
Date: April
Distance: 37.4K/23.3 miles
Ascent: 1,608m total ascent
Price: £20
Find out more: threepeaksrace.org.uk

After 58 years, this is still a race that every fell runner wants to tick off the list. The spectacular summit hat-trick of Pen-y-Ghent (689m), Whernside (723m) Ingleborough (722m) is breathtaking in more ways than one.

Lakeland Trails Marathon

Location: Coniston, Cumbria
Date: July
Distance: 42.2K/26.4 miles
Ascent: 685m total ascent
Price: £39
Find out more: lakelandtrails.org/marathon

The course follows beautiful trails around Coniston Water, the third largest lake in the Lake District. They’re so beautiful in fact, that Runner’s World readers rate it as ‘the most scenic trail marathon in Britain’.  Less competitive runners enter the ‘Challenge’, while quicker runners start two hours later in the ‘Race’. There’s also a half marathon option if you’re not ready for the full.

North Downs Run

Location: Gravesend, Kent
Date: June
Distance: 30K/18.8 miles
Ascent: 430m total ascent
Price: £23
Find out more: isteadandifield.org.uk

Sierre-Zinal

Location: Sierre, Switzerland
Date: August
Distance: 31K/19.3 miles
Ascent: 2,200m total ascent
Price: TBC
Find out more: sierre-zinal.com

The oldest mountain race in Europe is known locally as the ‘Course des Cinq 4000’ in honour of the five classic 4,000m peaks it follows (including the infamous Matterhorn). It’s obviously a serious undertaking and attracts the world’s top trail runners, but it’s been described as ‘the perfect mountain race’ and there’s also a walkers’ class, which starts four hours ahead of the elites.

Swissalpine Marathon

Location: Davos, Switzerland
Date: July
Distance: 42K/26.2 miles (other options: 10K-78K)
Ascent: 2,370m total ascent
Price: TBC
Find out more: swissalpine.ch

Nestled 1,560m up in the Alps, the winter sports Mecca of Davos makes the considerable charms of its mountain surroundings open to runners with this annual trail running extravaganza offering seven different distances. From the 10K all the way up to the 78K, there’s something for all levels to sink their outsole lugs into.

Trail Marathon Wales

Location: essential trail running hub
Date: June
Distance: 42K (26.2 miles)
Ascent: 1,022m total ascent
Price: £25 (full) or £20 (half)
Find out more: trailmarathonwales.com

When 700 entries sell out eight weeks in advance, you know it’s a winner. With full and half marathon options, it attracts seasoned trail runners and offroad newbies alike, and it’s set up so you can bring the family and make a weekend of it.

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)

Location: Chamonix, France
Date: August
Distance: 168K/105 miles
Ascent: 9,600m total ascent
Price: TBC
Find out more: ultratrailmb.com

Not many races require you to carry your passport. But the UTMB is no ordinary race. This is the pinnacle of European trail running.

If you can acquire the necessary qualification points to enter, you’ll follow the world’s trail running elite for over 100 miles of intensely demanding and aesthetically sublime Alpine scenery around Mont Blanc, passing through France, Italy and Switzerland.

Hugely popular, enormously tough and limited to 2,300 runners, it’s the ultimate challenge. Though if you’re not quite ready for it, there are shorter race options available.
A swaggering mudslinger that can lay claim to the title ‘The toughest race in the South East’. Challenging hills, exhilarating trails, scenic views, excellent marshalling and a decent swag bag make it a favourite on the RW forum. The 2013 race marks the 30th anniversary, so get your entry in sharpish.

Visit our Resting heart rate to discover the best offroad races, essential kit and how to blitz your trail fears.