Monsal Trail 10K Trail

Race Description

Starting from the same point at the old Bakewell Station on the Monsal Trail, Derbyshire, at 09:00 and organised by Nice Work as part of the same weekend event as the half marathon, the 10k follows the identical outbound route before turning around at the 5k mark - a point which, according to the organisers' route notes, falls within the first of the trail's tunnels. That means 10k runners get a stretch of enclosed, lit tunnel running but turn back before reaching the Headstone Viaduct and the trail's other three tunnels that half marathon runners continue on to.

It's the same traffic-free, mixed tarmac and hard-packed surface, and the same gentle former-railway gradient, so it carries none of the hill work you'd get on a typical multi-terrain 10k - the challenge here is more about the novelty of underground running than elevation. As with the half marathon, runners can choose to race it on the Saturday or Sunday of the event weekend, or both.

It suits runners who want the Monsal Trail experience - the tunnel, the traffic-free trail, the Peak District scenery - without committing to the out-and-back distance needed to reach the viaduct, making it a good option for those newer to trail racing or building back from injury.