Tissington Trail Jan Half Marathon Trail

Race Description

Run out of Ashbourne on the old Tissington Trail - the route of the former Ashbourne to Buxton railway line, now a wide, smooth, traffic-free path rather than technical singletrack. The half marathon runs out-and-back along the trail, climbing gently for the first half as the old line gains height through the Peak District countryside, then turning for a net-downhill return leg that most runners find gives a noticeably quicker back half and a strong finish. The out-and-back format means the half marathon field turns much further up the trail than the 10k runners sharing the same course, so despite starting and finishing in the same place the two distances see quite different stretches of trail.

Held over a weekend in late January alongside the 10k, it's become one of Nice Work's most popular events - it regularly sells out ahead of time and has been picked out in Runner's World's rundowns of the UK's best trail races. The wide, well-surfaced trail and gentle gradient make it considerably more forgiving than most off-road half marathons, so it suits both genuine trail specialists and road half marathon runners looking for a scenic, PB-friendly step onto multi-terrain, rather than a technical or hilly challenge.