Event Info
Gritty Rascals Coniston

Updated October 2024

Full event info Gritty Rascals Coniston swimrun, held toward the end of September each year. Gritty Rascals started in the Lake District, in the U.K., to revive the Coniston Water event for 2023. Coniston is the third largest lake in the Lake District by volume, after Windermere and Ullswater, and the fifth-largest by area.

The biggest change over the old Breca-run event is that now the three distances are run simultaneously, aiming to finish at around the same time. This has the effect of making the cut-off times for the Gritty course and Sprint course races very generous. Basically, if you can swim at all you are very likely to finish inside the cut-offs for these races!

Gritty Rascals aim to re-establish the Coniston Full-distance race as a 'must-do' event, while making the Sprint and Gritty races accessible to as many people as possible in a fun and safe environment.

This event involves significant trail running, and proper trail shoes are strongly recommended. The swim to run ratio of all distances is much higher than usual for swimrun, making this location a great choice for strong swimmers!

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Event Info Gritty Rascals Coniston swimrun

Location

The event is based in Grasmere, and the nearest town is Ambleside.

How to get there

The closest airport is Manchester. From there you can hire a car.

It takes about one and a half hours from Manchester and two hours from York.

The M6 runs to the east of the Lake District National Park. Take Junction 36 and then the A590 for the southern end of the Lake District.

Even A roads can be quite twisting so allow extra time for your journey and for finding a space in car parks in high season.

There is a pay and display car park behind Grasmere Village Hall (race registration and briefing, bag drop and Sprint distance coach pick up point for journey to start point). There is also a large pay and display car park on Stock Lane, a 10-minute walk from the Village Hall or a 5-minute walk from Dale Lodge Hotel (race finish and full distance coach pick up point for journey to start point).

By coach, National Express have coach services to Ambleside (including direct from London).

By rail, there is no train station in Ambleside. Rail travel is to Windermere, four miles away, with an easy bus (#555) route or taxi access. There is a direct Manchester Airport / Windermere rail link.

Where to stay

There is no specific accommodation recommended by Gritty Rascals, but they recommend athletes book accommodation either in Grasmere near the race finish and event base, or in nearby Ambleside. September is still a busy time in the Lake District so accommodation will be in demand. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

There is plenty of choice in the area at AirBnB, Booking.com and other accommodation websites.

Race distances

There are 3 race distances:

A sprint distance of 12.7 km
a medium 'Gritty' distance of 21.1 km,
and a longer Full distance of 45km km.

The 12.7 km race involves 3 swim legs and 4 running sections. The total swim distance is 1.9 km and total run distance is 10.8 km.

The 21.1 km event includes 3 km of swimming over 5 legs, and 18 km of running, over 6 legs.

The 45 km event involves 6.5 km of swimming over 9 legs, and 38.7 km of running over 10 legs.

You can enter any of the distances as a solo competitor or as a team of two.

Race routes

The race distances have different Start areas but the same Finish area, at Tweedies Bar and Lodge . There are changing rooms and showers.

The Sprint distance starts at Wray Castle jetty at 12:00
The 'Gritty' event starts at Braithwaite Hall at 10:55
The Full distance event starts at Brown Howe car park at 08:00
ALL races end at Tweedies Bar and Lodge in Grasmere.

There are complimentary coaches to take you from Grasmere to the start area of each race, but you must book beforehand, and board the coach ready to race! There are no changing facilites at the start area.

Gritty Rascals Coniston Swimrun sprint route map

Sprint route map, courtesy Gritty Rascals

Gritty Rascscals 'Gritty' event swimrun route map

The 'Gritty' route map, courtesy Gritty Rascals

Gritty Rascals Full distance swimrun event route map

The 'Full Distance' route map, courtesy Gritty Rascals

Event Info Gritty Rascals Coniston swimrun

Energy stations

Around each course there are several water stops, offering hydration (water and electrolyte drinks), bananas, salted crisps, Jaffa cakes, sweets and energy bars.

At the Finish there is also hot mint tea, hot soup, and additional hot food is available for purchase at Tweedies.

Cut-off times

The 12.7 km Sprint race starts at 12:00 mid-day, and the cut-off is 18:45.
The 21.1 'Gritty' race starts at 10:55am, and the cut-off is also 18:45.
The 45 km "Ful' distance event starts at 08:00, and the cut-off is also 18:45.

Weather

Held at the end of September, water is chilly, and the weather is mild but a little unpredictable. The water temperature is around 10 degrees C, according to the race organiser. Wetsuits are compulsory, and proper trail shoes are strongly recommended.

There is always a chance of cold or wet weather, so you should take suitable clothing for every eventuality!

Summary of event info Gritty Rascals Coniston

The Gritty Rascals Coniston swimrun event is at a great location; swimming in fresh water and running on wooded trails with significant challenge!

Check dates for 2025 at our Calendar Europe 2025 page!

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