The Coniston to Barrow Challenge 2024!
3 people attending
9 places left
Got a New Year's resolution to take on a new challenge? Not got much time to train, or find the 40 miles of the K2B a bit daunting? (which would be understandable, it is a very long way!)
Well, this event could be for you - the Coniston to Barrow Challenge is back for 2024, alongside the longer Keswick to Barrow Challenge for those who really like walking a long way! (You don't need to sign up to both event pages, just pick the one you're interested in).
What is it?
Well, it's a long walk - approximately 21 miles from Coniston to Barrow-in-Furness.
But it's more than that...
It's a charity fundraiser - we'll be collecting sponsorship to split between OutdoorLads and other charities nominated by the K2B Foundation who organise the event as well as the costs of running the event.
It's a massive achievement - when you cross the finish line you'll feel amazing (and maybe think about doing it again next year?)
It's a huge event - with teams from all over the country, both smaller ones like ours and from big companies, fundraising for all manner of different charities.
Can I actually do that?
21 miles is about two ODL day walks, one after another...that should be achievable for most (though some will need a bit of training) - why not book on some ODL day walks, camps or hostels to get that in beforehand?
The team
There's a minimum team size of 4 for the event (but we can enter more and we hope we will!) - however that's more for administrative reasons and we don't have to walk together throughout the event, so whether you're an accomplished ultramarathon runner and reckon you'll get round in 5 hours, or whether you're a walker who'd rather enjoy the scenery and take all day, it's all good. If people do want to walk together that's also great, though, and we can provide each other some support along the way - there'll be plenty of time to talk about things like that on the run-up to the event. Either way, you'll never be on your own with the hundreds of others taking part!
Accommodation
If you live locally and can get dropped off at the start at the crack of dawn you don't necessarily need accommodation. However for the rest of us we typically look at accommodation for the weekend in Barrow so there isn't far to go at the end of the walk (you'll probably not be in a fit state to drive anywhere!). In previous years the Premier Inn (where your leader is staying) and Travelodge have offered good options but there's lots available so you can pick somewhere that suits your budget etc. Don't book Saturday breakfast - you'll be up and out far too early for that :)
We usually meet up for a meal and a drink or two on the Friday early evening before a reasonably early night before the walk (and some walk related admin e.g. giving numbers out) - likely this will be near the Premier Inn but we can work that out depending on where people are staying.
Getting to the start
The organisers provide what they call a "Happy Bus" coach service from many of the Barrow hotels to get you to the start - this leaves on Saturday morning and is bookable at a small charge later on. You can also have someone drop you off at the start if you have someone to do that but there is no parking available there so we do recommend the bus. There isn't a bus the other way which is why we tend to stay in Barrow (also it tends to be a lot cheaper than Keswick for hotels etc).
Fundraising
Each walker needs to raise £80 to take part in the event as a minimum, which is to be donated via the K2B website and not other sites e.g. JustGiving. You'll get a personalised link to raise sponsorship which you can send out to as many people as possible to help reach your target!
Sounds great - how do I sign up?
There are a few things you'll need to do to get signed up:
- Register an account on the K2B website at the below link and message the leader your Member ID so I can add you to the team when it has been set up. If you already have a registration from previous years you can use the same one, you don't need to create a new one.
https://keswick2barrow.co.uk/user/register
- Sign up to this event page.
- Once I've confirmed you added to the team, arrange accommodation (note prices do go up!)
You will then need to pay your entry fee which is £15, and book your bus seat at £10.
Once we have the team all set up you'll be able to start collecting sponsorship via your own page on the K2B website - good luck!
Photo credits
The photos on this event page were taken by previous participants/leaders including Danny McKeown-Henshall and are used with permission.
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.
What to bring
You'll need the same sort of kit as you normally do for a day walk - a small rucksack, water bottles, waterproof top and trousers and enough clothing to keep you warm in whathever the weather throws at you, as well as any snacks you may want. Do be aware that when you're tired you will probably feel colder than normal so take this into account. If the weather is good (or if you're a nutter like me and it's bad) shorts are also good.
Chafe (ahem!) is a massive challenge on this sort of event for the chunkier-legged among us - from lots of endurance events over the years I'd very much recommend looking at compression-type undershorts to stave this off (and possibly some Vaseline too!).
The route is on well defined paths (some a little rocky) and minor roads, so choose your footwear accordingly (and try it out in training) - I'd recommend comfortable approach shoes, trainers, fabric boots or similar, but if you do habitually walk 21 miles in your B2s then go for it! :) 2 pairs of socks can help against chafe but again don't try anything new on the day!
Food & drink
The event will provide lunch (a range of sandwiches, mainly) at one of the checkpoints, and water at the others. However you probably do want to consider carrying some as well to keep you going along the way as you will need more than just lunch! (You'll likely burn several thousand calories from the walk alone!)
I would suggest things that aren't too heavy and are easy to eat on the go like Kendal mint cake, flapjacks, crisps and the likes, you may also want to consider isotonic drink to help avoid cramps. But don't overdo it as a heavy bag will make it harder, and you won't want to get back up if you sit down for very long! Also make sure you have a couple of litres of water, as the last thing you want is to end up miles from a checkpoint with none!
We will also look to arrange somewhere to meet for a meal/drinks the night before to hand out race packs etc - ideal time for carb loading!