Training plan · Highlands
Etape Loch Ness training plan 2027
Sunday 25 April 2027, Bught Park, Inverness. 106 km with 900 m of climbing on closed roads.
In short
Give yourself 12 to 16 weeks for Etape Loch Ness on Sunday 25 April 2027: 66 miles (106 km) on closed roads around the loch, with 900 m of climbing. The day turns on one long climb, 7.7 km from Fort Augustus to Glendoe Summit with ramps of 12%, and on holding a 13 mph average to stay inside the road closure. Most of the training falls in the winter, so plan indoor sessions for the days when the roads are icy. On WattPlan's model of the course, a rider with an FTP of 230 watts weighing 75 kg rides it in about 3 h 48 min, and takes 31:36 on Glendoe Summit (the Suidhe) at about 211 watts.
Etape Loch Ness at a glance
| Date | Sunday 25 April 2027source |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Bught Park, Inverness to Bishops Road, Invernesssource |
| Distance | 106 km (66 miles), 900 m of climbingsource |
| Roads | Fully closed for a loop of the loch until the closed-road cut-off.source |
| Start | Waves leave between 06:00 and 06:50.source |
| Cut-off | A 13 mph average: the roads stay closed for 5 hours 38 minutes after the last wave leaves.source |
| Feed stations | Four: Urquhart Castle (mile 15), Invermoriston (27), Whitebridge (42) and between Inverfarigaig and Dores (54.5).source |
| Riders | 6,500 in 2026, the organiser's biggest edition, and it sold out in record time.source |
| Entry for 2027 | Not open yet: register interest for priority entry. For 2025, priority entry opened on 29 October 2024.source |
| Records | Alan Dean, 2:39:48, and Martha Gates, 2:54:58, both in 2025.source |
The course and its climbs
Profile from WattPlan's model of the course (106.7 km routed over OpenStreetMap roads with SRTM heights, © OpenStreetMap contributors). The organiser's figures are in the table above, and their route is the one that counts on the day.
Your power and time on each climb
Enter your FTP and weight and WattPlan's route model rides the course for you the way a long day is best ridden: harder on the climbs, where a watt buys the most speed, and easier on the flat, at an effort you can hold to the finish. The figures below are for 230 W and 75 kg until you do.
| Climb | Summit (km) | Length | Average | Steepest | Your power | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendoe Summit (the Suidhe)source7.7 km at 4.9%, up to 12%, top at km 62 | 62 | 7.7 km | 4.9% | 12% | 211 W | 31:36 |
Eat at about km 22, 43, 60, 82. Riding something else? The free pacing calculator does this for any route from its GPX. In the app, Route analysis adds your own fade over a long day, the wind on the day and a pacing file for your bike computer.
How long to train for Etape Loch Ness
Twelve to sixteen weeks of structured training suits most riders, which means starting between early January and early February for 25 April. If you start earlier, keep the extra weeks steady rather than hard.
The organiser's training hub has plans for 16, 12, 8 and 4 weeks to go, written by coach Kenny Riddle. WattPlan builds a plan to the same date around the days you can ride, and adjusts it when a winter week goes sideways.
Training for the climb to Glendoe Summit
The climb out of Fort Augustus gains 380 m in 7.7 km, with ramps of 12%, and it is the only long climb of the day. It rewards steady climbing at a hard but sustainable effort, which intervals of 8 to 15 minutes at sweet spot build well: two sessions a week through the build is plenty.
The rest of the course rolls. The A82 along the north-west shore suits steady riding in a group, and after Foyers the south-east shore has short, sharp rises and twisting descents on narrower roads, with late rises at Aldourie and Scaniport.
Riding inside the 13 mph cut-off
The roads stay closed for riders who average 13 mph, which is 5 hours 38 minutes from the last wave. If you can hold 15 or 16 mph on rolling roads in training, you have a margin.
There are four feed stations, roughly every 12 to 15 miles, so you can carry less than on an unsupported ride. Still eat every 45 minutes from the start, because the climb comes after the second feed.
Training through the winter
Most of your build happens between January and April, often in poor weather. When the roads are icy, ride indoors: the organiser's plans suggest about 70% of the planned time indoors, and a smart trainer makes it count.
WattPlan runs your sessions on a smart trainer in the app, and your outdoor rides arrive from Garmin, Strava or Wahoo by themselves, so every ride counts towards the plan.
Weather on the day
Inverness averages a high of 12 °C and a low of 4 °C in April, with rain on about ten days of the month, and the organiser warns that Highland weather can change quickly. Start with layers you can take off, and carry a waterproof.
Your plan to 25 April
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to Sunday 25 April 2027 around the days you can ride, and eases off before the day. Take a rider with 230 W of FTP who rides 3 to 5 hours a week now and has an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays and up to 3 hours on Saturdays: a 16-week plan starting Monday 4 January 2027 has 6 weeks of base, 6 of build, 3 of peak and 1 of taper. It opens at 4 hours a week and builds to 6.5, with a longest ride of 3 hours. Pick your own days below to see yours.
Free to start, and the Etape Loch Ness is filled in for you. Premium adds the whole plan to race day and adjusts it when you miss a session or ride harder than planned.
Questions riders ask
How long should I train for Etape Loch Ness?
Twelve to sixteen weeks suits most riders, so start structured training between early January and early February for Sunday 25 April 2027.
How hard is Etape Loch Ness?
It is 66 miles (106 km) with 900 m of climbing, mostly rolling, with one long climb from Fort Augustus to Glendoe Summit: 7.7 km gaining 380 m, with ramps up to 12%. Riders must average 13 mph to stay inside the road closure.
Is Etape Loch Ness on closed roads?
Yes. The whole loop of the loch is closed to traffic until the closed-road cut-off, 5 hours 38 minutes after the last wave leaves. Riders who carry on after that ride on open roads under normal road rules.
What is the cut-off for Etape Loch Ness?
A 13 mph average. The closed-road window lasts 5 hours 38 minutes from the departure of the final start wave, and a sweep vehicle brings riders who stop back to Inverness.
When can I enter Etape Loch Ness 2027?
Entries are not open yet. Register interest with the organiser for priority entry. For the 2025 edition, priority entry opened on 29 October 2024, and the event sells out quickly.
What is the record for Etape Loch Ness?
Alan Dean set the men's record of 2:39:48 in 2025, the first ride under 2:40, and Martha Gates set the women's record of 2:54:58 the same year.
More event training plans
Sources
- Etape Loch Ness, official site
- Etape Loch Ness training hub
- Etape Loch Ness event essentials
- Highland Council road restrictions, 2026
- Met Office, Inverness climate averages
- Inverness Courier, a rider's account of the course
- Date
- Start and finish
- Riders
- Entry for 2027
- Records
WattPlan is not connected with the Etape Loch Ness or its organiser. We've done our best to make sure everything here is accurate, from the details the organiser had published when we checked on Wednesday 7 October 2026, and we'll update this page as more details come out. Confirm dates, routes and rules on the official site. Times and power figures come from a physics model and are estimates, not predictions of your result.