Training plan · Exmoor
Exmoor Beast training plan 2027
Saturday 28 August 2027, Wimbleball Lake. 182.8 km with about 3,080 m of climbing.
In short
Give yourself 16 to 20 weeks for the Exmoor Beast on Saturday 28 August 2027. It is billed as 100 miles, but the organiser's 2026 route map measured 182.8 km (113.6 miles) from Wimbleball Lake, north to the coast at Lynmouth and back by South Molton and Bampton. The organiser names Dunkery Beacon among its climbs, so build towards hilly rides of six hours or more and practise long climbs at a steady effort. On WattPlan's model of the course, a rider with an FTP of 230 watts weighing 75 kg rides it in about 8 h 07 min, and takes 30:18 on Winsford Hill at about 169 watts.
The Exmoor Beast at a glance
| Date | Saturday 28 August 2027source |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Wimbleball Lakesource |
| Distance (Exmoor Beast, 2026 route map) | 182.8 km (113.6 miles), climbing not published by the organiser; about 3,080 m on WattPlan's model of the coursesource |
| Distance (Exmoor Beauty, 2026 route map) | 110.3 km (68.5 miles)source |
| Distance (Exmoor Breeze, 2026 route map) | 75 km (46.6 miles)source |
| Billed distances | The Exmoor Beast is billed as 100 miles, the Exmoor Beauty as 65 and the Exmoor Breeze as 50, with accompanied rides for juniors.source |
| Roads | Open roads, which the organiser describes as quiet, marked with arrows and spray chalk.source |
| Start | All three distances start at 08:00 on Saturday 28 August 2027.source |
| Cut-off | None published. The organiser's sportive page and its 2027 booking page give no cut-off time.source |
| Feed stations (2026 route map) | Three on the Beast: Luccombe Village Hall at 35 km, a pop-up stop at Lynton and Lynmouth at 70 km, and Riverside Hall in Bampton at 136 km.source |
| On the day | Chip timing, feed stations and full mechanical support, with gold, silver and bronze medal times to aim for. The clock keeps running while you stop.source |
| Rider information | Maps, parking, registration and start times arrive by email on the Tuesday before the event.source |
| Entry for 2027 | Launch prices are £37 for the Beast, £33 for the Beauty and £25 for the Breeze, plus a booking fee, until the price rises on 21 August 2027.source |
| Festival | Part of the Wimbleball Sports Festival at Wimbleball Lake, a venue that hosted an Ironman event for ten years.source |
The course and its climbs
Profile from WattPlan's model of the course (183.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winsford Hillsource7.3 km at 4.2%, up to 10.2%, top at km 155 | 155 | 7.3 km | 4.2% | 10.2% | 169 W | 30:18 |
Eat at about km 19, 37, 47, 68, 81, 102, 118, 138, 152, 170. 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 the Exmoor Beast
Most riders need 16 to 20 weeks of structured training for the Beast, which means starting between mid-April and mid-May for 28 August, so most of your long rides can be outdoors. The Exmoor Beauty, 110.3 km on its 2026 route map, needs about twelve.
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to 28 August around the days you can ride, runs the indoor sessions on a smart trainer in the app, and adjusts the plan when a week goes wrong.
Billed as 100 miles, mapped at 182.8 km
The organiser bills the Beast as 100 miles, but its 2026 route map measures 182.8 km, about 114 miles, and the Exmoor Beauty, billed as 65 miles, measures 110.3 km. Plan your training and your food for the mapped distance. The organiser's 2027 page still links the 2026 maps, so check for a new map nearer the day.
Dunkery Beacon and Winsford Hill
The organiser names Dunkery Beacon among the Beast's climbs. On the 2026 route it starts at Luccombe, the first feed stop, and climbs onto the moor below the beacon. Late in the ride, Winsford Hill climbs 7.3 km from Dulverton at an average of 4.2%, with a steepest 100 metres of 10.2%.
Train for long climbs with a weekly session of two or three efforts of 10 to 20 minutes just under threshold, and a weekly hilly ride. Fit the lowest gears your bike takes, because the climb out of Luccombe is steep.
Feed stations and pacing
The 2026 route map marked three feed stops on the Beast: Luccombe Village Hall at 35 km, a pop-up stop at Lynton and Lynmouth at 70 km, and Riverside Hall in Bampton at 136 km. The longest gap is the 67 km from Lynmouth to Bampton, so leave Lynmouth with full bottles. Eat every 45 minutes from the start, around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate an hour, and top up at each stop.
The organiser publishes no cut-off time, but it sets gold, silver and bronze times and the clock runs while you stop, so keep stops short. The calculator above shows WattPlan's estimate of your riding time, paced harder on the climbs and easier on the flat.
Weather in late August
The Met Office station at Liscombe, on Exmoor, averages a high of 18.8 °C and a low of 11.4 °C in August, with 114 mm of rain over about 14 days. The roads stay open to traffic, so carry tubes, a pump and a phone.
Your plan to 28 August
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to Saturday 28 August 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 6 hours on Saturdays: a 16-week plan starting Monday 10 May 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 11, with a longest ride of 6 hours. Pick your own days below to see yours.
Free to start, and the Exmoor Beast 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 the Exmoor Beast?
Sixteen to twenty weeks suits most riders, so start structured training between mid-April and mid-May for Saturday 28 August 2027. The Exmoor Beauty needs about twelve.
How long is the Exmoor Beast?
It is billed as 100 miles, but the organiser's 2026 route map measures 182.8 km, about 114 miles, from Wimbleball Lake. The Exmoor Beauty is billed as 65 miles and mapped at 110.3 km, and the Exmoor Breeze is billed as 50 miles and mapped at 75 km.
How hard is the Exmoor Beast?
The organiser names Dunkery Beacon among its climbs, and Winsford Hill climbs 7.3 km at 4.2%, with a steepest 100 metres of 10.2%. The organiser does not publish the climbing, which is about 3,080 m on WattPlan's model of the course.
Are the roads closed for the Exmoor Beast?
No. All the events run on open roads, which the organiser describes as quiet, and the routes are marked with arrows and spray chalk.
What time does the Exmoor Beast start?
All three distances start at 08:00 on Saturday 28 August 2027. The organiser emails maps, parking, registration and start times on the Tuesday before the event.
Where are the feed stations on the Exmoor Beast?
On the 2026 route map there were three: Luccombe Village Hall at 35 km, a pop-up stop at Lynton and Lynmouth at 70 km, and Riverside Hall in Bampton at 136 km.
Is there a cut-off on the Exmoor Beast?
The organiser publishes no cut-off time. It sets gold, silver and bronze medal times, and the clock keeps running while you stop.
How much does the Exmoor Beast cost?
Launch entry is £37 for the Beast, £33 for the Beauty and £25 for the Breeze, plus a booking fee, until the price rises on 21 August 2027.
More event training plans
Sources
- Exmoor Beast, official site
- Exmoor Beast route map, 2026
- Exmoor Beauty route map, 2026
- Exmoor Breeze route map, 2026
- Sportiva Events cycling calendar
- Wimbleball Multisport Festival 2027 booking page
- Met Office, Liscombe climate averages
- Winsford Hill
WattPlan is not connected with the Exmoor Beast 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 14 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.