Training plan · Lake District
Fred Whitton Challenge training plan 2027
Sunday 9 May 2027, Grasmere Showground. 180 km with 3,500 m of climbing.
In short
Give yourself 16 to 20 weeks for the Fred Whitton on Sunday 9 May 2027. It is about 112 miles with 3,500 m of climbing over the Lakeland passes, and Hardknott's 30% hairpins come at mile 94, late in a long day. Build your long ride towards six hours or more, practise climbing very steep ground seated in your lowest gear, and get used to eating every 45 minutes, because there are only two feed stations. On WattPlan's model of the course, a rider with an FTP of 230 watts weighing 75 kg rides it in about 8 h 38 min, and takes 24:20 on Hardknott Pass at about 174 watts.
The Fred Whitton at a glance
| Date | Sunday 9 May 2027source |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Grasmere Showgroundsource |
| Distance | 180 km (112 miles), 3,500 m of climbingsource |
| Roads | Mostly open roads. Hardknott, Wrynose and Blea Tarn are closed to traffic during the event, and no support vehicles may follow riders.source |
| Start | Any time between 06:00 and 08:00.source |
| Cut-offs | 11:30 at the Braithwaite checkpoint and 14:30 at Calder Bridge.source |
| Feed stations | Two: Buttermere at mile 47.5 and Calder Bridge at mile 80.6.source |
| Places | 2,500 in 2026, by ballot, from a record 6,000 entries.source |
| Entry for 2027 | Pre-ballot entries from 2 November 2026; the general ballot runs from 1 to 10 December 2026.source |
| Finishing times | The fastest finish in just under 6 hours; 11 hours or more is common.source |
The course and its climbs
Profile from WattPlan's model of the course (179.7 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.
| Checkpoint | km | Cut-off | Your riding time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braithwaitesourceabout km 88.2, cut-off 11:30 | ~88.2 | 11:30 | 4 h 08 min |
| Calder Bridgesourcekm 129.7, cut-off 14:30 | 129.7 | 14:30 | 6 h 03 min |
Your riding time from the start, without stops and at an even effort all day: add your start time and your stops to see where you would stand.
| Climb | Summit (km) | Length | Average | Steepest | Your power | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkstone Passsource4.9 km at 5.5%, up to 16%, top at km 19 | 19 | 4.9 km | 5.5% | 16% | 169 W | 25:23 |
| Park Browsource1.9 km at 7.7%, up to 11%, top at km 35 | 35 | 1.9 km | 7.7% | 11% | 171 W | 11:54 |
| Honister Passsource2.4 km at 9.9%, up to 25%, top at km 70 | 70 | 2.4 km | 9.9% | 25% | 173 W | 18:34 |
| Newlands Passsource1.9 km at 10.7%, up to 25%, top at km 79 | 79 | 1.9 km | 10.7% | 25% | 173 W | 16:32 |
| Whinlatter Passsource3.3 km at 6.4%, up to 15%, top at km 91 | 91 | 3.3 km | 6.4% | 15% | 171 W | 19:48 |
| Cold Fellsource3.8 km at 4.8%, up to 21%, top at km 120 | 120 | 3.8 km | 4.8% | 21% | 168 W | 18:22 |
| Bowerhouse Banksource1.0 km at 8.6%, up to 12%, top at km 138 | 138 | 1.0 km | 8.6% | 12% | 171 W | 7:01 |
| Hardknott Passsource2.3 km at 13.3%, up to 30%, top at km 151 | 151 | 2.3 km | 13.3% | 30% | 174 W | 24:20 |
| Wrynose Passsource1.8 km at 8%, up to 25%, top at km 156 | 156 | 1.8 km | 8% | 25% | 171 W | 11:57 |
| Blea Tarnsource1.7 km at 7.2%, up to 25%, top at km 160 | 160 | 1.7 km | 7.2% | 25% | 166 W | 8:01 |
Eat at about km 15, 31, 48, 67, 78, 93, 111, 128, 146, 155, 173. 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 Fred Whitton
Most riders need 16 to 20 weeks of structured training for the Fred. Ballot entrants hear after the ballot closes on 10 December, which leaves about 21 weeks to 9 May: time for a full base block, a build and an easier last week.
The organiser suggests first-timers have already ridden a 100-mile sportive and one with more than 2,800 m of climbing, and it publishes a three-month plan for intermediate riders with four sessions a week. WattPlan builds the same kind of progression around the days you can actually ride, and moves it when a week goes wrong.
Training for Hardknott, Wrynose and the steep passes
The Fred is climbed in short, steep pitches rather than long Alpine drags. Honister and Newlands both reach 25%, Hardknott has two sets of switchbacks at 25% and then 30%, and Wrynose and Blea Tarn follow straight after it. Steep ground rewards strength at low cadence and gears low enough to keep the pedals turning, so fit the lowest gears your bike takes, as the organiser recommends.
In training, ride the steepest hills near you seated and steady, and repeat them: four to six efforts of three to five minutes at around threshold build the strength, and a weekly hilly ride teaches you to recover over the top. Practise steep, technical descents too, because Honister and Hardknott drop as sharply as they climb.
Long rides, and climbing well after six hours
The Fred saves its hardest climbs for the last 20 miles, so the long ride is the session that matters most. Build it by about 30 minutes every two or three weeks until you have ridden six hours or more on hilly roads, a month or so before the event. If your weekends allow it, WattPlan stretches the long ride as far as you give it time for.
Put the hills late in your long rides as well as early. Climbing hard after five hours teaches you to pace the first half of the day, which is what gets you over Hardknott.
Pacing and fuelling on the day
Start easy. Kirkstone comes early and is the highest point of the day at 454 m, and riding it hard costs you later. The calculator above shows the power WattPlan's model gives you on each climb, paced so there is still something left for Hardknott.
There are only two feed stations, at Buttermere after 47.5 miles and Calder Bridge after 80.6, so carry enough to eat every 45 minutes between them, around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate an hour. Watch the clock as well: the checkpoints close at 11:30 at Braithwaite and 14:30 at Calder Bridge.
Weather and kit for the Lakes in May
Lakeland weather can turn in May. Ambleside averages a high of 16 °C and about 100 mm of rain in the month, and the organiser makes a long-sleeved wind and waterproof compulsory. The roads are mostly open to traffic and no support vehicles follow riders, so carry tubes, a pump and a phone.
Your plan to 9 May
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to Sunday 9 May 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 18 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 11, with a longest ride of 6 hours. Pick your own days below to see yours.
Free to start, and the Fred Whitton Challenge 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 Fred Whitton?
Sixteen to twenty weeks suits most riders. If you hear from the ballot after it closes on 10 December, that leaves about 21 weeks to Sunday 9 May 2027, enough for a full base, a build and an easier last week.
How hard is the Fred Whitton?
It is one of the hardest sportives in the UK: about 112 miles with 3,500 m of climbing over the Lakeland passes, and the organiser says riders rank it alongside the Marmotte. Hardknott Pass reaches 30% at mile 94.
What gears do I need for Hardknott Pass?
The lowest you can fit. The organiser recommends a road bike with low gears. A compact chainset with a cassette of 32 teeth or more, if your bike takes it, lets you keep turning the pedals seated on the 25% and 30% sections.
How long does the Fred Whitton take?
The organiser says the fastest riders finish in just under six hours and that 11 hours or more is common. Enter your FTP and weight in the calculator on this page for WattPlan's estimate of your riding time.
When can I enter the 2027 Fred Whitton?
Pre-ballot entries for charity, deferred and volunteer places open on 2 November 2026, and the general ballot runs from 1 to 10 December 2026. Successful entrants are told after the ballot closes.
Is the Fred Whitton on closed roads?
Mostly not. Hardknott, Wrynose and Blea Tarn are closed to traffic during the event, but the rest of the route is on open roads and no support vehicles may follow riders.
More event training plans
Sources
- Fred Whitton Challenge, official site
- Fred Whitton climbs guide (Simon Warren), on the official site
- Fred Whitton FAQs
- Fred Whitton training plan (official)
- Met Office, Ambleside climate averages
- Date
- Start and finish
- Roads
- Places
WattPlan is not connected with the Fred Whitton Challenge 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.