2026 North York Moors Coastal Marathon - Oct 24 Countdown

Q: What is the North York Moors Coastal Marathon route?

The marathon starts and finishes up on the cliffs at Ravenscar, on the North Yorkshire coast, and runs a figure-of-eight entirely on trail. It first follows the Cleveland Way north along the cliff tops with sweeping North Sea views, dropping down to the fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay, then loops back and heads inland over moorland and grassland toward Cloughton. There are no public roads on the course, just clifftop path, moor, field and disused railway line.

Q: Is the North York Moors Coastal Marathon flat? How hard is it?

It is not flat - it is a genuinely tough coastal trail marathon. The route packs in roughly 980m (3,209 ft) of total ascent with constant climbs, steep cliff-side steps and rolling inland sections. Combined with soft, sometimes muddy ground and exposure to the sea wind, most runners finish well outside their road-marathon time. Plan your effort with our pace calculator and study the climbs with our elevation profile tool.

Q: How long is the North York Moors marathon - is it exactly 26.2 miles?

No - Endurancelife list the marathon at 26.5 miles, slightly longer than the standard 26.2-mile (42.195 km) road distance. Like most Coastal Trail Series events it is an over-distance trail marathon, so you will be running a little further than usual over much harder ground. Build that extra distance and the climbing into your finish-time estimate with our finish time calculator.

Q: What shoes should I wear for the North York Moors Coastal Marathon?

Trail shoes with good grip are strongly recommended. The course mixes exposed clifftop path, wet grass, mud, moorland and steep coastal steps along the Cleveland Way - very different from a road race. In typical damp late-October conditions, a grippy trail shoe gives far more confidence on slippery descents and soft ground than road trainers. Many runners also carry a waterproof and a small amount of food and water for the exposed sections.

Q: How do I enter the North York Moors Coastal Marathon 2026?

Entry is open to the public online through the official Endurancelife event page (endurancelife.com/north-york-moors), with no ballot. The standard marathon entry is around 59 GBP, with cheaper early-bird pricing earlier in the year. Places are capacity-limited and can sell out, so it pays to book ahead. The same day also offers a 10K, Half Marathon and Ultra on overlapping coastal routes.

Q: What time does the marathon start and is there a cut-off?

The marathon sets off on the morning of Saturday 24 October 2026, after the race briefing, in an 08:30-09:00 start window typical of Endurancelife events (the ultra starts earlier, the half and 10K later). There are checkpoint cut-off times for the marathon and ultra rather than one simple limit, giving roughly 7 hours on the full course - generous, but you must keep ahead of the staffed checkpoints. Confirm exact times in your final event instructions.

Q: How do I get to Ravenscar, and is the North York Moors marathon a Boston Qualifier?

Ravenscar sits on a remote stretch of the North York Moors National Park coast with no railway station - most runners drive, with Scarborough and Whitby the nearest towns for accommodation and trains. Because the course is an over-distance, off-road coastal trail rather than a UK Athletics road-certified, accurately measured race, a finish here is not valid for Boston qualifying (BQ) or a London Good For Age (GFA) entry. Come for the cliffs and the challenge; if a qualifying time is your goal, check the standards with our Good For Age tool and pick a fast road race.

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Race Information

Race	2026 North York Moors Coastal Marathon - Oct 24
City	Ravenscar
Date	2026-10-24 at 08:30
Time Limit	7 hours
Cutoff pace	9:57/km
Timezone	Europe/London
Official Site	Endurancelife
Registration	Register · 59 GBP

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	10.5°C / 51°F
Humidity	90%
Wind	32.3 km/h
Rain Chance	47%
Typical Conditions	A cool, exposed late-October morning on the North Yorkshire coast. Expect around 11C (52F) at the morning start, with high humidity, sea fret rolling off the North Sea and a real chance of wind and rain over the open clifftops above Ravenscar. The breeze on the Cleveland Way can be raw and the light fades early this far north in autumn.

What to Prepare: Layer for single-digit to low-double-digit Celsius and carry a windproof or light waterproof - the exposed cliff edges catch every gust off the sea. Trail shoes with real grip help on wet grass, mud and the steep coastal steps. Run by effort, not pace: the climbs, the soft ground and the 26.5-mile over-distance will all slow you down versus a flat road marathon.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 32.3 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

	Cooler	Typical	Warmer
Temperature	8.2°C	10.6°C	12.7°C
Dew point	5.5°C	9°C	11.5°C

Wet-day chance: 47% Runnability: 64/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course Type	Coastal trail figure-of-eight from Ravenscar, no public roads
Elevation Gain	980m
Terrain	Trail
Profile	A genuinely hard off-road course, not flat. From the clifftops at Ravenscar it follows the Cleveland Way north along the cliff edge to Robin Hood's Bay, then loops inland over moorland and grassland toward Cloughton, with roughly 980m (3,209 ft) of total ascent across constant climbs, steep coastal steps and rolling forest and field sections. At 26.5 miles it runs slightly long, so expect to finish well outside your road-marathon time.

Prepare for 2026 North York Moors Coastal Marathon - Oct 24

Use our free training tools to get race-ready:

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Dew Point Running Calculator — Pace Adjustment Chart

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Wind Effect on Running — How Much Does Wind Slow You?

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Elevation Gain/Loss Impact Calculator

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the North York Moors Coastal Marathon route?

The marathon starts and finishes up on the cliffs at Ravenscar, on the North Yorkshire coast, and runs a figure-of-eight entirely on trail. It first follows the Cleveland Way north along the cliff tops with sweeping North Sea views, dropping down to the fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay, then loops back and heads inland over moorland and grassland toward Cloughton. There are no public roads on the course, just clifftop path, moor, field and disused railway line.

Is the North York Moors Coastal Marathon flat? How hard is it?

It is not flat - it is a genuinely tough coastal trail marathon. The route packs in roughly 980m (3,209 ft) of total ascent with constant climbs, steep cliff-side steps and rolling inland sections. Combined with soft, sometimes muddy ground and exposure to the sea wind, most runners finish well outside their road-marathon time. Plan your effort with our pace calculator and study the climbs with our elevation profile tool.

How long is the North York Moors marathon - is it exactly 26.2 miles?

No - Endurancelife list the marathon at 26.5 miles, slightly longer than the standard 26.2-mile (42.195 km) road distance. Like most Coastal Trail Series events it is an over-distance trail marathon, so you will be running a little further than usual over much harder ground. Build that extra distance and the climbing into your finish-time estimate with our finish time calculator.

What shoes should I wear for the North York Moors Coastal Marathon?

Trail shoes with good grip are strongly recommended. The course mixes exposed clifftop path, wet grass, mud, moorland and steep coastal steps along the Cleveland Way - very different from a road race. In typical damp late-October conditions, a grippy trail shoe gives far more confidence on slippery descents and soft ground than road trainers. Many runners also carry a waterproof and a small amount of food and water for the exposed sections.

How do I enter the North York Moors Coastal Marathon 2026?

Entry is open to the public online through the official Endurancelife event page (endurancelife.com/north-york-moors), with no ballot. The standard marathon entry is around 59 GBP, with cheaper early-bird pricing earlier in the year. Places are capacity-limited and can sell out, so it pays to book ahead. The same day also offers a 10K, Half Marathon and Ultra on overlapping coastal routes.

What time does the marathon start and is there a cut-off?

The marathon sets off on the morning of Saturday 24 October 2026, after the race briefing, in an 08:30-09:00 start window typical of Endurancelife events (the ultra starts earlier, the half and 10K later). There are checkpoint cut-off times for the marathon and ultra rather than one simple limit, giving roughly 7 hours on the full course - generous, but you must keep ahead of the staffed checkpoints. Confirm exact times in your final event instructions.

How do I get to Ravenscar, and is the North York Moors marathon a Boston Qualifier?

Ravenscar sits on a remote stretch of the North York Moors National Park coast with no railway station - most runners drive, with Scarborough and Whitby the nearest towns for accommodation and trains. Because the course is an over-distance, off-road coastal trail rather than a UK Athletics road-certified, accurately measured race, a finish here is not valid for Boston qualifying (BQ) or a London Good For Age (GFA) entry. Come for the cliffs and the challenge; if a qualifying time is your goal, check the standards with our Good For Age tool and pick a fast road race.