Fred Whitton Challenge: the route, the passes and how to prepare
- Distance
- 182 km
- Climbing
- 3,323 m
- Highest point
- 451 m
- Categorised climbs
- 18 · up to 24 %
- Shape
- Loop
Measured on the course you ride in Cycloscape. The organiser's own figures are below.
Elevation profile
24–451 m · 18 categorised climbsThe 6 biggest of 18 categorised climbs, in the order you ride them.
The Fred Whitton Challenge is a 112-mile (180 km) loop of the Lake District from Grasmere, over the steep passes of the Lakes — Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter and, near the end, Hardknott and Wrynose. Entries are by ballot. The 2027 edition is listed for Sunday 9 May 2027.
Fred Whitton Challenge at a glance
- Where
- Grasmere, Lake District, United Kingdom
- Official website
- fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk ↗
- Next edition
- 9 May 2027
- Route
- Fred Whitton Challenge: 180 km
- Terrain
- Hilly — repeated climbs
- Facts checked
- 4 November 2026, against the sources below
Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Ride the real course on your trainer. The route of Fred Whitton Challenge, 182 km, as a 3D world, with your trainer following its gradients — any day, and as part of your Event Coach plan. Part of Cycloscape Pro.
The routes
The Fred Whitton Challenge is one route.
| Route | Distance | Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Whitton Challenge (112 miles) | 180 km | — |
What the course asks of you
The Lake District passes are short by Alpine standards but brutally steep, with gradients of 25 % and more on Hardknott, and they come after more than 90 miles. Wrynose follows straight after. Many riders walk sections of Hardknott.
Gearing matters as much as fitness: fit the lowest gears you can. Ride the early passes gently, keep eating, and save everything for Hardknott.
How to prepare
The general shape of a good preparation, which Event Coach turns into a plan for your fitness, time and date:
- Train repeated climbs: several efforts of 8 to 15 minutes close to your threshold, with short recoveries, copy the rhythm of the Fred Whitton Challenge.
- Build the long ride towards 180 km, so the final climbs are not the first time your legs have been out that long.
- Add a few short efforts at low cadence on steep gradients, for the ramps that come late in the day.
Pacing mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost riders the most on a day like this:
- Answering every climb of the Fred Whitton Challenge with a surge: repeated climbs reward an even effort, not a burst on each ramp.
- Spending the most on the famous climb when the hardest part of the day is still to come.
- Letting the pace of the group on the flat decide how tired you arrive at the climbs.
Prepare the Fred Whitton Challenge with Cycloscape
Tell Event Coach you are doing the Fred Whitton Challenge, your route and what you want from the day, and it builds your preparation towards 9 May 2027: structured workouts held by your trainer in ERG, Race Pacing for how to spend your effort, and Performance Lab to see whether the work is landing. Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Frequently asked
When is the Fred Whitton Challenge 2027?
On Sunday, 9 May 2027, according to the organiser.
How long is the Fred Whitton Challenge?
Fred Whitton Challenge: 180 km. The route as described by the organiser: 112 miles, start and finish in Grasmere.
How many riders take part?
About 2,400 riders in 2025.
Can I ride the course of the Fred Whitton Challenge in Cycloscape?
Yes, inside Event Coach with Cycloscape Pro: once you start your preparation, the course is ridden on your trainer as part of the plan.