Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Ultra Marathons
Gritstone Grind 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Location
- Disley, Cheshire to Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, UK
- Distance
- 34.5 mi / 55.5 km
Gritstone Grind: 13 September 2026, 34.5 miles, from Disley station, Cheshire. Entry, route, a pace chart and the race-day forecast.
Gritstone Grind Race Timeline
3 days to go
Mileage is right down. Focus on sleep, hydration, and getting your kit and travel plan sorted rather than any last-minute training.
Gritstone Grind 2026: quick answers
When is Gritstone Grind 2026?
Gritstone Grind 2026 takes place on Sunday, 13 September 2026.
Where does Gritstone Grind start and finish?
Gritstone Grind starts at Disley station, Cheshire and finishes at Kidsgrove station, Staffordshire.
How many miles is Gritstone Grind?
Gritstone Grind is 34.5 miles (55.5km).
How much elevation gain does Gritstone Grind have?
Gritstone Grind has approximately 5300ft of total elevation gain. 5,300ft (1,615m) of ascent across 34.5 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 154ft of climb per mile. The going: the gritstone trail — gritstone edge, farmland, woodland and canal, on the western fringe of the peak district.
How much does Gritstone Grind cost to enter?
Entry through Beyond Marathon — check the official site for current pricing.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Distance
- 34.5 miles / 55.5km
- Location
- Disley, Cheshire to Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, UK
- Start Point
- Disley station, Cheshire
- Finish Point
- Kidsgrove station, Staffordshire
- Elevation gain
- 5300 ft (1615m)
- Surface
- The Gritstone Trail — gritstone edge, farmland, woodland and canal, on the western fringe of the Peak District
Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: start time, cut-off time, age requirement, tracking app. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry through Beyond Marathon — check the official site for current pricing.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is direct through Beyond Marathon.
Gritstone Grind Race Day Weather
Fetching today's forecast for race day…
Gritstone Grind Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Disley station, Cheshire and finishing at Kidsgrove station, Staffordshire. 5300 ft of total elevation gain across 34.5 miles.
Is Gritstone Grind flat?
5,300ft (1,615m) of ascent across 34.5 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 154ft of climb per mile. The going: the gritstone trail — gritstone edge, farmland, woodland and canal, on the western fringe of the peak district.
Gritstone Grind Course Profile
5300 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Disley station, Cheshire
Start line.
Where Gritstone Grind starts and finishes
Gritstone Grind starts at Disley station, Cheshire and finishes at Kidsgrove station, Staffordshire. We haven't been able to place those on a map accurately enough to show one — a pin in the wrong place is worse than no pin.
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on.
Full Gritstone Grind Route Breakdown
The entire Gritstone Trail in a single day: 34.5 miles from Disley station in Cheshire to Kidsgrove station in Staffordshire, along the western edge of the Peak District National Park, with around 5,300ft of ascent. Rolling hills with some technical sections.
Gritstone Grind Pace Calculator & Splits
Gritstone Grind Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
6:57
Average pace / km
4:19
Gritstone Grind Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Half Marathon | 30K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 5:13 | 3:15 | 16:13 | 32:25 | 1:08:24 | 1:37:16 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 5:39 | 3:31 | 17:34 | 35:07 | 1:14:06 | 1:45:22 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 6:05 | 3:47 | 18:55 | 37:49 | 1:19:48 | 1:53:28 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 6:31 | 4:03 | 20:16 | 40:31 | 1:25:30 | 2:01:34 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 6:57 | 4:19 | 21:37 | 43:14 | 1:31:12 | 2:09:41 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 7:23 | 4:36 | 22:58 | 45:56 | 1:36:54 | 2:17:47 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 7:50 | 4:52 | 24:19 | 48:38 | 1:42:36 | 2:25:53 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 8:16 | 5:08 | 25:40 | 51:20 | 1:48:18 | 2:34:00 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 8:42 | 5:24 | 27:01 | 54:02 | 1:54:00 | 2:42:06 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 9:34 | 5:57 | 29:43 | 59:26 | 2:05:24 | 2:58:18 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 10:26 | 6:29 | 32:25 | 1:04:50 | 2:16:48 | 3:14:31 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 11:18 | 7:01 | 35:07 | 1:10:15 | 2:28:12 | 3:30:44 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 12:10 | 7:34 | 37:49 | 1:15:39 | 2:39:36 | 3:46:56 | 7:00:00 |
Gritstone Grind Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Gritstone Grind finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Gritstone Grind finish
5:20:45
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag Gritstone Grind, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyGritstone Grind Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
- Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
- A plan for reaching Disley station, Cheshire
- A meeting point agreed with family and friends for after the race
Training Strategy for Gritstone Grind
20-24 weeks is the realistic window for a first 34.5-mile ultra, assuming you already have a marathon's worth of base behind you. The block that matters is back-to-back long weekends — a long run on Saturday followed by a second, slower one on Sunday — which builds time on feet and teaches you to run on tired legs without the recovery cost of one enormous day. Practise your race-day nutrition on every one of them; at this distance the stomach fails before the legs do.
This is a largely flat course, so most of your long runs can mirror that — flat and steady, building time on feet rather than hill strength.
Drop volume hard across the final three to four weeks — further out and steeper than a marathon taper, because a 30-mile training day costs weeks of recovery, not days. Keep some easy running and a little terrain-specific work in, but the goal is to reach Disley station, Cheshire with fresh feet and a rested gut rather than one more long run in the bank.
Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below — no official pacers are confirmed for this event, so a pace band on your watch is the more reliable option.
Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.
34.5-Mile Ultra Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A deliberate increase in carbohydrate over the two to three days before the race is the well-established approach at marathon distance.
Eat a carbohydrate-focused breakfast two to three hours before the start, and stick to something you've already tested in training rather than trying anything new.
Most runners take on carbohydrate every 30 to 45 minutes from about an hour in, alongside fluid at the on-course stations.
A mix of carbohydrate and protein in the hour or so after finishing supports recovery.
Gritstone Grind Charity Places 2026
No formal charity-place scheme published — runners commonly fundraise for a charity of their own choosing.
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running Gritstone Grind for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Gritstone Grind fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusTravel & Logistics
No road closures — the Gritstone Grind is run off-road (The Gritstone Trail — gritstone edge, farmland, woodland and canal, on the western fringe of the Peak District), so local traffic is unaffected.
Gritstone Grind Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Gritstone Grind site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.