Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Ultra Marathons
High Peak 40 2026
- Race day
- Saturday, 19 September 2026
- Location
- Buxton, Derbyshire, UK
- Distance
- 40.5 mi / 65.2 km
High Peak 40: 19 September 2026, 40.5 miles, from Buxton, Derbyshire. Entry, route, a pace chart and the race-day forecast.
High Peak 40 Race Timeline
9 days to go
Volume comes down hard across these final three-plus weeks. At ultra distance the taper is not about sharpening — it is about arriving with your legs, your feet and your gut fully recovered from the biggest training block of the year.
High Peak 40 2026: quick answers
When is High Peak 40 2026?
High Peak 40 2026 takes place on Saturday, 19 September 2026.
Where does High Peak 40 start and finish?
High Peak 40 starts at Buxton, Derbyshire and finishes at Buxton, Derbyshire.
How many miles is High Peak 40?
High Peak 40 is 40.5 miles (65.2km).
How much elevation gain does High Peak 40 have?
High Peak 40 has approximately 5800ft of total elevation gain. 5,800ft (1,768m) of ascent across 40.5 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 143ft of climb per mile. The going: 65% trail, 35% road — peak district moorland, gritstone edges and lanes.
How much does High Peak 40 cost to enter?
Around £45-£50, through SI Entries — among the best value ultras in the calendar.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Saturday, 19 September 2026
- Distance
- 40.5 miles / 65.2km
- Location
- Buxton, Derbyshire, UK
- Start Point
- Buxton, Derbyshire
- Finish Point
- Buxton, Derbyshire
- Elevation gain
- 5800 ft (1768m)
- Surface
- 65% trail, 35% road — Peak District moorland, gritstone edges and lanes
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
Around £45-£50, through SI Entries — among the best value ultras in the calendar.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is direct through High Peak 40 Challenge.
High Peak 40 Race Day Weather
Fetching today's forecast for race day…
High Peak 40 Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Buxton, Derbyshire and finishing at Buxton, Derbyshire. 5800 ft of total elevation gain across 40.5 miles.
Is High Peak 40 flat?
5,800ft (1,768m) of ascent across 40.5 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 143ft of climb per mile. The going: 65% trail, 35% road — peak district moorland, gritstone edges and lanes.
High Peak 40 Course Profile
5800 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Buxton, Derbyshire
Start line.
Where High Peak 40 starts and finishes
High Peak 40 starts at Buxton, Derbyshire and finishes at Buxton, Derbyshire. 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 High Peak 40 Route Breakdown
A 40.5 mile loop of the Peak District starting and finishing in Buxton, with around 5,800ft of ascent across a 65% trail and 35% road split. A long-standing challenge event rather than a commercial race, and priced accordingly.
High Peak 40 Pace Calculator & Splits
High Peak 40 Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
5:56
Average pace / km
3:41
High Peak 40 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 | 4:27 | 2:46 | 13:48 | 27:37 | 58:16 | 1:22:51 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 4:49 | 3:00 | 14:58 | 29:55 | 1:03:07 | 1:29:45 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 5:11 | 3:13 | 16:07 | 32:13 | 1:07:58 | 1:36:39 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 5:33 | 3:27 | 17:16 | 34:31 | 1:12:50 | 1:43:34 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 5:56 | 3:41 | 18:25 | 36:49 | 1:17:41 | 1:50:28 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 6:18 | 3:55 | 19:34 | 39:07 | 1:22:32 | 1:57:22 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 6:40 | 4:09 | 20:43 | 41:25 | 1:27:24 | 2:04:16 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 7:02 | 4:22 | 21:52 | 43:44 | 1:32:15 | 2:11:11 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 7:24 | 4:36 | 23:01 | 46:02 | 1:37:06 | 2:18:05 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 8:09 | 5:04 | 25:19 | 50:38 | 1:46:49 | 2:31:53 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 8:53 | 5:31 | 27:37 | 55:14 | 1:56:32 | 2:45:42 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 9:38 | 5:59 | 29:55 | 59:50 | 2:06:14 | 2:59:30 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 10:22 | 6:27 | 32:13 | 1:04:26 | 2:15:57 | 3:13:19 | 7:00:00 |
High Peak 40 Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your High Peak 40 finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated High Peak 40 finish
6:20:10
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 High Peak 40, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyHigh Peak 40 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 Buxton, Derbyshire
- A meeting point agreed with family and friends for after the race
Training Strategy for High Peak 40
20-24 weeks is the realistic window for a first 40.5-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 Buxton, Derbyshire 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.
40.5-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.
High Peak 40 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 High Peak 40 for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other High Peak 40 fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusHigh Peak 40 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 High Peak 40 site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.