TRAILFANS MONTHLY DIGEST
TF012 April 2026
Trail running season is now in full swing bringing up a whole ton of exciting questions for fans of the sport to consider:
TF012 — What’s Inside This Edition
Is the Three Peaks Britain’s most iconic trail race?
What comes next for multi-day trail racing?
Who are the best British trail runners?
Who’s made a global splash this month?
IS THE THREE PEAKS BRITAINS’s MOST ICONIC TRAIL RACE?
There are few races woven into the fabric of British fell and trail running quite like the Three Peaks Race. With its unforgiving climbs, unpredictable weather, rich history, and legendary status stretching back decades, it remains, in our eyes, one of the most iconic races in British trail and fell running.
That’s exactly why we wanted to make The Three Peaks the focus of our first UNTOLD TRAILS podcast — diving into the stories, rivalries, characters and moments that have shaped the race over generations.
The response to the episode has been brilliant, including a message from Tom Evans a few days before the race saying listening to the history and stories had genuinely made him even more excited to finally experience the race for himself.
If you haven’t listened yet, it’s a deep dive into one of the sport’s richest and most important races.
UNTOLD TRAILS: The Three Peaks: Is this the Most Iconic Race in Britain?
This year’s race itself delivered a fittingly unforgettable chapter. Unseasonably high temperatures turned an already demanding race into a true battle of survival, with many runners suffering from heat-related issues and finishing times notably slower than in previous years.
Despite the hot weather, Tom Evans produced a brilliant victory on the Yorkshire hills. A champion of both UTMB and Western States Endurance Run, Evans brought his trademark strength and composure to one of Britain’s toughest and most historic races, mastering the brutal terrain and relentless pace with authority. Seeing one of the world’s finest ultrarunners take on — and conquer — the Three Peaks only reinforced the race’s enduring prestige and allure.
The women’s race was equally hard fought, with Helen Leigh producing a superb performance to take the win in testing conditions. There was also huge admiration for veteran fell running legends Karl Gray and Rob Jebb, whose remarkable runs inside the top ten proved once again they remain two of the sport’s most respected figures.
Read Trailfans article on Karl Gray: STILL IN THE GAME
For us personally, the day captured everything that makes the Three Peaks Race so special — the atmosphere, the unpredictability, and the sheer resilience demanded by the course. Scott had the privilege of running the relays final glory leg over Ingleborough, soaking up the incredible crowds and the unique energy that only the Three Peaks can deliver. Meanwhile, after an injury-plagued build-up to the race, Frazer made the difficult but sensible decision to step off the course early at Ribblehead, ensuring he came away unscathed rather than risking a longer-term setback. In a strange twist, it meant getting back to Horton in time to witness Tom Evans storming down the finishing straight looking astonishingly composed, before grabbing a brilliant post-race interview just moments after he crossed the line.
See the full 2026 Results of The Three Peaks Race
WHAT COMES NEXT FOR MULTI-DAY RACING?
If the last month has shown us anything, it’s that the appetite for big adventures and even bigger stories is only growing. The resurrection of the legendary Dragon's Back Race under the stewardship of Ultra X signals renewed confidence in the future of expedition-style racing, while the enduring popularity of Marathon des Sables continues to prove that runners are still drawn to the raw challenge and self-sufficiency of the classic stage race format. Across the Atlantic, the growing reputation of Cocodona 250 is pushing the boundaries of what modern ultra racing can look like — part competition, part survival, and part spectacle. Together, they paint a fascinating picture of a sport evolving beyond finish times alone and towards immersive experiences, storytelling, and true endurance adventure.
You can watch our interview with Ultra X co-founder Sam Heward here:
WHO ARE THE BEST BRITISH TRAIL RUNNERS?
The best way to find out is to hold a British Trail Running Championship. First organised by the Trail Running Association in 2013, the current iteration of the British Champs is three races held on three separate dates between March and June.
The standout race was the ‘Middle Distance’ race hosted in the Lake District by Run Through Trails on 11th April. Both the men’s and women’s fields were stacked. Heavy hitters on the women’s start line, included Western States winner Beth Pascall alongside Scarlet Dale, Dragon Back winner Holly Wooton and top notch fell runners Emelie Cowper Coles and Eve Panone. For a full breakdown check out RunThrough's pre-race podcast
The men’s field was just as competitive with Bertie Houton, Luke Grenfell-Shaw, Ben Rothery, Keith Wigley, Dan Connelly, Lewis Bowness, Andy Berry, Andy Symonds, Harry Bolton and Chris Holdsworth all setting a fast pace out of Keswick towards the summit of Scafell Pike. To add to the excitement, the 53k race, also acted as a trial for the 2026 European Off-Road Championships, with four Team GB slots up for grabs.
English Champion fell runner Ben Rothery took the men’s title with Scarlet Dale taking the female crown. FULL RESULTS HERE
MONTHLY PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Who’s made a global trail splash this month?
April is one of the finest months on the sporting calendar, with Rory Mcllroy repeating at the US Masters, Wert Van Aert defeating Tadej Pogacar to finally win Paris-Roubaix and Sebastian Sawe breaking the sub-two hour barrier at the London Marathon. It was also a hot month out on the trails. So, who’s made a global trail splash this month?
Hot off the press is Rachel Entrekin laying claim to the trail running performance of the year with an overall win at the Cocodona 250. Rachel also three-peated, claiming the women’s race title for the third consecutive year, with a sprint finish to cross the line in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona in 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 28 seconds.
We can’t wait for Rachel’s breakdown of her historic performance here on Substack. For a non-elite view of this beast of a race check out Mountain Outpost’s Cocodona Chronicles. Anyone fancy signing up for a 200 miler?
FKT on the West Highland Way: another impressive female performance this month was by FREYA SHEPHERD who snagged the fastest known time on the West Highland Way. Read more about it on the She Trails Substack
Organisers of the Marathon des Sables stepped up their media game in 2026 providing great footage of trail President Ludo Pommeret and Boston Marathon winner, turned trail runner, Des Linden take on one of the toughest stage races on the planet. The notorious MDS is run over 6 stages covering 270 kilometers of largely desert terrain in Morocco. Ludo pushed hard finishing 3rd behind Mohamed El Morabity, claiming his second title.
Older brother Rachid El Morabity has a colossal 11 titles. Maryline Nakache won the female race in 2023 and 2025, and raced totally unchallenged this year, dancing across the dunes to win all six stages and take victory by almost 3.5 hours.
Have you ever signed up for a race from looks alone? After watching footage of the Skyrunner World Series, Scott was hoping to make the trip to Spain this year to take on the ridges and scrambles of the Calamoro Sky Race. While his plans didn’t quite work out a who’s who of European sky running did make it to Spain. The dual between the top two finishers in the 2025 World Short Trail Championships was a standout, with Frederic Tranchard losing out to Manuel Merillas. Two young British mates, Tom Spencer and Finlay Grant, also threw down with Tom running in 3rd and Finlay in 7th. Home favourite Sara Alonso took the win, followed by Jane Maus from the USA.
2026 Western States: this week trail excitement peaked with the news that four times champion, Jim Walmsley is returning to Western States. With such a stacked field for the premier 100 mile race in the USA, headed by Jim, Kilian Jornet, Adam Peterman, Hayden Hawks and Zach Miller trail fans are in for a treat.
In the final build up to Western States Miller and Hawks battled right to the line to grab Golden Tickets to States at the Canyons 100k race by UTMB. They were joined by 2022 Western States winner Adam Peterman who finished several minutes in front of Miller and Hawks.
Will these trail titans push the course record below fourteen hours for the first time or will one of the upcoming elites like Francesco Puppi, Seth Ruhling or Hans Troyer steal the show? Check out the full Western States START LIST
Prior to the race at the end of June, TRAILFANS will be taking a deep dive into the history and alur of America’s most iconic trail race with our second UNTOLD TRAILS podcast.
In the meantime check out the TRAILFANS wrap up of the 2025 WESTERN STATES RACE
