Amberaid
- Total distance: 50 km
- Location: North East Derbyshire
- Race Date: 17 Oct 2026
- Format: 1 day
- Entry Cost: £38
- Navigation: Partial Self-Navigation
- Nearest Station: Matlock (8.8 km)
- Aid Stations: 4
- Pacing Complexity: High (53/100)
Amberaid
- Distance
- 50 km
- Total ascent
- 1,210 m
- Cut-off
- 9h
- Town/Village
- North East Derbyshire
- Date
- 17 October 2026
- Entry cost
- £38
Overview
No overview text has been written for this race yet.
Quick Facts
- Entrance Cost: £38
- Organiser: First Light Adventure
- Start Town: North East Derbyshire
- Dogs Allowed: Unknown
- Start Date: 17 Oct 2026
- End Date: 17 Oct 2026
- Start Time: 9:00 AM
- Final Cut-off: 9h
Navigation
- Type: Partial Self-Navigation
- Closest Train Station: Matlock
- Distance from Start Line: 8.8 km
Eligibility
- Minimum Age: 18 years
- Gender Eligibility: All genders
- Minimum Entry Criteria: Unknown
Toilets
- Hand Washing Beyond Sanitiser: Unknown
- Period Products Provided: Unknown
- Female Only Toilets: Unknown
Family & Spectators
- Baby Changing at Start: Unknown
- Family Friendly Spectator Areas: Unknown
- Flexible Deferral or Cancellation: Unknown
Safety
- Marshalls at Isolated Areas: Unknown
- Safeguarding and Reporting Policy: Unknown
- Can Hide Location from Public Tracking: Unknown
Terrain & Elevation
The course covers a genuine mix of surfaces, with trail (49%) and gravel (32%) being the most common and neither clearly dominating. The terrain is highly fragmented, switching roughly every kilometre. This demands constant mental engagement and limits the ability to build a sustained rhythm from surface consistency alone. Climbs are mostly on gravel, though the surface varies across the ascents. Descents are mainly on trail (62% of descending sections).
Amberaid has 23.9 km of trail / path, this is in the top 42% of all our races.
- Trail / Path49% · 23.9 km
- Gravel / Track32% · 15.6 km
- Paved Road16% · 7.7 km
- Grass3% · 1.4 km
- Rocky0% · 0 km
Distance
50.6 km
Ascent
1210 m
Descent
1208 m
High Point
293 m
Compared against 29 other races of a similar distance, Amberaid has more total elevation gain than 45% of them, and more elevation gain per kilometre than 41% of them — roughly typical in hilliness for its distance.
Source: GPX Data
Gradient
5.19%
Average climb gradient
Do you have experience of gentle climbs like Amberaid's, which average 5.19%?
Amberaid's climbs average 5.19%. If your training never rehearses sustained climbing at that gradient, race day will be the first time your legs meet it.
3.96%
Average descent gradient
Do you have experience of gentle descents like Amberaid's, which average 3.96%?
Amberaid's descents average 3.96%. If your training never rehearses sustained descending at that gradient, the downhills will empty your quads long before the finish.
Source: GPX Data
Climate
Pacing Complexity
Amberaid scores 53/100 for pacing complexity, rated high.
Similar-distance races score a median of 44/100 (5 races compared).
Amberaid is among the more pacing-complex races at this distance. The challenge is not just the total distance or ascent — it is the repeated need to change effort level. A fixed pace target is unlikely to work here. The dominant source of complexity is terrain type changes, which means preparation should include training runs that deliberately mix different intensities in sequence.
Source: GPX Data
Aid Stations
Stations
You'll need to keep an average pace of 5.5 km/h between aid stations to make the cut offs.
Stations
| KM | Name | Gap from Prev | Cut-off | Water | Cold Food | Hot Food | Hot Drinks | Gels | Medic | WC | Bags | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.3 | Tupton | 11.3 km | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 21.7 | Wessington | 10.5 km | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 32.2 | Fritchley | 10.5 km | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 41.0 | Wessington | 8.9 km | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
None of the aid stations on this course are confirmed to offer vegan food, so vegan runners should plan to carry their own nutrition.
Source: Race Website - Explicit
Are you ready for Amberaid?
Compare it to a race you've already run, or connect Strava and see the three biggest gaps between your training and what this course will ask of you.
