Tibthorpe Loop.
The Tibthorpe Loop is a trail half marathon in the Yorkshire Wolds that runs to about 22.5 kilometres, a good kilometre beyond the classic distance. It is never technical, but more than three quarters of it goes up or down, and the last climb only ends at the finish. That is what your preparation should be built around.
Tibthorpe Loop 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
Start and finish are at Field House Camping & Coffee Barn near Tibthorpe, and the first nine miles are shared with the Wold Rangers Way Ultra. The organiser describes an undulating, non-technical trail that is easy to navigate. Entry is capped at 300 places, and every entry carries a charitable donation of at least £3.
After a short drop, the longest climb begins at kilometre 0.9 and rises evenly for just over two kilometres. From there the course gains height only slowly until a second rise starts at kilometre 7.3. The descent that follows runs straight into the hardest moment of the day: from kilometre 9.7 the trail goes up for a little over 500 metres at around ten percent, with the steepest ramp nearly twice that. Two shorter waves then lead to the high point just before kilometre 13.
Next the route falls about 100 metres over three kilometres before the last sustained climb sets in at kilometre 16, with pitches of around eleven percent. Beyond its crest the course gives the height back in stages. Since the loop closes where it opened, the drop from the first few minutes returns as a rise at the end, and the final 600 metres or so run uphill to the finish.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 0.9 | 2.3 km | 3.1 % | 5.8 % | +70 m | — |
| km 7.3 | 0.8 km | 3.4 % | 5.6 % | +26 m | — |
| km 9.7 | 0.6 km | 10.3 % | 19.6 % | +59 m | — |
| km 10.8 | 0.4 km | 5.8 % | 9.3 % | +22 m | — |
| km 12.1 | 0.5 km | 4.1 % | 5.9 % | +22 m | — |
| km 16 | 1.2 km | 4.2 % | 10.9 % | +49 m | — |
| km 21.9 | 0.8 km | 4.2 % | 5.3 % | +31 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Tibthorpe Loop.
Start under control
You are spreading your effort here across seven waves rather than one mountain. The first is already dangerous: at just over three percent it feels almost flat on fresh legs, and following that feeling costs you all the way home. Stay below your target pace there and settle into a rhythm on the long, barely rising stretch to kilometre 7.
Hold your rhythm
The ramp at kilometre 9.7 is short enough to walk. The five-hour cut-off leaves plenty of room for that, and marching it loses little while saving your legs for what follows. The race is decided between kilometres 13 and 17: because the trail is not technical, nothing slows you on the long descent, yet every free second taken there loads the quads that have to push uphill again from kilometre 16. If you are still running smoothly over that crest, the race is yours to control.
Spend what is left
The biggest trap is the phrase half marathon. Where the familiar distance ends, more than a kilometre still lies ahead here, and the second half of it climbs. Do not budget your energy for 21 kilometres.
Training plan for Tibthorpe Loop: 12-week build
Build the base
Age-group runners spend roughly 2:15 to 3:15 hours on the Tibthorpe Loop. At its core that is a steady aerobic effort, but not an even one: barely a quarter of the route is flat, so the work keeps switching between driving up and braking down, punctuated by short hard spikes on the steep pitches.
Train race pace
The phase from kilometre 13 matters most, when a long descent turns straight into a climb with more than a dozen kilometres already in your legs. Rehearse that exact sequence: late in a long run, go two to three kilometres briskly downhill and add a climb of about a kilometre at once. It teaches your quads to absorb the braking load and shows you how fast you can descend without fading afterwards.
Rehearse the course
Your key session is the rolling long run on trails, building to the full distance in the final weeks and ending on an incline so the finish holds no surprises. Add one short weekly hill session on steep ground, and practise brisk walking in it too, since the ramp at kilometre 9.7 asks for strength more than a running stride.
Arrive fresh
The 20 February date puts your long runs in December and January, so schedule them early. As the course is non-technical and easy to navigate, you need no footwork drills or navigation practice: your time belongs to the hills.
Courses
Download the Tibthorpe Loop course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Tibthorpe Loop dynamically
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Everything about Tibthorpe Loop.
How long is Tibthorpe Loop?
Tibthorpe Loop is 22.53 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Tibthorpe Loop have?
Tibthorpe Loop has around 340 m of elevation gain over 22.53 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Tibthorpe Loop?
Tibthorpe Loop is classified as Rolling, averaging 15 vertical metres per kilometre. 23% of the route is flat, 36% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 3% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Tibthorpe Loop have?
The hardest climb of Tibthorpe Loop starts at kilometre 0.9, runs for 2.3 km at an average of 3.1% and gains 70 metres. 7 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Tibthorpe Loop a loop course?
Yes, Tibthorpe Loop is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Tibthorpe Loop course?
Yes. The Tibthorpe Loop course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Tibthorpe Loop?
Preparation for Tibthorpe Loop should account for 22.53 km, 340 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Tibthorpe Loop?
The pacing strategy for Tibthorpe Loop should reflect 22.53 km, 340 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Tibthorpe Loop take place?
Tibthorpe Loop takes place on February 20, 2027.
Where does Tibthorpe Loop take place?
Tibthorpe Loop takes place in Tibthorpe, United Kingdom.
How do I register for Tibthorpe Loop?
Registration runs through the organiser: ultratrails.co.uk. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
