The Dartmoor Beast
The Dartmoor Beast is a trail running challenge through the heart of Dartmoor National Park on Sunday 27 September 2026. Both routes start and finish outside Pavilion in the Park at OCRA, Mill Rd, Okehampton EX20 1GE.
Available route options:
- 20 miles; five tors, 3399 ft total ascent, includes the summit of High Willhays.
- 14 miles; four tors, 2224 ft elevation gain, known as the Wee Beastie.
The course traverses moorland, woodland, rivers and bog and includes steep ascents, including a 377 ft climb with a 22% gradient to High Willhays. The route is waymarked and supported. Event services and logistics include water stations on course (participants must bring a cup), toilets at the start and finish and along the route, a refreshment stand, and post race traditional Devon cream tea for finishers. The event is chip timed and results will be posted online; finishing times will also be sent to runners via text. All finishers receive a uniquely designed metal medal and trophies are awarded to the fastest male and female on both routes. Professional medical staff and first aid stations support the route. GPX files for both routes will be issued at least two months before the event.
General entries have sold out; a limited number of fundraising entries remain. Proceeds support Hospiscare.
Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
The Routes
Traverse moorland, woodland, rivers and bog in this testing course that takes in five of Dartmoor’s famous granite tors and ascends 3399ft, including a 377ft 22% climb to the summit of High Willhays – the highest point in southern England.
For competitive trail runners who aren’t ready to tackle the 20-mile distance, our 14-mile route is a beast in its own right. The “Wee Beastie” option offers the same challenging terrain and steep ascents with a 2224ft elevation gain across four tors, including the highest point in southern England.