Lake District Ultra Challenge 2026

Ultra Challenge Series

The Ultra Challenge Series is the UK’s number one series of treks and trail runs, offering 20 ‘walk, jog, run’ events in England and Wales, with distances ranging from 5km to 100km. Take on a challenge at your pace as a team or on your own, while raising vital funds and awareness to help families facing dementia.

Whether you’re trekking or running through the city, along a stunning coastline or through magnificent countryside, you’ll get expert support all the way. Whichever challenge and distance you choose, you can expect plenty of food and drink, medical support and massage, great camaraderie, a medal and t-shirt, and an amazing sense of achievement from start to finish.

Push yourself further in 2026 by taking on an Ultra Challenge for Dementia UK, a proud series partner of the Ultra Challenge Series.

Find your Ultra Challenge

Distances

Distance options vary according to each Ultra Challenge. Typical distance options are 10km, 25km, 50km, 75km and 100km. View our dedicated Ultra Challenge calendar for the details for each challenge and to sign up for your chosen event and distance.

Funding types and minimum fundraising

• Full sponsorship for charity: pay a small registration fee to the event organiser and fundraise a minimum amount for Dementia UK, and we’ll cover the cost of your place. The minimum fundraising amount depends on which distance you choose. 50% of your minimum fundraising pledge must be raised and received by Dementia UK by your fundraising deadline, usually three weeks prior to your event.
• Mixed funding for charity: pay the event organiser half the cost of your place and fundraise a smaller minimum amount for Dementia UK, and we’ll pay the remaining cost of your place. The minimum fundraising amount depends on which distance you choose. 50% of your minimum fundraising pledge must be raised and received by Dementia UK by your fundraising deadline, usually three weeks prior to your event.
• Own place charity fundraising: pay the event organiser for your place in full, then raise as much as you can for Dementia UK with no minimum target.

For full details of funding types, costs and minimum fundraising, view the ‘Costs and fundraising’ options on your chosen Ultra Challenge event page.

Ultra Challenge help centre

The Ultra Challenge Team has a useful help centre page that covers a lot of frequently asked questions. If you have any specific event questions or your question is not covered in the FAQs, please contact the Ultra Challenge Team at info@ultrachallenge.com or on 020 7609 6695 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).

Right now, nearly one million people are living with dementia in the UK. Too often, families struggle to find support, leaving them feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and alone.  

When you support our charity, you’re helping us grow the number of dementia specialist Admiral Nurses, who provide life-changing support for the whole family. With your help, no one will face dementia alone.  

Read Will and his mum Ronnie’s story about how Ronnie’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease has impacted their lives, and how Admiral Nurses are providing them both with a lifeline. 

As part of Team Dementia UK, you will receive: 

• a branded Dementia UK technical sports top (delivered two to three weeks before event day) 
• training plans and videos to help you get ready for your challenge 
• support from our Fundraising Team, including from a dedicated Events Manager 
• a fundraising guide, with tips to help smash your target 
• a range of Dementia UK fundraising materials, such as collection buckets, posters and sponsorship forms, to help you reach your goals 
• access to our online fundraising resources 

If you need any support or have any questions about fundraising for Dementia UK by taking on an Ultra Challenge, contact our Challenge Events Team at events@dementiauk.org 

Every penny you raise will help our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses provide a lifeline to more families facing dementia – and we’re here to support you every step of the way. 

Challenge events welcome pack 

Take a look at our challenge events welcome pack online or contact our team at events@dementiauk.org to order a printed copy. It contains lots of handy information about Dementia UK and fundraising for our charity, including motivational fundraising ideas and stories from other challenge event supporters. 

Fundraising ideas 

Organising fundraising activities alongside your main challenge will help you smash your goal. Here are some ideas: 

• Host a quiz 
• Arrange a raffle 
• Hold a sweepstake on how long your challenge will take, or how many steps you’ll cover 
• Organise a bake sale at home, at work or in your community 
• Create a sponsored playlist, where supporters donate to add their choice of song to your race soundtrack 

JustGiving  

Setting up a JustGiving page is a great way to fundraise online. Share your link with family, friends and colleagues, and watch the donations roll in. 

You can use JustGiving to explain why you’re taking on your challenge for Dementia UK, keep track of how much you’ve raised, and even share your training progress using Strava so your supporters can see how well you’re doing. The event organisers have set up official events on JustGiving so make sure you connect to the right event on your page.  

The more you update and share your JustGiving page, the more donations you’ll receive. 

Gift Aid   

If your supporters are UK taxpayers and their donation is voluntary (not proceeds of a sale), we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated – at no extra cost to them. Make sure they fill in the Gift Aid form in your fundraising pack or tick the correct boxes if they’re donating online. 

Paying in your donations 

If you’re fundraising through JustGiving, the donations will automatically come to us. If you’ve got cash to pay in, you can do this online, by phone, by bank transfer or by post. 

How you can pay in your fundraising money