The Keswick to Barrow Walk, also known as the K2B, is a 40

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

charity walking and running event which takes place annually in May in

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

, England, between Keswick and

Barrow-in-Furness Barrow-in-Furness is a port town in Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 2023 the ...

. The walk passes through much of the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...

. It allows participants to run or walk as they choose. Most choose to walk, while the running contingent compete for the fastest runner trophy. The walk has it origins in a 1966 challenge between a team of American experts working on the construction of

HMS Resolution Several ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS ''Resolution''. However, the first English warship to bear the name ''Resolution'' was actually the first rate ''Prince Royal'' (built in 1610 and rebuilt in 1641), which was renamed ''Resol ...

in Barrow, and local workers from

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

, the owners of Barrow's shipyard. The challenge was inspired by American

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

's recommendation that "every American should be capable of walking 50 miles a day" The original walk started at the

Castlerigg Stone Circle Castlerigg Stone Circle (alternatively Keswick Carles, or Carles) is situated on a prominent hill to the east of Keswick, in the Lake District National Park, North West England. It is one of around 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles and ...

, roughly 50 miles from Barrow, but the length of the walk was in following years reduced to around 40 miles, starting south of Keswick. The walk proved popular and became an annual event. By 1974 it had 1,500 participants, and has continued to grow. Entry is currently capped at 2,900 walkers for logistical reasons, and the event is regularly oversubscribed. For many years, the route began at Rough How Bridge on the

A591 The A591 is a major road in Cumbria, in the north-west of England, which lies almost entirely within the Lake District national park. A 2009 poll by satellite navigation firm Garmin named the stretch of the road between Windermere and Keswick ...

three miles south of Keswick. However, for the walk's fiftieth anniversary in 2016 and again in 2017, the start was moved to near

, increasing the distance to around 43 miles. The walk follows minor roads along the west of Thirlmere, before climbing up Dunmail Raise. It passes through the village of Grasmere and over Red Bank into

Elterwater Elterwater is a village in the English Lake District and the county of Cumbria. The village lies half a mile (800 m) north-west of the lake of Elter Water, from which it derives its name. Both are situated in the valley of Great Langdale. E ...

and on to Coniston. Walkers then continue along the east bank of

Coniston Water Coniston Water in the English county of Cumbria is the third-largest lake in the Lake District by volume (after Windermere and Ullswater), and the fifth-largest by area. It is five miles long by half a mile wide (8 km by 800 m), has a ...

to the village of Lowick, before passing over

Kirkby Moor Kirkby Moor is a poorly defined moorland area in southern Cumbria, England, named after the village of Kirkby-in-Furness, but stretching both sides of the A5092 road, and thus spanning the border of the Lake District National Park. The highest ...

, the walk's highest elevation. The route then continues into Low Furness and the village of Marton, passing the

South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes Safari Zoo (formerly South Lakes Wild Animal Park) is a zoo established in 1994 by David Gill, and located in Cumbria, England. Its name refers to its proximity to the Lake District, though it lies entirely within the Borough of B ...

on its way to Dalton-in-Furness. The final stretch runs close to

Furness Abbey Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness, is a former Catholic monastery located to the north of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second-wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the coun ...

, before ending at the Hawcoat Park Sports Club in Hawcoat, Barrow. The shorter Coniston to Barrow walk is aimed at teenagers, and joins the main route in Coniston. Competitors enter in teams of between 6 and 12, and prizes are awarded to both individuals and teams. The competition retains a close association with

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

, current owners of Barrow's shipyard, and teams from the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, with prizes for the best performers among both groups Competitors must raise a minimum of £80 for charity for their entry to be accepted. Up to 2016, more than £3.7M has been donated to charities over the history of the walk.

References

{{reflist

External links

Keswick To Barrow homepage

Keswick to Barrow on

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Athletics competitions in England Sport in Cumbria Lake District Barrow-in-Furness Vickers Challenge walks Walking in the United Kingdom Annual events in England