Cycling UK has just announced the Great North Trail in the UK. The end plan seems to be to link the North and South of the UK with a mostly continuous trail route. Which is a cool objective, right?
Today’s announcement is for an 800-mile stretch which goes from the middle of England (Derbyshire) to John O-Groats at the Northern tip of Scotland. A challenge in itself.
800 miles, in this case, means 1,186km and over 16,600 metres of ascent. That should be a demanding challenge to rival the road-based John O’Groats to Lands End route and I’m certain the trail route will be immensely pretty.
I’ve attached a route file with elevations and TBT instructions. Of course, if you live vaguely near any part of the route you can do parts of it.
ROUTE FILES HERE: TCX Format, FIT Format, GPX Format (no TBT) – stored in one ZIP file – I can’t list separately, sorry
NB: This route goes to Cape Wrath rather than John O’Groats – there are two options at the end. I’m assuming the JOG option is via road.
I’m looking for a trail challenge for 2020 and beyond. Paris-Brest seemed interesting, more so than LEJOG. Any ideas?
Route files like this one are the kind of thing platforms such as Ride with GPS are built to store and share; see the Ride with GPS hub for that platform’s own feature history on this site.
https://youtu.be/KoCqSki-wIM
Last Updated on 17 September 2026 by the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee ❤️
Written by real people, with AI assistance. Fact-checked and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
This sounds brilliant. Britain’s answer to one of the US trails maybe? 🤔
i think so. i’m sure there’s more.
my onyl idea so far is teddington (where i live) down the thames to reading, then the river kennet then the kennet and avon canal to BATH. weir to weir…salt water to salt water (ish). not quite coast to coast and not exaclty the hardest of trails. on the other hand it would be a canalside/riverside pub bonanza and everyone’s partner would be happy to go to Bath when we meet at the other end.
Please post individual file links. Can’t access gpx on phone….
sorry i can’t post the links as wordpress doesn’t allow storage of those file types without compression. hence the zip file
Just saw this on the BBC news! For an end to end cycle, what is the story with accommodation? Is wild camping permitted in the UK or does it have to be designated spots? Or is it all town-to-town?
The right to roam in Scotland means that once you’re over the border you can wild camp. South of the border you’d have to be discrete…