The East leg to Byrness has got to be one of the quickest legs on offer.  This gives you the intriguing decision of whether you tick this one off early and get it out of the way or leave it as leg four to ensure you speed up later in the race.  It tracks along the well known Forest Drive which is a drivable trail from Kielder all the way to Byrness in a suitable 4×4 vehicle.  This means for running your navigation will be easy and you’re assured of solid underfoot conditions all the way.

The track near the Kielder end is relatively flat but as soon as you hit East Kielder farm the steady undulations begin.  None of these are enough to really push your limits but you can expect a gentle roller coaster of hills all the way to exiting the forest at the Byrness end.  A little jink along the Pennine Way and you’ll arrive at the end point which is the village hall at Byrness.  Here you can take your time indoors to get sorted with kit, food and mental fortitude.  We’ll have some wholesome food waiting for you and our team will try their very best to get you back out and into the race.

With 48km and 1200m of climbing it is still a tasty distance in its own right.  Your pace will need to be judged correctly as to not influence the rest of your race hours.  In daylight hours you’ll get a mix of open scenery and forest trees lining the way.

Route map for North Star (East) Byrness by Drew Swinburne on plotaroute.com