South West Cornwall Trail Running
Run this Cornish section of the South West Coast Path - 61 miles from Penzance to Falmouth. We provide accommodation, luggage transfer, maps and guidebooks.
South West Cornwall Trail Running
https://www.contoursrun.co.uk/run-south-west-cornwall
A truly epic trail running holiday along England’s longest waymarked trail, from Minehead to Poole.
From £385 per person
At 630 miles (1,014 km), the South West Coast Path is England’s longest National Trail and has good claim to being the most spectacular too.
The route spans a wonderful variety of running, over rugged clifftops, around sheltered coves, harbours, fishing villages and across heather moorland. Out here, you’ll find stirring views over the open sea and the British countryside, alongside devilish daily mileages.
It’s not just the distance that daunts, though: the route constantly rises and falls and will leave your calves whimpering. In fact, it’s more common for runners to attempt it one chunk at a time rather than all in one go.
We offer the South West Coast Path in sections, allowing you to piece together the most suitable route for your time and stamina. Of course, if you’re prepared for the challenge of the whole route, you can run these sections consecutively to cover the entire 630-mile trail.
Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.
We also organise walking holidays along this route. Find out more.
From £405 per person
This leg of the South West Coast Path is the wildest and most isolated. It winds from Penzance along the rugged red-green cliffs of the Lizard and through the shaded woods that line the creeks of the Helford River. As with every stage of this immense coastal trail, South West Cornwall features frequent and sometimes brutal ascents and descents, but a visit out to St Michael’s Mount, a rocky island crowned by a vast fortress and priory, will warm your legs up slowly, ready for the challenge ahead.
Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
---|---|---|---|---|
R-SWCO1 | From Penzance to Falmouth | 2 days running | £405 | |
R-SWCO2 | From Penzance to Falmouth | 3 days running | £530 | |
R-SWCO3 | From Penzance to Falmouth | 4 days running | £605 |
Please note that the Helford Passage Ferry Service operates from Good Friday or 1st April to October 31st. If the ferry is not running the alternatives are a 13 mile detour or to take a taxi; therefore if you wish to run this route outside of these dates, please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Travel to Penzance where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Penzance to The Lizard. 27.5 miles (44km) / 3320 ft (1012 m) ascent
The Lizard to Falmouth. 33.5 miles (53.5km) / 4131 ft (1259 m) ascent
Depart from Falmouth after breakfast
This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.
Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.
The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.
Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.
Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
Running along the coast of the Lizard Peninsula, where black rocks cut out into the sea and the rare geology of the shoreline provides a home for all sorts of flowering plants.
Visiting tiny fishing ports protected from Atlantic gales by granite sea walls.
Enjoying the wild isolation of the place, with coves and smugglers' hideaways to explore as you run.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites: