What kind of head torch do I need for night fell running?

You'll want one with adjustable brightness levels—dim for running on known paths, medium for checking terrain ahead, and full beam for map reading. Some runners also add a chest-mounted torch for better depth perception, though it's not essential when you're starting out.

How do you navigate at night when you can't see distant landmarks?

You rely much more on your compass, pacing, timing, and immediate features around you rather than distant visual references. It's proper old-school navigation—more deliberate and precise than daytime running because you can't just eyeball your destination from the start.

How do you avoid bogs when running in the dark?

Honestly, it's mostly guesswork. In daylight you can spot the greener grass and suspicious flatness, but at night it all looks the same until you're ankle-deep in cold water. There's no magic trick—you just accept that occasional bog incidents are part of winter night running.

Trail Running and Fell Running

The Night Nav Run: When Your Head Torch Beam Is the Only Thing Between You and a Bog

Winter fell running means starting in the dark or finishing in it—often both—which turns navigation from map-reading into torch management, depth perception guesswork, and hoping that shadow is a rock and not a three-foot drop. Why some runners love it and most just tolerate it until March.

17 September 20268 min read