So...
Carlisle to Lanercost. I made it 14.82 miles, but we started maybe 0.2 of a mile down the hill from the castle, so it's about 15 miles dead on. Elevation gain 556ft, elevation loss 449ft. Minimum elevation 40ft, maximum 250ft.
The run route (unless they change it) follows the official Hadrian's Wall Path for most of it, although there are two longish sections and one short section where it takes another route and rejoins the path.
Unless it's a bone dry summer, there's going to be a couple of bits where it'll be muddy.
Probably about 7 or 8 miles is on road and tarmac path, with 6 or 7 miles on farmland and farm track of varying quality.
Don't expect to see any of the wall yet. The nearest we'll get is a grassed over line in a field at about halfway
Roads-wise, we're not running along any major roads, and there's no major roads to cross either. It's mainly rural roads with a car every two or three minutes, altho it might be busier in the summer.
The fields vary from ones where the grass is nice and flat, to ones where cows have been trampling about and you have to pick your way and watch your footing. There's also a few bits near gates where the animals have churned the mud up so it's going to get messy if there's even a slight bit of rain.
First little bit's out of the castle and left down a hill along a pavement next to a main road. You very quickly turn off into a small park (where there's public toilets just to the left of the run route if you forgot to go at the castle), then onto a mud track alongside the river, across a river and into Rickerby Park. It's tarmac path in Rickerby Park, although you can run on the grass if wanted.
Next bit's on tarmac path along a minor road through a village called Rickerby. then you come to a fairly gentle slope up and over the M6 and into the village of Linstock. Here the route veers away from the Hadrian's Wall Path, heading along a minor road, then onto a footpath that runs alongside the A689 till you turn off a minor road into a village and run along to Crosby-on-Eden, where run route rejoins the Hadrian's Wall Path route.
You're now just over five miles from Carlisle and it's been tarmac all the way apart from the short bit by the river at the start. From here, the terrain's mainly fields and paths, and be prepared for a lot of stopping and starting as you go through gates and over stiles and whatnot.
We turn left onto a dirt track at Crosby-on-Eden, and if you keep an eye out on the right, just as you've gone onto the track, there's a farm with a big wooden summerhouse just off the track. In the summerhouse they sell sweets, ice creams and drinks, with an honesty box (and a security camera in the corner).
The track's tough going (called Sandy Lane on the OS map) as it's muddy and uneven, but it's fairly short, and you're back on a minor road, then you're back on farmland all the way till you diverge from the Hadrian's Wall Path just before a place called Irthington at about 8 miles. The half mile either side of Irthington's on the road, and about half of a mile out of Irthington, there's a bit of a hill. It's steepish, but only lasts about 200 metres.
Soon after, you're back on the fields, with one being a fairly gradual climb that goes on for quarter of a mile or so, but the ground's fairly decent to run on.
Route hits the road again at a place called Walton, and you go over a scenic little bridge, then follow the road for a little bit, then back onto fields and track all the way to Lanercost.
If I've got anything wrong, Amster and Mr Amster can correct me. If there's anything anyone wants to know and I've not mentioned, give me a shout.
