2026 Results & Finishing Times

How the 2026 field performed across all 70 miles - finish rate, finishing-time distribution, where runners retired, and the fastest times on the day.

1,687Total starters
1,440Finishers (85.4%)
247Did Not Finish (14.6%)
27h 22mLast finisher

The Wall 2026 was the biggest edition yet, with 1,687 runners setting off from Carlisle Castle. A strong 85.4% reached the Gateshead Millennium Bridge - a higher finish rate than 2024 (82.4%). The data below is drawn from the full field of finishers and retirements.

Time Milestones

What different finishing times actually meant in 2026 - useful for setting a realistic target.

18Finished under 12h
248Under 15h (17%)
1,007Under 20h (70%)
18h 09mMedian finish
Setting your target If this is your first Wall, aim for the big middle of the field - somewhere in the 18-22 hour range is a realistic, achievable goal that the majority of finishers landed in. Bank time gently in the first half, look after your feet, and don't stop too long at Hexham. See the pace calculator to build your splits.

Finishing Times by Hour

Each bar is the number of runners who finished within that elapsed hour. The final bar shows total DNFs, for scale. The 26-hour cut-off is generous - a handful came home even later, with the last finisher just over 27 hours.

Key patterns from 2026 The single busiest finishing hour was 15h (171 runners), and the whole 14-19 hour window was packed - that's where the bulk of the field came home. The median finish was around 18 hours. Crucially, runners kept finishing right up to and past the cut-off: if you're still moving at 24 hours, history says you finish.

Where DNF Runners Retired

Of the 247 runners who retired, over half stopped at Hexham (PS4, ~44mi) - the make-or-break point of the race. Here's the full breakdown by stop.

Hexham - the DNF capital

126 of 247 retirements (51%) happened at Hexham PS4 at ~44 miles. It's the drop-bag stop, it's road-accessible, and it feels like a natural "halfway" place to stop - which is exactly why it's so dangerous. The community advice is unanimous: decide before you arrive that Hexham is not your stopping point. Change socks, eat, and get back out.

Newburn - so close

66 runners (27% of DNFs) retired at Newburn PS5 - just 7 miles from the finish. These are the hardest to accept: usually cut-off retirements or bodies that gave out in the early hours. The community wisdom holds - if you reach Newburn still moving, you are finishing. Keep going.

The Sill - quad killers

27 runners (11% of DNFs) stopped at The Sill PS3 (~30mi), at the end of the hilliest section. Legs not prepared for the relentless Wall ridge get destroyed by here. Make it past The Sill and the serious climbing is behind you - poles and disciplined hill-walking pay off most in this stretch.

The takeaway 78% of all 2026 retirements happened at just two stops - Hexham and Newburn. Both are in the second half, both are mental as much as physical. Plan your Hexham stop in advance (see the logistics guide) and know your "why" for the night section (see the mental strategy guide).
Compare with other years See the 2024 results and the all-time course records.