Grand National: How have the fences changed through the years

Coral, ahead of the Grand National this weekend, has looks at the race's fences and how they have changed in recent years.

The Grand National is an infamous race, known for its testing nature, unpredictable results and formidable spruce fences. 

While the obstacles are still widely reputed to be among the most challenging in National Hunt racing, lending themselves to only the most talented of staying chasers, the reality is that the Grand National fences changed significantly in recent years, bringing them more in line with the safety and welfare concerns of the present day. 

There are a total of 16 fences on the Grand National course, with the runners having to clear 30 fences as they travel round the laps of the four and a quarter mile trip. The famous obstacles are made from spruce, rather than the traditional birch, and range from four foot six inches to over five foot in height.

Perhaps the most famous fence on the track is Bechers Brook, which has a drop on the landing side of the fence in addition to a sharp left-hand turn. Horses often get funnelled into this fence as jockeys attempt to get a good landing position from which to make their turn, meaning this can be a problem fence, causing many upsets. 

In 2024, the latest changes were made to the running of the Grand National. The number of runners was reduced from 40 to 34; a standing start became compulsory, and the first fence was moved closer to the start line in an effort to slow runners down. In addition to this, foam or rubber toe boards were added to all the fences, while the height of the 11th fence - the open ditch - was reduced.

Today’s Grand National are an altogether different challenge than the much larger ones from previous years. They are generally safer, causing fewer fallers and injuries, which is fantastic news for both racing participants and fans. 

This has made the results of the Grand National somewhat more predictable, though. The Aintree Festival’s feature now is considered to be winnable by the best staying handicapper in the race, rather than the luckiest finisher.

Punters, as a result, may have an easier time picking the winner in this year’s Grand National than they might have done trying to pick the winner 20 years ago. 

View the Grand National 2026 odds and specials.

All odds and markets correct as of date of publication.