The Three Peaks Race
£500 Bonus Prize - But Only for Breaking the 18 Year Old Record
Press Release / 24.04.2014
In addition to running 23 miles over Penyghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, competitors in the 60th Three Peaks Race are being set an extra challenge. A £500 bonus prize is on offer if the winner can break the record of 2hrs 46mins 3secs over the current course.
But the challenge is not easy. It is 18 years since the men’s record was broken. It was set by Andy Peace, of Bingley Harriers, in 1996. Nobody has been within six minutes of the record since another Bingley Harrier, Rob Jebb, won the race in 2hrs 51mins 49secs in 2007.
The £500 bonus is also on offer to the winner of the ladies’ race. The women’s record was last broken in 2008 when the Three Peaks hosted the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge. With an international field of 1,000 entries many expected both records to fall.
Anna Pichrtova, a Czech professional runner, knocked 1min 34secs off Sarah Rowell’s ladies’ record, which had also been set in 1996. The ladies’ record is now 3hrs 14mins 43secs. Sarah Rowell, who was an England international runner, had the distinction of finishing 15th overall in 1992 – the highest race position achieved by a female.
But the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge event at the Three Peaks was won by Jethro Lennox, of Shettleston Harriers in Glasgow. Despite a terrific performance on the steep ascent of Whernside and the rough descent to Bruntscar, Jethro came home in 2hrs 53mins 39secs and Andy Peace’s men’s record remained intact.
The Three Peaks, which is billed as “the marathon with mountains” because it includes 5,270ft of ascent over some of the Yorkshire Dales’ toughest limestone scenery, is being held on Saturday, April 26th. The Salomon sports equipment company are the main sponsors.
Chairman of the Three Peaks Race Association Paul Dennison said: “Our race has had a special place in the hearts of fell runners for decades, but the 2014 Race is the 60th, so it is extra special and we thought it was time for a challenge.
“It is now 18 years since Andy Peace set the men’s record over the current course, so we think it is time it was broken. It will obviously depend on the weather conditions we get in advance of race day and what runners have to contend with on Saturday, but it would be good if the record could be broken on our diamond jubilee event.”
The race starts and finishes on the playing field in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, near Settle. The 2014 race is starting at 10.30am - 30 minutes later than normal in an attempt to avoid congestion on Ingleborough and Whernside where Fellsman competitors will be travelling in the opposite direction en-route from Ingleton to Threshfield in their 100K race.
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