Event Manager’s Report

I’d start by thanking all our brilliant volunteers for making the event possible, working long and late to support the entrants. If you’d like to join the event as a volunteer next year, we’d love to have you! I am also grateful to several suppliers, land owners and governing bodies: Where CV19 could have tempted committees to play it safe, these organisations worked with us to enable a successful and safe event to go ahead.

We’ve received almost universal positive messages from the runners and walkers, praising the event team and organisation, and I’d like to reciprocate those thanks to you all, for participating so diligently with the Covid precautions, and of course for your trekking and running achievements. The Peak District Challenge Silver course record in particular was smashed by almost 3 hours, with an incredibly strong field, where any of the top 5 Silver finishers would have comfortably won the event in previous years. This will be a very tough year to beat, not least because of almost perfect conditions for a fast event: A week of hot dry weather, leading up to a dry, cool event day was absolutely perfect, with only the wind over Rushop and Curbar Edges presenting any notable difficulty. 

Simon Martland’s successful defence of his Gold Ultra victory was secure from early in the night. Shaving the better part of 4 hours off his 2019 time and beating second-place by 107 minutes still wasn’t enough to topple Jasmin Paris’ Peak District Challenge course record though, which still stands.

Chantry Cargill comfortably won the Peak District Challenge Bronze event, setting a new record, and an honourable mention for one of the most dilligent followings of our suggested route. The top five Peak District Challenge Copper finishers should be mentioned: all finishing around the 3 hour mark gave each other a good race, but none matching Janine Roberts’ record from 2016.

The team trackers have proved popular and effective, so we’ll certainly be using them again in future years. The trackers allowed your supporters (and our safety team) to monitor entrants’ exact location on the route, at any time, and also to review your route and splits instantly upon your arrival at the finish line. Attempts to increase the variety of food offerings were well received, but for 2021 we’ll persevere with improving the water supply for those fast runners that keep the Safety Team on their toes through the small hours. If we can by 2021, we also want to create the finish-line atmosphere that you all deserve, and to resurrect the Back Before Dark 10k fell race, which was the only major element of the event that we really couldn’t safely offer this year.

Finally, the wooden spoon mention goes to Neil who very honestly came to HQ to confess to ending up in someone’s garden following a navigational hiccup in the perennially-challenging Padley Gorge section.

Photos

Full album at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=pdcwd&set=a.180635680187956

Team Tracking splits and routes

http://live.opentracking.co.uk/pdc2020/

Peak District Challenge Results 2020

NameTimeDistance
105Simon Martland14:39:21Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
109Endurance life16:26:25Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
106Shawn mills16:26:30Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
114Central rejects17:49:18Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
810Ian Brewster19:13:40Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
107Gerry Moore21:56:04Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
116Hamilton Hobblers22:15:03Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
111Afterwork Athletes22:31:11Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
103Isman Cooper22:57:31Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
120IGOR VAZQUEZ23:14:02Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
118Here We Go Again24:29:42Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
101Kirsty-Jane BirchRetiredPeak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
108Mark Sill’s teamRetiredPeak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
102Alexander ColesRetiredPeak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km
229Nick Jones09:22:02Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
201Will Carver10:35:15Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
204Luke Millington11:18:28Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
230Paul Carse11:18:51Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
203Mark Harding11:51:05Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
303Richard Sutton15:35:13Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
217Not Peak Fitness16:12:14Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
110Martin Tollitt16:18:50Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
205Mark Radford16:53:42Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
301Olga Koepping18:11:14Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
302Matt Peachey18:11:51Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
211Egg Bound18:27:57Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
214EH Walking Women18:31:21Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
225Peaky Hikers18:35:30Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
220Wing Walkers19:23:30Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
202Guy Evans19:54:03Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
803Team Bevan20:25:37Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
231Team Something To Do21:03:35Peak District Challenge Silver 75km
206Argh we nearly there yet?!21:34:56Peak District Challenge Silver 75km

402Chantry Cargill04:54:03Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
404Emma Jarrett05:31:53Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
436The Beavers06:11:39Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
403Russell Diamond-Webb06:29:06Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
408Kenny Mosley06:34:41Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
443Rob Doherty’s Team06:37:07Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
808EVRC Ladies Day Out06:45:10Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
421Hares and Tortoises07:12:50Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
401tim atkin07:25:03Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
504Busy Bees07:37:06Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
801Joe Bowker’s Team08:11:38Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
805Bollington Harriers08:31:55Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
409Virginie Pollet08:42:45Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
419Flat-Landers09:09:24Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
407Danny Mawson09:13:19Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
446Marco Pomati09:26:27Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
440EVRC Three Amigos09:58:52Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
438Weekend wanderers10:02:51Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
445Svet Karadimova10:34:31Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
412Dawn Carter’s team10:37:56Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
434Team Sadler10:39:58Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
224Peter Willis10:48:14Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
432Last Boy Scouts11:12:56Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
416DDS11:28:26Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
425Interstate Hotels Bronze team11:47:35Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km
601Richard Harris02:58:41Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
623dean Smith03:06:56Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
603Team Jim03:15:26Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
622Neil Smith03:18:56Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
602Katrina Muldoon03:19:36Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
605Jessica Harrison’s team05:22:01Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
616iPlods05:27:26Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
802Copper Open Guided Group06:10:58Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
414Karen Doherty’s team06:28:29Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
807Henry Boot Guided Group07:12:12Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
608Simon Hope’s team07:18:19Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
620Mike Storey’s team07:35:56Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
628Iwona Fedor’s team08:06:30Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
611Interstate Hotels Copper team09:03:20Peak District Challenge Copper 25km
618The Young Pretenders09:19:11Peak District Challenge Copper 25km

Thanks to our fantastic event partners

Our incredibly generous sponsors provide prizes and goody bag items, and many offer discounts for you too. If you liked the products you encountered on the way around your challenge, we heartily encourage you to consider these great local Peak District brands for your next purchases:

Harrier – We have Harrier vouchers for winners, which can be used for Harrier’s fantastic Peak District-designed ultra-running gear, including vests, cups and bottles. We’re especially excited about their Curbar Vest, perfect for those running the Peak District. www.harrierrunfree.co.uk

Dark Peak – For every jacket sold, Dark Peak promise to give another jacket to the homeless. Designed on the edge of the Peak, their fab Nessh Insulated Jackets give high-priced jackets a run for their money with superb specs. www.darkpeakgear.com

Hard Bar – Ethically and organically sourced ‘real food’ fuel for the hills. Hard Bar are supplying every Silver and Gold Athlete with one of their delicious bars for the run. Use code PDCHALLENGE15 for 15% off your first order at www.hard.bar

Alpkit have designed kit for people to go nice places and do good things for over a decade. From tents and bikes to climbing gear and swimwear, we heartily recommend a visit to their Hathersage shop (and kit repair centre), to browse or just for a coffee. Thanks to Alpkit for offering a prize on the 50km Bronze Challenge. www.alpkit.com

Go Outdoors in Hathersage – The wonderful local GO Outdoors shop in Hathersage is offering us a fantastic prize that will help you in your future outdoor adventures.  https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/stores/hathersage

Swizzels – We are delighted to be partnering with Swizzels sweets who are based in the Peak District. They provided some tasty treats for all the entrants in their goody bags. Yum! https://swizzels.com/

Running Bear  are our go-to Macclesfield-based running shop, for shoes, gear and expert advice. All Peak District Challenge entrants are offered a discount- look for the voucher in your goody bag! www.runningbear.co.uk

The Banff Mountain Film Festival – The best new films from the worlds most prestigious film festival. Providing tickets to one of the UK showings. www.banff-uk.com

Forest and Fire are a fantastic local brand, with beautiful clothing, badges and stationary, inspired by the Dark Peak District. Visit www.forestandfire.co.uk for beautiful gifts and mementos.

BIDBI – A fantastic Sheffield based organisation who are kindly providing you all with organic fairtrade goody bags that are made to last. https://www.bidbi.co.uk