Thank you for visiting our JustGiving page, donating to Legs4Africa, and supporting me in running The Three Peaks Race!

I am grateful to you all for your generous contributions and continuing encouragement!

I'm also very grateful to be supported by my ‘home team'; my wife, Cath; my three sons, Joshua, James, and Oliver; my sisters Louise and Racheal, and Louise’s husband, Gary.  As always, they are not only instrumental in helping to fundraise, but also in giving their moral support to each running challenge that I undertake!

Below, you will find lots of information about the challenges that await me, as well as some of my past endeavours, and training history; but, before reading on, I’d like you to take a minute to join me in remembering my wonderful parents, Delia and Des.  Although no longer with us, they are always at the forefront of our minds and spur me on to keep running.

ABOUT THE THREE PEAKS RACE - The Marathon with Mountains!

The 68th Annual Three Peaks Race supported by inov-8 Begins at 10:30 am on Saturday 29th April 2023!

The Three Peaks Race traverses the famous Yorkshire Dales mountains of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough and is one of the oldest, most famous, and best organised fell races in Britain. The peaks, which form part of the Pennine range, encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the North of England.

First run in 1954, the Race covers 37.4 kilometres with 1608 metres of ascent and descent over the most rugged and spectacular countryside in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, taking competitors to a height of 723 metres above sea level.

The Three Peaks Race Guide:

• 1-3 miles: It will be a fast start along the road to the beginning of the track leading up to Pen-Y-Ghent.
• 3 - 6 miles: Summit and descend Pen-Y-Ghent!  This is the lowest of Yorkshire's Three Peaks with an elevation of 694m (2,277 feet).
• 6 - 11 miles: Churn out the miles on the way over to Ribblehead Viaduct.
• 11 - 16 miles:  Whernside is the highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks with an elevation of 736 m (2,415 ft). This section of
  the race begins with a vast boggy section before moving on to the next steeper section, wading through the waterlogged tussocks, followed by a long slog up the face of Whernside, a steady run along the top, and an awkward descent down!
• 16 - 19 miles: A couple of runnable miles along tarmac and farm tracks before tackling Ingleborough, the second-highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales with an elevation of 723m
  (2,372 ft). This section is a runnable climb until you reach the
  trickier ‘rock climbing’ terrain near the top!
• 19 - 23 miles: The end is in sight but, battered and broken from the previous 20 miles of Yorkshire terrain and weather, this section is tough!
• 23 - 23.5 miles: It's all down hill from here to the finish field!

Safety & Kit Requirements

It's very different from my usual light-weight marathon running!  The Three Peaks Race requires all runners to carry the following mandatory kit.

• Whistle
• Compass
• 3 tops
• Leggings
• Waterproof over trouser
• Coat
• Fell/trail running shoes
• Hat
• Gloves
• Water 
• Food
• Emergency bivvy bag
• Map

THE FIRST STEP IS QUALIFYING!

I have lots of experience with marathons but to participate in the Three Peaks Fell Race, you need prior fell racing experience! I need to complete two affiliate Fell Race Association races. The races that I have chosen are:

• Tour Of Bradwell – The Winter Half on Saturday 11th February 2023. A, not to be underestimated, 17.5 miler! It journeys through some lovely countryside taking in some iconic Peak District vistas.
• Flower Scar Fell Race on Saturday 18th February 2023.  A race with steep climbs, rough moor, and fast paths, 660m of climbing over a distance of 13.3km, typifying all that’s best about South Pennine fell running!

PLEASE CHECK THE PAGE FOR UPDATES REGARDING GENERAL TRAINING & SNIPPETS/VIDEOS/PICS FROM THE TOUR OF BRADWELL & FLOWER SCAR FELL RACE. FOR MORE IN-DEPTH UPDATE REGARDING THESE TWO QUALIFIERS, I WILL ADD TO THE END OF THIS MAIN STORY, AS I COMPLETE THEM!

PREVIOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The Three Peaks: I have walked it a couple of times coming in under 12 hours which is regarded as "The Three Peaks Challenge", but I am not a fell racer and have never run in The Three Peaks Race. I have, however, trained for and successfully completed 18 marathons including Chesterfield, Nottingham, London, New York, Chicago, Berlin, Boston, Liverpool, Tokyo, Manchester, and Vienna.

I have also achieved my dream of getting 'In the Club' after completing the five largest global marathon races, known as “The Big 5” - Boston, London, Berlin, New York, and Chicago. And, on the 2nd of October, 2022, I achieved my hard-fought goal of running a marathon in sub. 3 hours with a time of 02:59:25 in the London Marathon.

CURRENT TRAINING

Training adaptation has begun! 

• From a base of about 30 Miles a week of road running, I am now introducing some rougher terrain! 
• I kicked off in January with a week of running a few miles at night at high altitudes while in the French Alps for seven days.
  
• Now the training continues back in England!
  

Follow me on Strava to keep a track of the routes and miles!

I'll also post regular updates on this page too!

THAT'S THE TRAINING. WHAT ABOUT THE CHARITY?  WHY LEGS4AFRICA?

All of you who knew my dad, Des, will also know that he lost his leg at the tender age of just sixteen years. Dad never let his amputation hold him back. Facing the challenge of running the Three Peaks is, therefore, minor, compared to the challenges that life threw Dad’s way.

Dad had a love of Africa and visited Kenya twice, where he and Mum donated school supplies for the local children. Our choice for a charity, when Dad passed away (13 October 2022) was, therefore, an easy one, as we knew that he would definitely support the idea of helping others overcome the loss of a limb. Through generous contributions, we raised a massive £2,457 for Legs4Africa in Dad’s memory. Through my new, personal challenge, and with your help, we would like to raise a further £2543.00, in honour of Dad, bolstering the initial sum up to a total target amount of £5000!

Legs4Africa's Mission

Legs4Africa (Registered Charity no.1158697) is a Bristol-based charity that gets people walking again in Africa. Through recycling prosthetic leg parts and facilitating amputee-led support groups, they are getting thousands of people a year back on their feet. Their mission is to help amputees live independently, through the provision of prosthetic legs, along with physical and emotional rehabilitation. They have built & repaired over 10,000 prosthetic legs!  Watch this video to learn more about what they do and why they do it.

HOW TO DONATE

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast, and secure. Once you donate, they'll send your donation directly to the Legs4Africa charity (www.legs4africa.org).

Thank you for helping me complete my challenge and continue to
make a difference to many lives!

UPDATES

Tour Of Bradwell – The Winter Half on Saturday 11th February 2023.

They say it is 'a not to be under-estimated, 17.5 miler' and, wow, that’s definitely true! It journeys through some lovely countryside taking in some iconic Peak District vistas. I can see why people run these fell races. The views over the hills take your breath away.

Minimal footprint appears to be the thought button with fell racing. Even getting to the start was an interesting experience.  Managed to spot one tiny sign on a lamp post – it was about 4 x 6 inches with the word Race and a little arrow!  There was a good crowd at the start, which, after parking up, was accessed by walking through private land with the agreement of the farmer and the pigs.  Everyone was excited to get going, after a long queue for the one portaloo!

The start is steep, up onto the Shatton ridge then down to Bamford and some flat running to Ladybower. Across and up onto the shoulder of Win Hill; views of the Vale of Edale as you drop back into Hope and then climb up again to Lose Hill and the Great Ridge. Drop back to Castleton and then pick your way up the worn limestone of Cave Dale.  The hard climb is done but you need to hold it together as you drop down the rough Dirtlow Rake track which is 3–4-inch rocks all the way downhill. By this time, you can feel the blisters and gingerly press forward as the pain in your thighs shoots at you with every stride! Finally, a steep drop down Pin Dale, then through the cement works and back to Bradwell.

I was very lucky because it was a nice day. It could have been freezing cold and raining but I am definitely not used to running in so much kit or running up and down steep slopes! The kit is way too heavy. It’s there to help you if you got into trouble, but it grinds you down. The hill climbs leave you without any breath.

I ran in a long sleeve running top and was wearing an Armani beanie. Another runner commented as he passed me and jokingly said "I like your Armani beanie, but it doesn't really fit in the fell running scene!” I laughingly replied that I like to stand out from the crowd. It was all the funnier as he was wearing pink running leggings that his granddaughter had bought him for Xmas! 

My finish time?  03:27 – It felt like a very long time running up and down those hills!  I was ‘proper spent’ by the end and my legs are battered this morning (the day after). These fell racers are a great crowd and definitely made of tough stuff!  I finished 111th out of 180. Not too bad for a first race but I will need more inside to be able to achieve Three Peaks in seven hours!  I definitely have some serious training to do!

Click here to watch a short video compilation of my Tour of Bradwell – Winter Half!

Flower Scar Fell Race on Saturday 18th February 2023. 

The organisers, Todmorden Harriers, say this is “a gem of a race with steep climbs, rough moor, and fast paths.” They certainly aren’t exaggerating as it is a tough course that takes you through muddy tracks, over tussocky hilltops, and through very boggy woodland. There is, a not to be underestimated, 660m of climbing over 13.3 kilometres!  

The race starts at Todmorden Cricket Club (Todmorden, West Yorkshire) and, as it is a winter race, they have a strict no kit / no run policy in place.  My kit was fully checked, and all was in order! And then we were off... Heading up through narrow trail paths, tight gates, and occasional squeeze gaps.  Waiting for another runner to get over a style, provided a good opportunity for a photo. (I have added all the photos to the gallery at the top of the page).

Soon the moors opened to see a long line of runners snaking up towards the high peak of Flower Scar Hill.  The following descent gave a short respite to the climbing, but the race is like a camel’s back, and, as soon as I caught my breath there was another ‘kicker’ as the route rose again through mud and stone paths to another crest before the descent back down toward the finish!

It was a bleak day and very windy. They obviously know where to position wind turbines, as I found myself running into 50 to 60-mph headwinds with the blades of a turbine spinning around overhead!  I understand why you have to sign a disclaimer before you start, as we ran within a foot of the quarry edge! 

Thankfully, although the Pennines saw me running through bogs over my knees – at one point me and another runner fell into the mud within yards of each other – and blasted me with high winds, I managed to make it to the end unscathed,

I finished 25^th in my age category with a finish time of 01 48.36. I am, therefore, not anywhere near as low in the percentages for this type of running as I am for my usual road races, in which I normally finish in the top five percent. However, I did manage to finish with a sprint, before being rewarded with a very welcome flapjack and orange juice!

All in all, I had a very tiring but great day. Flower Scar Fell Race was very well organised by Todmorden Harriers (thanks to all involved!) and is yet another eye-opener to the quality of these fell runners!

Click here to watch a short video compilation of my Flower Scar Fell Race