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
| Name | Time | Distance | |
| 105 | Simon Martland | 14:39:21 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 109 | Endurance life | 16:26:25 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 106 | Shawn mills | 16:26:30 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 114 | Central rejects | 17:49:18 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 810 | Ian Brewster | 19:13:40 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 107 | Gerry Moore | 21:56:04 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 116 | Hamilton Hobblers | 22:15:03 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 111 | Afterwork Athletes | 22:31:11 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 103 | Isman Cooper | 22:57:31 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 120 | IGOR VAZQUEZ | 23:14:02 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 118 | Here We Go Again | 24:29:42 | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 101 | Kirsty-Jane Birch | Retired | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 108 | Mark Sill’s team | Retired | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 102 | Alexander Coles | Retired | Peak District Challenge Gold Ultra 100km |
| 229 | Nick Jones | 09:22:02 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 201 | Will Carver | 10:35:15 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 204 | Luke Millington | 11:18:28 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 230 | Paul Carse | 11:18:51 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 203 | Mark Harding | 11:51:05 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 303 | Richard Sutton | 15:35:13 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 217 | Not Peak Fitness | 16:12:14 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 110 | Martin Tollitt | 16:18:50 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 205 | Mark Radford | 16:53:42 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 301 | Olga Koepping | 18:11:14 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 302 | Matt Peachey | 18:11:51 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 211 | Egg Bound | 18:27:57 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 214 | EH Walking Women | 18:31:21 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 225 | Peaky Hikers | 18:35:30 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 220 | Wing Walkers | 19:23:30 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 202 | Guy Evans | 19:54:03 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 803 | Team Bevan | 20:25:37 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 231 | Team Something To Do | 21:03:35 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 206 | Argh we nearly there yet?! | 21:34:56 | Peak District Challenge Silver 75km |
| 402 | Chantry Cargill | 04:54:03 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 404 | Emma Jarrett | 05:31:53 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 436 | The Beavers | 06:11:39 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 403 | Russell Diamond-Webb | 06:29:06 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 408 | Kenny Mosley | 06:34:41 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 443 | Rob Doherty’s Team | 06:37:07 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 808 | EVRC Ladies Day Out | 06:45:10 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 421 | Hares and Tortoises | 07:12:50 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 401 | tim atkin | 07:25:03 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 504 | Busy Bees | 07:37:06 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 801 | Joe Bowker’s Team | 08:11:38 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 805 | Bollington Harriers | 08:31:55 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 409 | Virginie Pollet | 08:42:45 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 419 | Flat-Landers | 09:09:24 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 407 | Danny Mawson | 09:13:19 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 446 | Marco Pomati | 09:26:27 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 440 | EVRC Three Amigos | 09:58:52 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 438 | Weekend wanderers | 10:02:51 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 445 | Svet Karadimova | 10:34:31 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 412 | Dawn Carter’s team | 10:37:56 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 434 | Team Sadler | 10:39:58 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 224 | Peter Willis | 10:48:14 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 432 | Last Boy Scouts | 11:12:56 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 416 | DDS | 11:28:26 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 425 | Interstate Hotels Bronze team | 11:47:35 | Peak District Challenge Bronze 50km |
| 601 | Richard Harris | 02:58:41 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 623 | dean Smith | 03:06:56 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 603 | Team Jim | 03:15:26 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 622 | Neil Smith | 03:18:56 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 602 | Katrina Muldoon | 03:19:36 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 605 | Jessica Harrison’s team | 05:22:01 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 616 | iPlods | 05:27:26 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 802 | Copper Open Guided Group | 06:10:58 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 414 | Karen Doherty’s team | 06:28:29 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 807 | Henry Boot Guided Group | 07:12:12 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 608 | Simon Hope’s team | 07:18:19 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 620 | Mike Storey’s team | 07:35:56 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 628 | Iwona Fedor’s team | 08:06:30 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 611 | Interstate Hotels Copper team | 09:03:20 | Peak District Challenge Copper 25km |
| 618 | The Young Pretenders | 09:19:11 | Peak 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