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Route: National Three Peaks Challenge (United Kingdom)

Location
United Kingdom
Distance
450 mi
Vertical Gain
10,000 ft
Description

The National Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales.  Usually, people drive between the trailheads.  Cycling or running between the trailheads are other options.  Which ever way you choose, the time starts at the first trailhead and ends at the trailhead after the final peak.  The total distance is around 450 miles, with the total TH-TH distance on the 3 peaks being about 23 miles with 10,000 feet of elevation gain.

Various records are kept here:  https://www.threepeakschallenge.net/three-peaks-challenge-records/

In 1979 Ann Sayer completed the Challenge in 7 days and 31 minutes (female and overall FKT), as stated in her recent obituary https://www.google.com/amp/s/lancswalkingclub.com/2020/04/22/rip-ann-sayer-long-distance-walker-supreme-and-the-first-pioneering-female-centurion/amp/

56.7968571, -5.0035505

FKTs

Related Routes
Snowdon Horseshoe, Wales (UK)

Comments

Scirroco
Tue, 08/22/2023 - 04:20pm

For anyone looking to improve the overall FKT set by Ann Sayer, which remarkably still stands since 1979, bear in mind that she actually finished in Caernarvon (at the castle, going by the photo evidence*) which is about 8mi from the recognised trailhead at Llanberis mountain railway station. I believe this was as per the original challenge finish point, with an existing record time that she wanted to beat. Unfortunately there is no stated* time for when she passed Llanberis station but at her average recorded pace*, for the days on road without peak summiting, of about 4mph it would have probably taken her at least 2 hours to get to Caernarvon Castle from Llanberis. That means she would have recorded a total "TH-TH" time of less than 7 days when compared with all the other more recent times listed here. In my humble opinion you would therefor need to clock in at under 6d;22h;30m to truly claim this FKT!

*As per the record attempt report, with times and photos, published in issue 25 (December 1979) of 'Strider' - the magazine of the LDWA 

rm2808
Tue, 03/26/2024 - 08:42pm

Yeah because in 1979 people were really paying attention to if someone legitimately ran the 3 peaks. People were mainly concerned with where their next meal was coming from.