They would count as emergency food because it's about extra energy. However, if you have to eat them then you don't have any emergency food left so you should be disqualified. Just throw something into the bottom of your bumbag that can sit there all the time, I've got a bag of jelly beans that's been in there for over a year now, they've been on some lovely runs with me.
Runners from as far away as Australia will be in the Yorkshire Dales on Saturday (April 28th) for the Three Peaks Race, but it the Scots who are the favourites to win the historic event, which is being held for the 58th time.
The “Marathon with Mountains”, which has Salomon as its principle sponsor, starts at Horton-in Ribblesdale, near Settle, and takes competitors over a 23-mile course with 5,270 feet of ascent, including the summits of Penyghent, Whernside and Ingleborough – Yorkshire’s Three Peaks.
The 1,000 entrants include Andy Peace, of Bingley Harriers, who set the race record of 2hrs 46mins 3sec in 1996. He won the event in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2004. Bingley’s dominance was continued by Rob Jebb, the winner in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009, who finished second in the Fell Runners Association English Championships in 2011.
But the Scots have been a force to be reckoned with since the Three Peaks was run as a heat of the World Long Distance Mountain Challenge in 2008. The winner that year was Jethro Lennox, from Shettleston Harriers in Glasgow, with his teammate Thomas Owens 37 seconds behind.
In 2011 Owens was the winner after Lennox fell on the descent from Ingleborough. Owens’ time of 2hrs 53mins 34secs was the fastest for four years, but seven minutes slower than Andy Peace’s 15-year-old record for the current course.
Great Britain international mountain runner Anna Lupton, of Radcliffe Athletic Club, who was the ladies’ winner of the Three Peaks in 2009 and 2010, heads a strong women’s field.
It includes Wendy Dodds, of Clayton Harriers, the joint ladies’ winner in 1983, who has completed 28 Three Peaks Races. Dodds, who is 61, is the oldest woman taking part. Last year she was beaten by only four of the 18 over-60 male finishers.
As always, the Three Peaks has attracted a maximum number of entrants. They include Carol Cunningham, a resident of Melbourne, Australia, who is running for East Hull Harriers; Maria Latvakangas from Finland, who ran in the Three Peaks last year; Liam Mifsud from Malta, who is returning for the third time; Simon Chabriere from Grenoble in France and Brian Mullins from Ireland.
Many competitors return year after year to pit themselves against the Three Peaks. Dave Scott, of Clayton Harriers, has completed 44 races since 1965, and Bill Wade of Holmfirth Harriers, has completed 41. The 2012 event is Wade’s 46th start. Mike Hetherton, of Pickering Athletics Club, has completed 34, Andy Hauser, of Holmfirth Harriers, 31, and Allan Greenwood, of Calder Valley, and David Findel-Hawkins, of Milton Keynes, 22.
Jean-Marc Lawton, who is travelling all the way from Stornoway to compete, has finished 20 Three Peaks. He is in the process of writing a history of the race, which had six competitors when it was first run from the Hill Inn at Chapel-le-Dale in 1954. The 2001 event was cancelled because of foot and mouth disease and in 1981 the race was postponed to October because snow prevented competitors reaching Horton.
The oldest male entry is Bryan Pycroft, of the Fell Runners Association, who is 73, while Sam Fisher, of Howgill Harriers, is the youngest at 19. Youngest lady is Emma Dodd, of Wharfedale Harriers, who is 22.
The race starts in Horton-in-Ribblesdale at 10am on Saturday with fast runners expected to take around 26 minutes to reach the summit of Penyghent (2,277ft). They should be at Ribblehead by 11.20am. Anyone who does not reach Ribblehead by 12.10pm will be eliminated.
The record time from the start to Whernside summit (2,415ft) is 1hr 38mins. Anyone who does not reach the Chapel-le-Dale Valley Checkpoint by 13.30pm will be eliminated. Spectators on Ingleborough summit (2,372ft) can expect to see competitors from around 12.20pm with the winner returning to Horton by 12.50pm
Extra parking has been provided for Three Peaks spectators at the end of Philpin Lane near the Hill Inn. However, spectators should note that the Fellsman Hike starts in Ingleton at 9am on Saturday. Its competitors may be on Ingleborough, at the Hill Inn ill Inn checkpoint and climbing Whernside as Three Peaks runners travel in the opposite direction.
Information is at: http://www.threepeaksrace.org.uk/index.html
Race Director Paul Dennison, 01943 872020
[email protected]
Media liaison Brian Dooks, 01423 322988
[email protected]
Detailed mountain weather forecast: Yorkshire Dales
met office...
Wednesday
Weather
Starting dry but clouding over with rain mid to late morning. The rain becoming heavy and persistent. With strengthening easterly winds and extensive low cloud conditions will be very unpleasant, especially across exposed ridges and at higher levels where sleet is possible for a time.
Visibility
Good at first but deteriorating to poor or very poor as the rain sets in with fog at higher elevations as the cloud descends.
Hill fog
Ragged becoming broken to overcast down to 200 metres as the rain sets in.
Maximum winds above 400m
Easterly 50 mph
Temperature
Valleys Plus 4 Celsius rising to Plus 9 Celsius 700 m Plus 2 Celsius rising to Plus 4 Celsius later. Freezing level Just above the Summits.
Thursday
Weather
A few bright intervals but generally cloudy with showers, heavy and prolonged with hail and thunder.
Visibility
Good, becoming moderate or poor in or near showers.
Hill fog
Broken, occasionally blanket down to 300 metres at first and in showers.
Maximum winds above 400m
North 25 mph
Temperature
Valleys Plus 5 Celsius rising to Plus 11 Celsius 700 m Plus 6 Celsius Freezing level Above the summits
Outlook
Friday
Mostly cloudy and cold with showers heavy and prolonged with possible thunder.
Saturday
A few mostly light showers with some brighter spells. Feeling cold especially later as easterly winds freshen.
Sunday
Probably overcast spells of rain and extensive low cloud.
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oops didnt mean to post all that above there....never mind
mooandhuw.blogspot.com
how tough is the course to navigate for someone not familiar with the territory. is there usually someone within sight? I've seen video of the ascent of PYG and there is just a constant stream of people making there way up, I appreciate this is near the start and the field will spread out.
I've walked the 3 peaks one time and remember that there is a quite long area of flat (approaching ribblehead?) which won't seem a problem finding a way either.
I'm gonna program the checkpoint map references into my Garmin for some GPS bearings and also carry the map and compass as is required.
Any advice please?
Stubar, I've done it for the last 2 years & always had somebody in sight. You should be fine. However, if the clags down, which is a real possibility, then that could, potentially, cause a problem. As I say, you should be fine. Unless you're leading.....................:w00t:
yup, i read that weather report that make is sound like their might be poor visibility higher up - are there marshalls at all checkpoints?
haha - no chance of leading - my goal is try to not be time-eliminated and finish in one piece
thanks for the advice! just trying to program the map references into my garmin 310xt but they seem to be in a different format e.g 'Start/Finish SD805727' but my garming doesn't accept this format? Googling the way to convert it now, but if anyone knows - I'd hate to convert the coordinates wrong and follow my compass to somewhere completely different!