Runners to take on Three Peaks challenge

3:12pm Thursday 24th April 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Keighley & Craven Athletics Club will be sending 25 runners to take part in this Saturday's Three Peaks race, a 24-mile fell race which features ascents and descents of Yorkshire Dales mountains Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whern-side.

Keighley & Craven vice-chairman Charlie Marshall said the number of entrants from his club has doubled this year because the annual race has also been selected to host the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge.

Marshall said: "It's pretty high profile. It's not very often that we have a World Mountain Challenge in the local area."

With 25 of its 120 members entered and another 25 to 30 attending to support the athletes, nearly half of the Keighley & Craven club will be represented.

Marshall said: "For a small club we'll have a good representation."

Yorkshire selector David Woodhead, who lives in Haworth, will attend the race to support the runners. He said: "It's cool that the classic Three Peaks race, which is in its 54th year, has been chosen for the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge this year and is also an English Championships race.

"With the winners, first man and first woman, chasing a winning prize of £1,000 each, it should be a very competitive affair, with the best athletes in Great Britain against the best in the world.

"Yorkshire lads Andy Peace, Rob Jebb, Karl Gray, Ian Holmes and John Hennigan will be among the top competitors while the Yorkshire lasses, Mary Wilkinson, Sally Malir, Jo Waites, Sharon Taylor and Natalie White should be to the fore.

"If you're looking for a great day out in great countryside, get yourself to Three Peaks for a start time of 10am."

The competition is going to be intense and with contention for not only the Three Peaks title but the World Championships accolade at stake no one will be taking any prisoners.

In the men's race Keighley-born Rob Jebb, who has won the Three Peaks Race for the past three years, will be going head-to-head with several very strong foreign contenders as well as his regular UK opponents.

In the women's race, Rob's partner Sharon Taylor, who came second in the Three Peaks last year will be up against last year's female winner of the Three Peaks race, Mary Wilkinson, from Long Preston.

Sharon said, "This will be the fourth time I have done the Three Peaks race. I came second in the ladies event last year and am hoping to run faster this year. Both Rob and myself have been training lots and have been over the course."