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Peak District Challenge
Organiser's Description
Featuring 3300m of ascent, the 100km Gold Ultra route is the ultimate Peak District Challenge, and should be attempted by teams of fit and experienced trekkers or runners who want to see the best that the Peak District has to offer. You’ll visit high points and viewpoints on your way between checkpoints, and there is a lot of climbing involved. You’ll leave Hathersage at 9pm on the Friday night. Night navigation experience is essential.
Take on 75km (47 miles) with a 24 hour target and 2,235m of ascent, the Silver Challenge is shown with silver lines on our route schematic. Not to be underestimated, this route follows the easiest and flattest routes between approximately 8 refreshment checkpoints, but still covers a huge mileage. During the initial overnight leg, you can chose to join a led group walking with a guide, or navigate yourself. During the daytime, you’ll navigate yourself.
Taking in the valleys of the dark peak, and the scenic trails of the southern peak district, the Bronze Challenge has a total ascent of 1200m and at its highest point reaches 464m.
Copper challenge is an achievable challenge, following a circular route from Hathersage to Baslow along riverside paths and back along a hilly route via Curbar and Frogatt edges, and some of the best views in the Peak!
Safety teams of fully qualified, professional Mountain Leaders ready to respond.
A modest prize pool.
Water stations.
A pre-walk registration and briefing, along with the route guides that you need.
A goodie bag at the end.
On 25-100km routes, drinks and snacks from our checkpoints on the way round.
A stew supper on completion.
Kit guidance and advice, a fundraising guide and sponsor forms if you choose to be sponsored.
A scenic and challenging route, and all pre-event planning.
A cash discount voucher to spend with the event organiser, Wilderness Development. This can even be redeemed in advance on any navigation training or walking courses that you take to prepare for the event.
Finishers Packs are available to pre-book at additional cost, which contain an event t-shirt and medal in addition to your goody bag.
Safety
2021 will be our ninth year of organising the Peak District Challenge. Our staff are experienced, qualified professionals.
Quality
From our guides, to our food, and our safety management to our mapping. We take great pride in providing a superb event.
Fair and Ethical
Our pricing is fair, transparent, and represents the real cost of putting on a great event to ethically-led; professional standards.
Gold challenge
Minimum age 20 (to comply with UKA rules)
20-year olds must be part of a team including at least one person 21+. (on TRA guidance).
21-year-olds + can enter as solo entrants.
Silver challenge
Minimum age 18
Copper Challenge
Minimum age 12
12 – 15 year olds are permitted as part of a led group, but not in self-navigating teams. They must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.
16 – 17 year olds must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian, or join a led group with a guide, they are not permitted as solo entrants.
18+ can enter as solo and/or self-navigating entrants.
Bronze Challenge
Minimum age 16
16-17 year olds must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian, or join a led group with a guide, they are not permitted as solo entrants.
18+ can enter as solo entrants.
The Back Before Dark 10km fell race starts at 6:14pm. Runners have just one hour to ensure they’re Back Before Dark. Sunset is at 7.14pm.
The Route
The 10km Back Before Dark fell race is a clockwise loop, leaving Hathersage along the River Derwent and heading west over grassy fields and wide paths. Climbing starts around the 2km mark as you’ll follow Dunge Brook up to the edge of Offerton Moor and wide undulating tracks to pretty Shatton.
Grab some water from the drinks station and the home leg of course leads through flat fields and riverside paths. River crossings provide short leg-burning step climbs for minutes at a time, and the final straight is flat and grassy back towards Hathersage. The total climb is 270m.
Minimum age 12
12-17 year olds must be accompanied by their parent/legal guardian as a duo or larger team.
18+ can enter as solo entrants.
On the way round, checkpoint crews monitor teams' safety and provide drinks and snacks along with motivation and encouragement! Water stations are provided, and for 25-100km routes refreshments along with a stew supper on Saturday evening are included in the price of your entry.
The Bronze Challenge starts at 7.30am (Extra-time wave) or 8.30am (Main Wave) on Saturday, so the 12 hour finishing target is at 7.30pm or 8.30pm. You can decide on the day which wave you’d like to join.
The Silver and Gold Ultra routes start at 9.00pm on Friday evening, so their 24 hour finishing target is 9.00pm on Saturday.
The Copper challengers starts at 9.30am (Main Wave) or 10.30am (Runners and Fast Walkers wave) on Saturday morning. Challengers can chose which wave they’d prefer on the day – there’s no need to decide in advance.
In past years, the last trains home from Hathersage on Saturday evening are at 22:41 to Manchester, 23.15 to Sheffield (and we expect they will be at similar times again in 2021!)
You are encouraged to enter is a team of 3-5 people. Solo or duo competitors are only allowed on the longer (25-100km) challenges if they can show they have navigation experience or are willing to attend a navigation training course in advance of the event.
The Back Before Dark 10km fell race starts at 6:14pm. Runners have just one hour to ensure they’re Back Before Dark. Sunset is at 7.14pm.
Would you like your charity to appear here? Let us know support@findarace.com
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