Rob Jebb celebrates victory in 2007

Race favourite Rob Jebb stamped his authority on the Three Peaks event this afternoon with an emphatic return to winning ways in the gruelling 24-mile run.

Bingley Harrier Jebb led from start to finish, crossing the line in Horton in Ribblesdale more than three minutes ahead of second-place rubber Ricky Lightfoot of Ellenborugh AC. Good conditions underfoot enabled Jebb to complete the 24-mile course in 2hrs 54mins 53secs, just over a minute slower than last year’s winning time.

Third place went to Karl Gray of Calder Valley Fell Runners with a time of 2hrs 58mins 28secs.

Sixth-place Andy Peace, also of the Bingley club, was second at the top of the first peak Pen-y-ghent, but dropped back on the long run to Ribblehead, being overtaken by Lightfoot and Gray. The top three positions never changed after Ribblehead.

The starting field consisted of 688 runners, but by Chapel-le-Dale, more than 100 had dropped out, leaving 580 to make the climb to the final peak, Ingleborough.

Fastest woman was Anna Lupton of Radcliffe, in a time of 3hrs 36mins 31secs.

This year is the 55th running of the event, which follows the course across the top of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks.

Staveley-based Jebb won the race three years on the trot up to 2007. He is also seven-times winner of the Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross Race.

The last runners are expected in about 3.30pm.