Three Peaks Race runners ascend Pen-y-ghent, with Ingleborough in the distance
An outdoor enthusiast raising money for mountain rescuers completed the first of her gruelling challenge runs.
Research student Amanda Seims finished the Three Peaks Race in just over five hours yesterday in her quest to boost the coffers of the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.
She joined a field of more than 700 runners tackling the 39km (24-mile) route over Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales. Ms Seims, a 31-year-old PhD student at Leeds Metropolitan University is studying the effects of high altitude on human performance, and will take part in the Mont Blanc Marathon in June.
The student is a keen outdoors enthusiast and is a member of the Valley Striders club. She finished 498th, comfortably beating the cut-off times at Ribblehead and Chapel-le-Dale that would have forced her retirement.
Amanda on Mount Pisco in Peru
Almost a thousand runners were on the original starters’ list, of which 705 actually made the start, with 602 finishing.
Winner of the race, in a time of 3hrs 2mins 34secs was Borrowdale Fell Runners member Morgan Donnelly. First woman home, in 22nd place, was Radcliffe Athletics Club runner Anna Lupton, in 3hrs 30mins 45secs.
The Three Peaks Race, run annually, involves 1,600m (5,250ft) of ascent on the course, which starts in Horton in Ribblesdale and has been staged 56 times.
Amanda has set up a justgiving site for donations, which will help the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association, a volunteer organisation that carries our search and rescue operations on the fells and in the caves of the Yorkshire Dales.
She said: ““It was a killer but considering a hundred people didn’t finish I was chuffed that I made it to the end despite the agony during the race and stiff legs that are now starting to develop.
“I felt pretty good up Pen-y-ghent; flew down, but by two hours at Ribblehead I was starting to feel tired as I’ve only had the time to build up my long runs to about 2½ hours so far. I wasn’t the only one feeling tired though and a lot struggled up Whernside and Ingleborough and the downhill stretch at the end didn’t feel like a downhill with tired legs!”
Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association is one of three Yorkshire Dales volunteer rescue teams that operate both above and below ground – the others being the Cave Rescue Organisation and Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team.
