Competitors make the ascent of Ingleborough during the 2012 Fellsman. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

Organisers of a long-distance challenge event in the Yorkshire Dales have announced it will not take place next year.

The Fellsman, a 60-mile race over many of the national park’s peaks, was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus lockdown.

For the past few years, the challenge has been staged in April, on the same weekend as the Three Peaks Race, which also fell victim to Covid-19 restrictions in 2020.

The organising committee of the Fellsman, which is run by Keighley Scout Service Network, said the 58th event will not take place before April 2022.

In an announcement, organisers said: “We’ve talked long and hard about alternatives, including a change of date, and to be honest, no matter which way we approach it, the committee cannot see an event taking place in 2021 that would bear any resemblance to the Fellsman event we all know and love.

“We also have to consider that we cannot financially survive a last-minute cancellation threatening the existence of the event.”

They said they intend to run a second ‘virtual Fellsman’, with contestants completing online challenges to raise money for the Sue Ryder Manorlands hospice at Oxenhope, Keighley.

They added: “We know how disappointed you will be with this decision but we can guarantee you aren’t going to miss it as much as we will. We hope to see you at the second virtual Fellsman and in person in 2022.”

The Fellsman was first run in 1962 and involves walking or running from Ingleton to Threshfield, navigating over Ingleborough, Whernside, Gragareth, Great Coum, Blea Moor, Great Knoutberry Hill, Dodd Fell, Yockenthwaite Moor, Buckden Pike and Great Whernside.

Before the abandonment of this year’s race, it had only been can cancelled once, in 2001, because of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

More details are on the Fellsman website.