Alex Staniforth on the summit of Helvellyn at the end of his challenge.

Adventurer Alex Staniforth has completed his charity challenge to summit all of England and Wales’s mountains.

The Kendal-based athlete ascended 446 peaks, taking 45 days to achieve the task, without motor-assisted transport between the hills.

He ran and cycled between the hills in a continuous round, beating the existing record of six months. The 446 Challenge ended on the final summit of Helvellyn on Sunday, having successfully made the ascent of all the nuttalls – 2,000ft mountains with a prominence of at least 15m.

Staniforth said he is the first to accomplish the feat in one human-powered push. He turned 30 during the challenge.

The adventurer’s effort was part of his quest to raise £100,000 for Mind Over Mountains, the mental health charity he founded in 2020. The 446 Challenge has so far added more than £34,000 to the fund.

He said being outside in the mountains has helped him through his own mental health challenges since being a teenager, including depression, anxiety and bulimia. “However, too many young people won’t reach this milestone, now that suicide is the biggest killer of people under 35 in the UK.

“Completing the challenge feels very surreal and hasn’t sunk in yet.

“It was always something I wanted to attempt but life kept getting in the way, and some people told me it was impossible, but last Sunday that dream came true. Having friends and supporters sharing my final summit was extra special. The challenge might be over, but too many people are struggling with their mental health every single day and I hope raising the funds for Mind Over Mountains will create something much bigger.”

In completing his challenge, which he started on 16 May, Alex covered 3,069km (1,907 miles), 1,550km on foot and 1,519km by bike. His total ascent was 101,721m, more than 11 times the height of Everest.

Donations can be made via the JustGiving website.