The Three Peaks Race is a fell race held annually on the last weekend in April, starting and finishing in Horton in Ribblesdale. The course traverses the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The present distance is about .

The first known circuits undertaken by athletes, as distinct from walkers, were not made until the winter of 1948/49. Three Leeds climbers, Des Birch, Jack Bloor and Arthur Dolphin, who were also members of Harehills Harriers, completed the course in times varying from 4:27 to 5:20, with Des Birch setting the first record at 4:27.

The first race was organised by Preston Harriers and took place in 1954 and it was thought that there was a good chance of Des Birch's time being beaten. The conditions for the race were reasonably good but with a strong easterly wind making it feel cold. The start was at the Hill Inn, Chapel-le-Dale, with six runners taking part. Ingleborough was climbed first, where the competitors were bunched together after 27 minutes, followed by Pen-y-ghent which was reached by the leader Fred Bagley in 1:48, one minute ahead of Stan Bradshaw. At the summit of the final peak, Whernside, Bagley's time of 3:28 gave him a lead of 12 minutes over Bradshaw, and the former returned to the Hill Inn with a total time of 3:48. Bradshaw finished in 4:06 and the third finisher was Alf Case in 5:02.H.W. Eccles, "Three Peaks - A New Record", The Dalesman, 16(1954-55):141-42; Bill Smith, Stud Marks on the Summits (Preston, 1985), 336-37.

From 1964 onwards, the event was organised by the Three Peaks Race Association and in 1975 the race venue was transferred from Chapel-le-Dale to Horton in Ribblesdale.W. R. Smith, "Runners on the Three Peaks", The Dalesman, 37(1975-76):966-68.

The shortest time for completion of any version of the race is 2:29:53, set by Jeff Norman in 1974. However, the route has changed multiple times since then. The most significant alterations, in each case leading to a longer or a more difficult course and necessitating new course records, were made in 1975, 1983, 1987 and 2023.Steve Chilton, The Three Peaks Race (Bradford, 2024), 339-45.

In 1981 the race was postponed due to heavy snowfall and took place in October. The 2001 edition was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. The 2020 race was cancelled and the 2021 edition postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 5th World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge was incorporated into the 2008 race.Hughes, Danny (2008-04-27). Pichrtova, Lennox take Three Peaks title – WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-06-23. A women's race has been run since 1979.

Winners

Date Men Time Women Time 25 April 2026 Tom Evans 3:02:17 Helen Leigh 3:49:13 26 April 2025 Ben Rothery 3:00:00 Nichola Jackson 3:45:55 27 April 2024 Grant Cunliffe 3:08:50 Holly Wootten 3:34:36 29 April 2023 Thomas Roach 2:53:28 Catherine Taylor 3:34:44 30 April 2022 Brennan Townshend -2- 2:55:34 Sarah McCormack 3:23:21 9 October 2021 Garry Greenhow 3:05:22 Rose Mather 3:47:38 2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 27 April 2019 Brennan Townshend 2:50:22 Victoria Wilkinson -5- 3:20:01 28 April 2018 Tom Owens -2- 2:49:08 Victoria Wilkinson -4- 3:22:17 29 April 2017 Murray Strain 2:49:38 Victoria Wilkinson -3- 3:09:19 30 April 2016 Marc Lauenstein 2:48:58 Victoria Wilkinson -2- 3:26:47 25 April 2015 Ricky Lightfoot -2- 2:51:42 Helen Bonsor 3:27:24 26 April 2014 Ricky Lightfoot 2:53:16 Victoria Wilkinson 3:21:32 27 April 2013 Joe Symonds -2- 2:54:39 Jasmin Paris 3:33:04 28 April 2012 Joe Symonds 2:55:58 Sarah O'Neil 3:28:46 30 April 2011 Tom Owens 2:53:34 Anna Frost 3:30:00 24 April 2010 Morgan Donnelly 3:02:34 Anna Lupton -2- 3:30:45 25 April 2009 Rob Jebb -4- 2:54:53 Anna Lupton 3:36:31 26 April 2008 Jethro Lennox 2:53:39 Anna Pichrtová 3:14:43 29 April 2007 Rob Jebb -3- 2:51:49 Mary Wilkinson 3:30:22 30 April 2006 Rob Jebb -2- 2:54:15 Helen Sedgwick 3:43:40 24 April 2005 Rob Jebb 2:57:50 Sally Malir 3:59:56 25 April 2004 Andy Peace -4- 2:55:46 Louise Sharp 3:39:49 27 April 2003 David Walker 3:06:27 Beverley Whitfield 3:56:40 28 April 2002 Simon Booth -2- 3:10:43 Tracey Brindley 3:46:12 2001Cancelled due to foot-and-mouth outbreak 30 April 2000 Simon Booth 2:52:43 Sally Newman 3:38:11 25 April 1999 Mark Croasdale 3:04:48 Angela Mudge 3:20:17 26 April 1998 Mark Roberts 3:03:31 Carol Greenwood -3- 3:34:16 27 April 1997 Ian Holmes 2:52:28 Carol Greenwood -2- 3:34:39 28 April 1996 Andy Peace -3- 2:46:03 Sarah Rowell -4- 3:16:17 30 April 1995 Andy Peace -2- 2:52:52 Jean Rawlinson 3:48:40 24 April 1994 Andy Peace 2:56:52 Sarah Rowell -3- 3:21:50 25 April 1993 Gavin Bland 3:05:17 Carol Greenwood 3:39:50 26 April 1992 Ian Ferguson -3- 3:01:11 Sarah Rowell -2- 3:19:11 28 April 1991 Ian Ferguson -2- 2:51:41 Sarah Rowell 3:16:29 29 April 1990 Gary Devine 3:00:51 Ruth Pickvance 3:44:18 30 April 1989 Shaun Livesey -2- 2:51:45 Vanessa Brindle -4- 3:32:43 24 April 1988 Ian Ferguson 2:57:29 Vanessa Brindle -3- 3:37:16 26 April 1987 Hugh Symonds -3- 3:00:01 Vanessa Brindle -2- 3:44:05 27 April 1986 Shaun Livesey 2:56:40 Carol Walkington -2- 3:49:12 28 April 1985 Hugh Symonds -2- 2:49:13 Vanessa Brindle 3:38:10 29 April 1984 Hugh Symonds 2:50:34 Bridget Hogge 3:41:00 24 April 1983 Kenny Stuart 2:53:34 Carol Walkington& Wendy Dodds 4:08:01 25 April 1982 John Wild 2:37:30 Jane Robson 3:40:54 11 October 1981 Harry Walker -3- 2:56:34 Fiona Hinde 3:59:16 27 April 1980 Mike Short 2:43:32 Sue Parkin 3:35:34 29 April 1979 Harry Walker -2- 2:53:11 Jean Lochhead 3:43:12 30 April 1978 Harry Walker 2:43:34 --- --- 24 April 1977 John Calvert -2- 2:51:04 --- --- 25 April 1976 John Calvert 2:43:59 --- --- 27 April 1975 Jeff Norman -6- 2:41:37 --- --- 28 April 1974 Jeff Norman -5- 2:29:53 --- --- 29 April 1973 Jeff Norman -4- 2:31:58 --- --- 30 April 1972 Jeff Norman -3- 2:36:27 --- --- 25 April 1971 Jeff Norman -2- 2:36:26 --- --- 26 April 1970 Jeff Norman 2:48:11 --- --- 27 April 1969 Colin Robinson 2:44:44 --- --- 28 April 1968 Mike Davies -4- 2:40:34 --- --- 30 April 1967 Mike Davies -3- 2:47:19 --- --- 24 April 1966 Mike Davies -2- 2:53:22 --- --- 25 April 1965 Mike Davies 2:47:00 --- --- 26 April 1964 Peter Hall 2:53:00 --- --- 28 April 1963 Dennis Hopkinson 3:18:37 --- --- 29 April 1962 Geoff Hodgson -2- 3:00:07 --- --- 30 April 1961 Geoff Hodgson 3:05:10 --- --- 24 April 1960 Frank Dawson -2- 2:58:53 --- --- 26 April 1959 Frank Dawson 3:13:25 --- --- 27 April 1958 George Brass -2- 3:08:25 --- --- 28 April 1957 Peter Dugdale 3:33:50 --- --- 29 April 1956 Jack Bloor 3:33:15 --- --- 24 April 1955 George Brass 3:28:45 --- --- 24 April 1954 Fred Bagley 3:48:00 --- ---

References

External links

Three Peaks Race at arrs.run