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2,370 riders took on the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge over the weekend, with 5,000 applications made in the run-up to the event.
Heading out from 6am on Sunday morning, riders took on the 113-mile sportive, including all of the major passes in the Lake District National Park, including the infamous passes; Hardknott and Wrynose, with a 30 per cent gradient climb at 98 miles. The first riders returned back just after 12 noon, with Karl Alexander setting the new course record at 5 hours 56 minutes.
Riders managed to reach the fundraising target of one million pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support, as well as a number of other charities, with donations still coming in.
Paul Loftus, chair of the Steering Group, said “It was another fantastic event, with everyone involved going above and beyond to make it a truly memorable for riders. With Human Race as a delivery partner, we now have an event that is world renowned, with world-class delivery, so it continues to grow in popularity year on year, whilst still retaining its local feel.”
Nick Rusling, CEO of Human Race, added: “We are privileged to be part of this iconic event and to work with the local steering group and volunteers to deliver it. It’s a brilliant addition to our event portfolio, which delivers some of UK’s greatest UK sportive events.”
The event is in honour of Fred Whitton, a popular member of the Lakes Road Club and a lynchpin in the cycling community, who died aged 50 in 1998.
Results for 2018 are now listed on the website. Charity entries and the ballot for the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge 2019 will be available from December 2018.
