Two months have passed since 2,500 riders, lucky enough to secure a place through the hugely oversubscribed ballot, took on the infamous Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge. Last week organisers Human Race hosted a group ride followed by a prize giving evening to thank volunteers, charities and "The people behind the Fred", by awarding four limited edition golden jerseys.
The Prince of Wales hotel and pub in Foxfield hosted the evening, where it was announced that £184,000 has been raised for the beneficiary charities, including £105,000 to Macmillan Cancer Support, as well as The Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team, the North West Air Ambulance and the Great North Air Ambulance.
The golden jerseys were awarded for significant impact or input to the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge, during its 19 years of existence. The golden jerseys echo this year's event jersey, but instead of the red detail, these special batch feature golden detail and trim, with the words "Outstanding Achievement" on the sleeve.
The four recipients were:
Ben O'Dowed - Having lived in Penrith all his life, Ben supported the growing Fred Whitton event every year, turning out in rain, wind, sleet and snow to offer encouragement to the riders. In 2016, he attempted the ride for himself, but didn't manage to complete the gruelling challenge until 2017. He raised over £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, in honour of his grandfather who sadly passed away soon after seeing his grandson complete the event.
Gary Hardy - Gary is the only rider to have started and finished every single Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge since the event started. Over the 19 years of riding, Gary has covered more than 2,016 miles and climbed more than 72,000 metres!
Tim King - A huge fan of the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge, Tim has ridden the last six events and even managed to improve his time year-on-year. He has also raised more than £8,200 for the official event charity partners as part of his efforts.
Ian Tyson - Broughton's famous butcher and delicatessen owner took up cycling after his brother, Alex, sadly passed away from cancer. With no riding experience at all, Ian took on his first Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge on his brother's old bike, but has since upgraded and completed the ride numerous times. His local butchers shop always features a Fred Whitton window display, and Ian has raised thousands of pounds in sponsorship for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Paul Loftus, Chair of the Steering Group, says: "It's always such a pleasure to gather everyone after another edition of The Fred. Each year it gets harder to believe what we continue to achieve - for the local community, individuals, and charities. It is solely down to the people, volunteers and friends of The Fred who rally together to make it the world-famous event it is. We are incredibly grateful."
Nick Rusling, CEO of Human Race, added: "We have worked for 25 years in the events industry, and no other event embodies the same sense of community as The Fred. It's a joy for us to be involved, and we thrive off the local insight, knowledge and support from everyone from the Steering Group, to volunteers and local riders."
The next edition of The Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge will take place on Sunday 12 May 2019 from Grasmere in the Lake District. Famed for its difficulty, this 113 mile sportive (with 3950m of climbing) takes in all of the major passes in the Lake District National Park, including the infamous passes of Hardknott and Wrynose.
The event is in honour of Fred Whitton. Fred, who died aged just 50 in 1998, was an extremely popular member of the Lakes Road Club and a lynchpin in the cycling community of Cumbria.
The ballot for the 2019 Fred Whitton Challenge is expected to open in early January. For more information visit www.fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk.
Register with Sportive.com to receive an email notification when entries open for the Fred Whitton and other major sportives: www.sportive.com/signup
More content about the Fred Whitton sportive:
- Ian Fillingham's 2016 Fred Whitton ride report
- Fred Whitton Challenge news page
0 Comments