On Sunday 20th Sept Ann & Lloydy ran the 3 Peaks Challenge in aid of the Iain Rennie Hospice

The route took them along the Ridgway and up `Whiteleaf Hill, Coombe Hill & Ivinghoe Beacon..

Its not that we ever get bored of MTB'ing but for Lloydy and Ann a bit of running rings the changes and when its for charity it adds an extra edge, so we signed up for the inaugural Chiltern 3 Peaks Challenge. 

We set off along the Ridgeway from Princes Risborough which took us straight up Whiteleaf Hill (Peak 1), no problem really! The route followed footpaths down through Cadsden and round the back of Chequers and we recognised many of the intersecting bridleways from various biking forays (including Ann's famous Easter faceplant!) We knew what was coming but when we saw Coombe Hill Monument (Peak 2) towering over us away across the valley, it seemed very high and very far! Fortunately the chosen route was kind, being reasonably gently sloping to start with and before we knew it we had reached the Monument where Jeremy and his bike were waiting to greet us. Apparently we had just missed a bunch of Tring Running Club participants so we headed off down Bacombe Hill to try to catch them in Wendover. They were obviously a lot more experienced at running downhill than me (its harder than running up!) and there was no sign of them by the time we met Jeremy (now in the 'support vehicle') in Wendover High Street.  

Lloydy had been taunting me to run the link between Peak 2 and Peak 3 all morning but having run 6 miles already and knowing there were 4 harder miles to go I opted for a cuppa with Jeremy and we let Lloydy go ahead on his own little yomp from Wendover to Tring (7 miles)!   He found us at Tring Station 50 minutes later and after a quick breather we set off again to rejoin the Ridgeway. We followed what we know to be a lovely bit of singletrack through Aldbury Nowers and up Pitstone Hill (and I argued that surely this was a 4-peak challenge, with Pitstone Hill just up ahead!). Now there was no getting away from that last hill - Ivinghoe Beacon was looming large under big blue skies - and the climb to it along the chalky paths was hard, long and memorable! At the summit we met some other early arrivals and the first Marshall arrived on scene in time to present our well-deserved medals.

A worthy way to sacrifice the normal Sunday bike ride, and some possible new trails discovered on the way!

The Challenge was organised in aid of Ian Rennie Hospice at home. Donations welcome at www.justgiving.com/Ann-Fitzgerald.