Event Sponsors

added 2 Feb 2012

Many thanks to Greenhalgh's bakers, who are again sponsoring the meal we provide at the finish of the Fred Whitton Challenge in May.

And of course many thanks also to our main event sponsor Saddleback, the major importer of Elite performance cycling products.

If any other companies would like to sponsor parts of the Fred Whitton, e.g. feed stations, the timing system or first aid, or would like us to use their product on the ride, then please contact Donna Loftus on 01229 716130.

Train in Spain Offer

added 16 Jan 2012

Train in Spain are offering Fred Whitton riders a 10% discount on all their training camps this year. Also, for riders that have not secured a place on this year's ride, there are 20 places available in this year's Fred Whitton for the first 20 to book with them for a training week in the sun. Contact www.traininspain.net for details.

Broughton Accommodation

added 16 Jan 2012

Broughton is only 10 miles from Coniston and has a range of accommodation that might suit riders in the Fred Whitton, including hostel type accommodation at the Kepplewray Centre. For details see Accommodation.

Record Amount Raised by 2011 Event

added 10 Dec 2011

Huge thanks to everyone who raised sponsorship for their ride in the 2011 event - the final total raised for charity was £80,000, a record to date. £35,000 was donated to Macmillan Cancer Support, £20,000 to the Dave Rayner Fund, £7,500 to Mountain Rescue and £7,500 to the North West Air Ambulance, plus £10,000 that riders themselves have donated to special charities.

The photo shows three of Fred's grandsons - Ben, Rhys and Corey Birkett - presenting the cheque to the North West Air Ambulance.

The three prize-winners for the most raised were:

• Mike Arnold from Wheelbase.co.uk/Cannondale Kendal - raised £4,034
• Dougie Moore from Workington - raised £3,480
• Vinney Taylor from London - raised £2,525

Presentation Night

added July 2011

Event Photos + Event Reports + Fred Whitton Jerseys & T-shirts

added May 2011

Various riders have written reviews of this year's event, including how wet it was at times! For links see our Ride Reports page.

New design Fred Whitton T-shirts and cycling jerseys are available. For details see Jerseys and T-shirts.

Leon Did It!

added 22 May 2011

He's ridden the Four Seasons Fred Whitton Challenge every day for the last 10 days - his results are on the Four Seasons results page. And I can vouch that he did indeed ride up Hardknott today (as he has on all his rides) since I rode out to the top of Hardknott and watched him come up, before joining him back to Coniston.

You can read about his 10 rides and what they - and the weather - threw at him, on his enjoyable blog. I'm lost for words at his achievement - except one that comes to mind:

  Chapeau!

Pete Q

!! 10 'Freds' in 10 Days !!

added May 2011

As if riding one Fred Whitton isn't enough, Leon Bond is attempting 10 Four Seasons 'Freds' in 10 days (gulp!), starting on Friday 13th May. See his Blog for what it's like to train and plan for such an awesome challenge, and to follow his progress. Like our event, he's raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support, so why not give some more to this really worthwhile charity - see the Just Giving Donate link on his Blog.

Good Luck Leon!

Wrynose or Bust Sportive

added Apr 2011

Whether you've got a place in this year's Fred Whitton Challenge or not, why not ride the Wrynose or Bust charity event on April 17th. As well as Wrynose Pass it includes plenty of other climbs and great Lakeland scenery, so it's a real challenge. For details see Wrynose or Bust.

Four Seasons Certificates Now Available

added Oct 2010

If you've ridden the Four Seasons Fred Whitton Challenge then note that you can now get a personalised Four Seasons Fred Whitton Challenge certificate, to print and keep as a memento of your ride. To get your certificate go to the Four Seasons results page and click on the printer icon at the left hand side of the row containing your results.

Fred Whitton on Lakes TV

added May 2010

A web TV report about the 2010 Fred Whitton Challenge is now on Lakes TV - see the Sports channel on www.lakestv.net.

Many Thanks to Everyone Who Helped at the 2010 Event

added May 2010

The Fred Whitton Challenge is run by volunteers, and so many people help it's not possible to name them here. So a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped this year with all the jobs that make it happen - registration, marshalling, feed stations, paramedics, mountain rescue, putting out event signs, printing certificates, .. - the list is endless. Thankfully there's a large collection of great people who kindly give their time & skill to make it all happen. THANK YOU - we know from all the emails we get that the riders really appreciate it.

Saddleback Sponsor the Fred Whitton Challenge

added Jan 2010

We're delighted to announce that for our 2010 edition of the Fred Whitton Challenge we're teaming up with Saddleback, the major importer of Elite performance cycling products, to support the event.

We're sure that Saddleback will help keep the The Fred Whitton Challenge up there as the no. 1 sportive ride on riders’ lists. One of the first advantages of Saddleback's sponsorship will be improved mechanical assistance for riders, at the start and on the route, since Saddleback will bring the expertise of SRAM Neutral Service and mechanics - the same ones that ran the neutral service for the 2009 Tour of Britain.

£60,000 raised by 2009 event

added Oct 2009

A BIG thank you to all the riders who raised sponsorship in this our 10th year - it was a record year for the help we've been able to give the charities. £60,000 was the total raised by the riders and the event, in this our 10th year of running the event. For details see 10th Anniversary. We can't believe the effort that the riders put in on the fund raising - probably harder than doing the ride itself! But it's all worthwhile, and we'll continue with our fund raising and hope the next ten years will be as successful as the last.    Thanks again,     Lofty

Four Seasons Fred Whitton

added Aug 2009

Our annual Fred Whitton Challenge Ride is so popular that we can't accommodate everyone who wants to ride. So we've teamed up with GoLakes and the Lake District National Park to launch a timed self-led challenge ride called the Four Seasons Fred Whitton that you can do at any time of the year, when it suits you, with friends or clubmates for example. Click HERE for details.

10th Anniversary Dinner & Photos

added Oct 2009

The special 10th Anniversary Fred Whitton Dinner was held on Saturday (Oct 10th), and photos are now available from the photographers - see the Kennedy Images website. Special guests included Tour de France winner Stephen Roche, and north-west cycling star Ella Sadler-Andrews, who recently won a Junior Women's Team Pursuit gold medal at the European Track Championships, plus Keith Lambert, Sid Barras, Dudley Hayton and representatives from all the charities that the event supports. For more details see our report of the 10th Anniversary dinner.

2009 Results and Event Photos

added May 2009

Full results of this year's event are HERE. And the event photographs are available on the Kennedy Images website.

Cyclosport TV: "The Freddy Files"

And many thanks to Cyclosport, who joined our 10th year celebration by filming during this year's event.
See parts 1, 2 and 3 of their film and watch the riders (including Robb Jebb and James Dobbin in part 2) on the killer 30% upper slopes of Hardknott Pass, after 100 miles.

Huge Thank You to all Volunteers and Riders

added 13 May 2009

The Fred Whitton Challenge is the result of lots of preparation and a huge number of volunteers making it all happen. We've already had loads of messages from riders saying thanks. So this is to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who helped - at the start & finish, at the feed stations, all the paramedics, first aiders and marshals who were out on the course to help, etc., etc. - it simply wouldn't happen without you all!

The event also wouldn't happen without the supreme effort of all the riders to tackle such an ultimate hard event - made even harder this year by rain, hail & even snow at times! WELL DONE on a great effort and thanks to you and to all your sponsors for supporting the event and helping us raise money for the event charities.

Other Challenge Rides

added 28 Jan 2009

If you haven't been able to get a place in the Fred Whitton then see the following links for other good challenge rides:-

The Three Counties Challenge      The Cumberland Challenge      Cycle Cairngorms Sportive

La "Nove Colli" inglesi

added 4 Aug 2008

The Fred Whitton Challenge went Italian recently when the most important bike magazine in Italy, CICLOTURISMO, featured the event with this headline in an article by Mauro Posarelli. The headline refers to the Nove Colli ("Nine Cols"), which is a major Italian event based in Cesenatico.

Mauro heard about the Fred Whitton Challenge through his friend Allan Nelson from the UK and rode our event this year and really liked it. Mauro joins the select group of continental cyclists who have ridden 'The Fred', and articles like this will probably bring more Italian riders to the event next year.