The Fred Whitton Challenge started in 1999, the year after Fred died, when 60 riders rode the route over all the Lakeland passes in memory of Fred, and Rob Ford of Lune RCC came home first, in 6 hrs 54 mins. The following year, on a lovely sunny May Day bank holiday Monday, 69 rode. One of them was the well-known super-fast time triallist Gethin Butler, who finished in 6 hours 7 minutes, despite having waited when the friend riding with him punctured near Keswick. £1500 was raised for the Macmillan Nurses that year.

In 2001 the event had to be cancelled because of the Foot & Mouth epidemic that swept Britain. There were many sad sights in Cumbria that year, of empty fields where the normally ever-present sheep had been culled. The event then steadily grew in popularity and number of riders. In 2002, the world class cross and fell runner Rob Jebb rode the event and was first home, and only 2 days before he'd come 4th in the Coniston Fell race, which includes running over Wetherlam and Coniston Old Man! There's recovery for you.

In 2003 Stuart Reid (Wheelbase) was first rider home, and then in 2004 Rob Jebb rode again and set a new fastest time of 6 hours dead. In 2005 Lewis Craven (Wheelbase) was first home, in 6 hrs 5 mins, and then in 2006 Andy Sudell (Lakes Road Club) was first in 6 hours 12 minutes.

For several years now the event has been heavily oversubscribed and the number of riders has had to be limited. In 2007 nearly 700 rode the event, and Stuart Reid and Lewis Craven (both Wheelbase) came home joint first in the incredible time of 5 hours 45 minutes 48 seconds! Click here for the 2007 full results. Then in 2008 about 850 rode the event, on a very warm day but with a very heavy thunderstorm in the afternoon, and Rob Jebb and James Dobbin stormed round in 5 hrs 40 mins.

More importantly, £55,000 was raised for the charities, so many thanks to all who rode, especially if you got friends, family, work colleagues etc. to sponsor you.

The number of calories burned by all those riders over all those climbs, must run into millions. One statistic we do know is that we used 800 bananas at the feed stations last year, supplied by a local greengrocer who wouldn't take any money for them, so again many thanks for that charitable contribution. And it also took a huge amount of work by lots of people who freely give their help for the event. Thanks to all - a good effort!