Three Pendle men to trek 100km in 24 hours

The NHS may recommend a total of eight hours of sleep a night, but snoozing is a luxury three Pendle men undertaking a harrowing 24-hour walking challenge can not afford.
(From left to right) Ian Chapman, Andrew Pilkington, and Ryan Trueman will be undertaking the Bowland 100km Walk for Pendleside Hospice.(From left to right) Ian Chapman, Andrew Pilkington, and Ryan Trueman will be undertaking the Bowland 100km Walk for Pendleside Hospice.
(From left to right) Ian Chapman, Andrew Pilkington, and Ryan Trueman will be undertaking the Bowland 100km Walk for Pendleside Hospice.

Friends Ian Chapman (56), Ryan Trueman (41), and Andrew Pilkington (51) will be tackling the intrepid 100km Bowland Walk on March 13th for Pendleside Hospice in which they will have 24 hours to trek the equivalent of almost two-and-a-half marathons.

Hiking through the imposing Trough of Bowland with event organisers, PureChallenge, the gallant triumvirate are hoping to hit their fundraising target of £500 for Pendleside Hospice, and will be spurred on by their desire to show their gratitude for the “wonderful” care provider.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We chose Pendleside as we all have known individuals who have been cared for there,” said Ian, from Padiham, who took on the 24 Peaks in 24 Hours Challenge with the Lake District Walker last year. “By supporting Pendleside, the individuals who work there know that the community is behind them.

“This in turn gives them solace and conviction to carry on doing a professional and caring service,” he continued. “As we know, Pendleside Hospice needs the funding to support it and carry on to do such a wonderful thing.”

With over 400 people already signed up for the gruelling 24-hour event, the trio will certainly not be short of support, despite the fact that the distance is the equivalent of walking from Nelson to Harrogate... and back.

“It’s tough, there’s about 4,000 feet of ascent, which is quite a lot over the 24-hour period,” explained Mark Webster, owner of event organisers, PureChallenge. “It’s a long old trek to start with - 63 miles in one hit - but you’re supported all the way around.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With an average of 60% of people usually completing PureChallenge’s 100km events, Ian and friends are hoping their charitable efforts will spur them on to the distant finish line.

“You do [sense the charity aspect of the walk spurs people on],” Mark insists. “People who actually complete the challenge are the ones raising for something close to their heart. It gives them a feeling of responsibility [but] it comes down to what prior preparation people put into it”

Attracting fell-wanderers from all over the country, the walk is just one of PureChallenge’s countless events. Started in 2015 by Mark and two partners, the organisation now has a team of 18 staff and marshals to run their events.

“We design the routes in-house ourselves and do new challenges rather than ones that are already taking place,” Mark said. “They range from down in Somerset to the Highlands of Scotland, to Wales.”

To show your support for Ian, Andrew, and Ryan, you can make a donation on their JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Clarets-ontour.