Welcome to The Fred Whitton Challenge
The Fred Whitton Challenge is one of the most popular sportives in the UK and is also famed as being particularly difficult. Dubbed ‘The Daddy of them all’ by Cycling Weekly, riders rank it alongside European events such as the Marmotte in terms of difficulty. The ride is a real challenge and everyone who completes it has a true sense of achievement. The Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge is a charity event in honour of the late Fred Whitton who was a great advocate for cycle sport in Cumbria and North Lancashire. It is with respect to Fred and his ideals that the event remains just that, ‘a challenge’.
The Fred Whitton Challenge consists of a 113 mile sportive around the Lake District, now a World Heritage Site. Starting at Grasmere and taking in climbs of Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Hardknott, Wrynose and Blea Tarn passes.
The very top riders complete the route in just under six hours but eleven hours and over are not uncommon for the average Sportive rider. This is a very tough route and going on rider feedback the hardest one day ride in the UK, the event includes all the Lakeland passes, one with a 30% gradient and this comes at 98 miles.
Next Event: 09/05/21
Although we are truly excited to welcome you all back to the Lake District in May, we are acutely aware of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. We would like to assure you that the Fred Whitton Challenge is 100% committed to delivering a COVID-19 safe event on Sunday 9th May, with social distancing, pre-event screening, reduced contact at sign in and enhanced safety measures at feed stations and in the venue.
Participate safety is extremely important to us and we will be following the ever-changing guidance from central government and the World Health Organisation. We will do our upmost to keep you informed if this guidance has any impact on the event and your experience.
FRED WHITTON
The person who inspired the ride, and whose untimely death moved us to ride the route and raise money for charity in his memory.
SADDLEBACK
Our main sponsors and valued supporters of the event for the past 10 years
CHALLENGE
That’s exactly what it is – 113 miles on the toughest route in Britain. We make no bones about the ride, it is hard, and will probably be the hardest one day ride you will ever complete. It will take a lot of effort and willpower to finish the event, please don’t take it lightly, and don’t attempt it if it’s your first sportive.
RIDER LIST – provisional 2021 entries
VOLUNTEER
3 MONTH TRAINING PLAN
2021 Entry Info
All 2020 riders have been sent an email on 5th November which includes a bespoke link. Please use this link to reconfirm your place for the 2021 event, check all your personal details and make amends if any of your personal details have changed. You have until Sunday 20th December to reconfirm your place, after this, we will assume you cannot ride in 2021.
2020 Deferred Place
You won’t have received an email to sign up quite yet, but that’s ok you definitely have a place in the 2021 Fred Whitton Challenge. You will receive your link on or around the 20th December via email.
2020 Reserve List
Once all our 2020 riders have confirmed their places and we have signed up the 2020 deferrals, we will open up the remaining places to the 2020 reserve list. We cannot guarantee you a place at this stage, however, we hope to get as many of you riding as possible!
If you have any questions in regard to this process, in the first instance please refer to the FAQ’s (link included on your email). If that doesn’t help you or you have not received your email (check your junk folders) please email info@fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk.
YEARS
CHARITIES
TOTAL RAISED
FWC News
Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge Donates £55,000 to Charity amid International Pandemic
Despite not being able to deliver the event in 2020 due to COVID-19, the annual Lake District cycling event the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge has been able to donate a much needed £55,000 across Macmillan Cancer Research and three additional Cumbria based charities.
Fred Whitton & the Challenge
The Fred Whitton Challenge has been raising money for charity since it began in 1999, but who is Fred Whitton – and why is it named after him? Until his untimely death in 1998 at the age of 50, Fred Whitton was an extremely popular member of the Lakes Road Club. Not only was Fred the main instigator behind all the clubs’ activities, but he was also always there on the club runs and training weekends. Living near to all the big Lake District steep climbs Fred would have known them all, so the year following his death we decided to cycle the route in his honour and use it as an opportunity to raise a bit of money for charity… twenty years later that ‘bit’ for charity is now reaching the £2000000 mark! We always think of Fred’s reaction to the event on the day and wonder what he would have made of it all.
Dates for your Diary
Registration
The Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge is currently full due to all entries being rolled over from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19.
All rolled on entries will need to be reconfirmed between 5th November 2020 and 20th December 2020, an email will be sent to the email address you registered your original entry with.
••PLEASE CHECK YOUR JUNK FOLDER••
Rider List Announcement
We will put up the final rider list for the 2021 Fred Whitton Challenge on or before
20th January 2021.
The Event (09/05/21)
The event is usually held on the Sunday following the May Day Bank Holiday, the 2020 event date was planned to move away from this due to a change in bank holidays. However, the 2021 event will revert back to this date, making it Sunday 9th May 2021.
Friends of the Fred
Want to get involved?
It takes over 350 registered volunteers to keep the Fred Whitton Challenge going. If you’d like to help out at the event jobs for volunteers vary depending on location, time of day and skills. Please register your interest before the event. All volunteers are guaranteed a place on the following years' ride.
Or you can donate to any of our chosen charities. All donations are well received and go to helping fund these fantastic services in the community.
