Content is from the 2013 archived pages for Trans Pennine Challenge held that year.
Hope you all have great memories of the race.
100KM. WALK IT. RUN IT. YOUR CHALLENGE. YOUR WAY!
- 100km & 50km options - 2 options available, choose your distance.
- Walk it - take on as an endurance walk, or mix in with jogging.
- Run it - as an ultra marathon, there's records to be set!
- Teams - group together and go for it! Teams of 5 or more get free kit.
- Individuals - be fully supported & meet other challengers en route.
- Fundraise - for a charity of your choice! Make a real difference.
- Covered rest / snack stops every 12.5km
- Hot food provided en-route
- Fully signed route + maps + GPS
- Pace walkers, medics, physios, massage
- Separate start time & menu for runners
- Fundraising pledge - for your charity
- Full training and fundraising advice
- Training walks to help you prepare
THE CHALLENGE
Set in the magnificent backdrop of the Peak District, starting and finishing in two easily accessible and vibrant cities, this will be a journey that you’ll never forget. Whether you take it on as an endurance walk, want to jog parts, or wish to run the ultra marathon - you'll be fully supported from beginning to end. A brand new challenge, on a spectacular trail - do you have what it takes in 2013?
The Route...
The route journeys along the historic Trans Pennine Trail, departing the urban landscape of Manchester, for the winding riverside paths. You'll venture through the stunning Peak District before hitting the 50km midpoint at Penistone, and then it's on to the Don Valley Stadium where your finish line at Sheffield awaits.
- 4 stage course – major rest stops every 25km, with check points every 12.5km
- Starts in Didsbury, South Manchester – 100km finish at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield
- 100KM route – Manchester to Sheffield – 1040 m of ascent
- 50KM route – Manchester to Penistone – 785 m of ascent
- Fully signed route – with maps supplied and GPS downloads
- Tented village start – with aerobic warm up – tea, coffee, snacks
- Hot food stops at 25km, 50km, 75km, 100km (bring your own lunch at 25km)
- Drinks and energy snacks provided at 12.5km check points
Walk it.
Take on the challenge as an endurance walk, aiming to complete the trail in around 24 hours! It's by no means a walk in the park, even amid the stunning environment. But with good preparation, a solid training plan (that we provide) - it's achievable for everyone. You can even mix it up a bit, by jogging parts of the route - and we do have a 50km option just in case this appeals to you more.
- Walkers will be aiming to complete the 100km challenge in 15 hours or more (33hrs max!).
- Walkers on the 50km route, will be looking to complete in 8 hours or more.
- All walkers will set off between 7 - 9am.
- Day and night training walks will be available to help you prepare!
Run it.
For the ultimate challengers, take on the Trans Pennine Challenge as an ultra marathon run! If you're a seasoned marathon runner, this could be the real test. Push yourself that extra bit further and see how you fare, on this epic long distance trail. Records are there to be set on this brand new event - could it be you to set the pace? There's also the 50km marathon plus option for those looking to take that first step up to longer distance.
- Separate start times for runners: 6-7am on the Saturday morning.
- Tailored menus especially for runners, at rest stops.
- Runners looking to complete the 100km in under 15 hours, & the 50km in under 7 hours.
- Runners will be with runners - there'll be nothing in your way!
- Other running challenges we've operated, received 100% on 'Runner's World'.
ALL REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
How to sign up to the challenge...
All charity places have now been allocated, but you can still join the challenge – as 150 extra 'self-funding' places are now available to those wishing to fully pay their costs. Don’t miss out on the challenge, and join the event for either £119 (100km) or £79 (50km) – you may even wish to fundraise alongside this for a charity of your choice, it’s down to you!
Click here to sign up today - limited places!
Fundraising to help charities with their valuable work is all part of the challenge, and if you start early and go about it the right way, with a bit of imagination, you'll find it's very rewarding! The charity you choose will be on hand to support you throughout as well.
You can sign up to the challenge and fundraise for any of our partner charities (logos at the foot of this website), or for any of the growing list of participating charities we work with. Click here for the full list of charities. If there's a charity you'd like to fundraise for and they're not listed on the website, then just fill the charity name out when registering and we'll contact them.
Distance | Registration Fee | Fundraising Pledge |
50km - Manchester to Penistone | £60 | £275 |
100km - Manchester to Sheffield | £85 | £400 |
- Registration fee to sign up to the challenge.
- Pledge to fundraise a minimum sponsorship target for your chosen charity.
- Ideally 50% of the fundraising pledge due 6 weeks prior to the challenge - 10th May '13.
- Your charity pays a fee of between £75-£99 for 100K Challengers and £50-£74 for 50K Challengers (depending on their recruitment levels) to the event organiser (Action Challenge), for services associated with marketing and organising the event.
- The remaining 50% and any extra due to be paid to your charity 4 weeks after the challenge - 19th July '13
Join as an ‘individual’...
If you want to tackle the challenge individually, you won't be alone! A highly enjoyable and fun event, you'll be part of a larger team, sharing similar goals and targets. Start new friendships and meet like minded people, before, during and after the event.
- Pace walkers will be on hand throughout the challenge.
- We encourage individuals to join & walk or run together once you've set off.
- Join as an individual & you can always form a team later with those you meet before the event on our Facebook page & on our training walks!
Join as a ‘team’...
The Trans Pennine Challenge is a perfect event to share with your friends, family or colleagues – particularly as a walking challenge, but its fine for runners also – supporting each other en-route and training together before the big day.
- Teams of 2 or more challengers – no upper limits, but we recommend no more than 12.
- Team members should be of similar fitness & can train together.
- Corporate group packages are available.
Safety and Support
Whether you sign up as an individual or a team, we'll be there supporting you all the way!
- Individual safety packs including route cards, high-vis items and energy supplies!
- On-event first aid support, professional event medics & doctors.
- En-route safety teams – patrolling the route by foot, mountain bike & vehicle.
- Night time section marked by glow sticks.
- Rest and recuperation areas with shelter and toilets approx. every 25km.
- Exit / transfer buses from 50km onwards for retirees from the challenge.
- Shuttle buses to nearest stations at the end of each challenge.
You can sign up to the challenge via this website online. Firstly, choose the distance you'd like to take on, this determining what registration fee you'll pay to register. Then, select which charity you would like to raise sponsorship for! During the registration process you'll be asked whether you're walking or running the challenge, and whether or not you're starting or joining a team.
Early bird discount: sign up before the end of December and receive £20 off registration fees!
Distance | Registration Fee | Fundraising Target |
50 km | £60 (£40 before end of December!) | £275 |
100 km | £85 (£65 before end of December!) | £400 |
Click here to sign up to the challenge!
Individuals
You won't be alone! Many seasoned runners prefer the 'solo' option, and you'll be fully supported by our team all the way. Whether if it's beating your personal PB, or you enjoy the personal targets and goals, we'll be right behind you! If you do register as an individual, you can always form a team at a later stage if you wish.
Teams
Firstly, all teams entering need to be set up by a 'team captain'. The additional team members can then sign up by linking in to that pre-registered team. Team members can either fundraise for the same charity or different charities.
Creating a New Team
If you're entering a new team, you'll automatically become the 'team captain' and will need to supply:;
- Your chosen team name.
- Anticipated size of the team.
- Whether your team are walking or running the challenge.
- Your preferred start time window for the team.
Once the team is established by the team captain, the other members of the team will EACH need to sign up as detailed below. NOTE the team captain only registers themselves!
For instance, one team from the US who were being sponsored by the company they worked for called themselves The Scotch PT. When asked what this cryptic name stood for, a team member laughed and said, "our paper towels!". The Scotch Paper Towels. Apparently they happened to work for an e commerce janitorial supply company that sells to both wholesale and retail customers. But their biggest orders obviously come from their business customers. One of their most most successful paper towel brands is Scotch. As a lark they decided on The Scotch PT name. To prove their point, they all pulled out rolls of Scotch paper towels. I guess they could use the towels to wipe off sweat and such after the challenge. Yanks! Their humor is just so different from us Brits.
Joining a Pre-existing Team
If you're joining a pre-existing team, during your registration, you'll need to confirm this:
- Team captain’s email address (that they used to register with).
- Team captain’s name.
- The team name.
Please note that when in a team, it is still £275 (50km) and £400 (100km) fundraising per person.
Choose your charity
After choosing the distance you'd like to walk or run, your next step is to select the charity you want to do the challenge for!
Click here to have a look at the full list of the charities we support. Our list of participating charities is forever growing, so if there's a charity you'd like to represent that isn't listed, please contact us and let us know - we'd love to work with them!
Fundraising Commitment
- 50% of the fundraising target must be received by your nominated charity by 10th May 2013 (6 weeks prior) to confirm your place on the challenge.
- The remaining sponsorship monies will be received by the charity prior to the event, but no later than 4 weeks after the event - 19th July 2013.
In the second part of the registration process, you'll be directed to set up your online fundraising page with our partner Just Giving. This is a fantastic platform to help you raise more money for your charity, and quicker! We're here to try and make sure as much money is raised for charity as possible, whilst providing a challenge that you'll never forget.
Charity Registration - this option for joining challenge is now closed
We expect over 190 charities to benefit from our Trans Pennine Challenge 2013, with an estimated £1 million looking to be raised. As ever, we aim high, so know that even this figure can be exceeded. By taking part in the challenge, you'll reap the rewards both personally and collectively, being part of a wider team fundraising for a charity which is close to your heart.
The list of charities we are working with grows each day click here for a full list. We also encourage and welcome more charities to take part in the event, to ensure you can fundraise for a charity that means something to you.
If you're a charity and would like to work with us on the 2013 challenge, then please complete our Online Charity Authorisation Form. We look forward to welcoming you on board!
Choose a charity
We've partnered with a number of the UK's leading charities to offer you the flexibility and choice for who you take on the challenge for. Teams can elect to raise for the same, or different charities. It's entirely up to you, and it's all for great causes.
Online Fundraising
Once you have completed your registration, you'll be directed to set up your online fundraising page with Just Giving. If you're in a team raising money for the same charity, you can create a team page, combining all of the money you raise together. Alternatively, you can set up an individual page and go it alone! Whichever you choose, you'll be raising a significant amount of money that really will make a difference.
Fundraising Target
- £275 (50km) or £400 (100km) minimum sponsorship target that's paid directly to the charity – to be paid in installments to help you on your way! Target is limitless!
- Your charity covers the costs associated with your place on the event.
- The balance of all remaining monies (+ anything above this) are retained by the charity.
- Your charity will provide fundraising support, on-line sponsorship forms, ideas, and plenty of encouragement!
When is the fundraising due?
- 50% of the total fundraising target must be received by your charity by 10th May 2013 (6 weeks before the event) to confirm your place on the challenge.
- The remaining balance (and any extra) is due to be received by the charity prior to the event, and no later than 4 weeks after the event - 19th July 2013.
Training
- The Trans Pennine Challenge is open to everyone with a basic level of fitness and self-motivation!
- The more you train and prepare for the challenge, the more you'll enjoy it!
- Training programmes allow you to gradually build up your base fitness, over a 3 to 6 month period.
- Chose a programme based on your starting level, personal fitness point, and your ambition.
Please note that all charity places have now been allocated - but you can still join via our 100 extra 'self-funding' places!
After you've registered, you'll be directed to set up your very own Just Giving fundraising page. Here, you'll have a fantastic platform to help you raise more money for your charity, and quicker! You'll also be able to see all messages of good luck and who has donated. For some top tips on how to make your page look the most inviting for sponsors, please click here for some of our ideas and advice for reaching your fundraising target!
Action Challenge works with many of the leading UK and Irish charities to provide outstanding fundraising challenges, and individuals can sign up to a wide variety of the group treks and cycles in the UK, Europe and overseas. We also specialise in working businesses, and partner with many of the UK's leading blue-chip companies including HSBC, British Gas, Coutts, Phones 4 U, Glenfiddich and many others delivering bespoke challenges for the workplace. These may be fundraising events associated with existing charity of the year partnerships or designed to meet wider Corporate Social Responsibility, teambuilding, networking, and incentive objectives. Our corporate team understand the unique demands and requirements of companies whilst recognising the fantastic potential of our challenges in engaging and inspiring a workforce - we see the world as your office why not join us!
Check out some of our other other challenges for 2013:
How much does it cost?
JUST 150 EXTRA PLACES LEFT! All charity places have now been allocated, but you can still join the challenge – as 150 extra (self funding) places are now available to those wishing to fully pay their costs. This is £119 (100km) and £79 (50km), and you may even wish to fundraise alongside this, it’s down to you! Places are limited.
Registration Fee (non-refundable):
50km: £60 per person
100km: £85 per person
Fundraising Pledge:
50km: £275
100km: £400
Your Fundraising Pledge is a commitment from you to aim to raise a minimum sponsorship for your nominated charity. 50% of this is ideally paid 6 weeks prior to the challenge, on the 10th May 2013. The remaining fundraising and any excess is due to be paid to your charity 4 weeks after the challenge (19th July 2013). Your charitypays a fee of between £75-£99 (depending on their recruitment levels) to the event organiser (Action Challenge) for services associated with marketing and organising the event.
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What's included?
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How tough is the challenge?
There's no denying it - this is a tough challenge by anyone's standards. It will be physically and emotionally demanding! You will have to combat fatigue and tiring limbs however with prior planning and a commitment training plan it is achievable for all. The more comfortable you are with walking or running long distances for sustained periods, the more comfortable you will be on the challenge.
You should also practice walking at night at similar times to those projected on the schedule, to get your body accustomed and used to the sensation of working, when it's normally sleeping and recovering!
A 6-month training plan will be issued to help assist in your preparation for the event!
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Am I fit enough to run the challenge?
To run 100km is an ultra marathon, or 50km as a marathon plus is a serious undertaking, and we recommend you've completed other events of this distance beforehand.If running the 100km, you'll be aiming to do this in less than 15 hours.
If however, you would like to run and jog (and perhaps walk too!) parts of the challenge, then you can enter the event as a walker, and attempt the challenge in that category.
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How much will I need to train?
The Trans Pennine Challenge is a tough event and training is essential for everyone. Preparation is key and will aid your enjoyment of the challenge whilst ensuring that your body is up to the rigors of the event.
It is very important for all competitors to train properly and build up endurance and resilience thresholds, alongside your base fitness. This will enable you to cope with the distance and provide the ability to recover between stages during the challenge.
You will have access to an event specific training guide to aid with your training and preparation.
If you're looking to run the the challenge, the following links could be valuable resources for your preparation:
- Ultra Marathon Running
- Training
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What about food and nutrition?
Approximately every 12.5km, there are manned checkpoints and replenishment stops with water, tea, coffee, soup, juices, and snacks.
At the 100km finish in Sheffield there will be a celebratory hot brunch/BBQ available to all participants (supporters are charged a nominal fee).
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What do I carry?
You are responsible for your personal items on the event and an equipment and clothing list will be supplied once you have signed up to the challenge. Some items are essential/compulsory, others recommended.
You will need a daypack (c30l) to carry the recommended personal items throughout the event, including wet weather gear, warm clothing, water, snacks, sun protection, personal first aid kit, and other personal items. You will also be issued with a walker safety pack, including maps.
There will be a baggage transfer service (at an additional cost payable on the day) from the start to the half way point (Penistone at 50km), and to the 100km finish at Sheffield. This will be for a single piece of baggage, not exceeding 75l/20kg. Participants who retire from the challenge will be responsible for claiming their baggage at their finish line.
Runners will have an extra baggage service, where you will be able to access your bags at the half-way mid point, should you not wish to run with your bags.
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How do we find our way along the route?
Each stage of the challenge will have it's own map which includes all rest stops and route hazards. The route will also be clearly signed with pink directional arrows and the night time stages will be supplemented with reflective tape and glow sticks.
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What happens if I get lost during the night stages?
All stages of the route are fully signed, and during the night stages we use reflective and glow-in-the-dark signage. This is so you'll always be able to see the marked route. It's also compulsory that all challengers wear a head-torch during the night stages, and a reflective item to wear, which will be provided for you.
The night stages will also be heavily supported by our team of head walkers, so you won't be on the course by yourself. We'll also be tracking every walker at each check point with electronic tagging.
It will be compulsory for you to carry a charged mobile phone. We will have an emergency contact number and contact procedure in the unlikely event you do get lost. Our control room will be on standby throughout the event to help anyone in need.
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What is the terrain of the route like?
The Trans Pennine Challenge mainly takes place on bridal paths however there is an urban element to the challenge when in the two cities of Manchester and Sheffield.
Generally though, the route is largely spacious and flat, as well as being mainly traffic free.
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What happens if I or someone in my team has to pull out of the challenge along the route?
If you unfortunately have to drop out of the challenge, you'll need to do so at the nearest check-point if possible. Here, you'll alert the event organisers, who will 'log' you out of the event.
From 50km onwards at each rest stop there will be support vehicles and shuttle services to the nearest train station for you to safely and easily return home.
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Can I bring my dog on the challenge?
No - unfortunately we do not allow dogs to take part in the challenge as we cannot cater for them along the route and they can be difficult to manage. We do however, think dogs make for great training companions.
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How do I get to the start and from the finish?
There is full information about transport links at the start and finish, along with approximate start times issued once you have signed up to the challenge. The event starting point will be in Didsbury, South Manchester. The 50km finish point (and half way mark) is at Penistone, and the 100km finish will be at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.
Around 1 month prior to the challenge, exact start times and specific joining information details will be sent to you as part of your departure pack.
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I am signing up as an individual - how can I meet other trekkers on the challenge?
Once you've signed up to the challenge, you'll be invited to 'like' and participate in our Trans Pennine Facebook page and Twitter account. We encourage individuals and teams of people to meet, converse and organise training walks.
We also will be running a series of training walks in the lead up to the challenge where you will be able to meet fellow trekkers and walkers as well as the event organising team, Action Challenge.
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How old do I need to be?
You must be 16 years or over on the date of the event (22nd June 2013) to enter on to the Trans Pennine Challenge.
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How can we sign up as a team?
All teams entering need to be set up by a 'team captain'. This is the first team member who signs up to the challenge and creates the team. The additional team members can then sign up by linking in to that pre-registered team.
There is no limit to the number of participants you can have in a team, however we recommend that everyone is of the same fitness level and pace, and that a team is no more than 12 challengers.
Team members can either fundraise for the same charity or different charities.
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One of our team mates has dropped out of the challenge - can someone else take his/her place?
All teams are made up challengers who have paid a non-refundable registration fee. We can add, change and amend team sizes and names but any cancellation of a team member is subject to our cancellation terms and conditions.
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Can I cancel my place on the challenge?
You can cancel your place on the event, but your registration fee is non-refundable. It will also be between yourselves and your chosen charity to deal with the refund of any sponsorship monies paid.
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I signed up as an individual - can I join a team? If you have signed up to the challenge as an individual, you can amend your registration form by logging back in to the forms. Here, you can change your registration, to either create a new team or join a pre-existing team. |
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Can we do a name change for a team member of our team? No, all registrations are on an individual basis and whilst we can link together registrations to join and create teams, any persons cancelling from the challenge will forfeit their place on the event. Any new team member will then have to sign up as a new challenger. |
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Once signed up, how do I start my fundraising and set up my fundraising page?
Once you have signed up to the challenge and chosen your charity, you can set up your online fundraising page with Just Giving as directed in your confirmation email.
Once you've set this up, you can start sending out the online link to all your friends and family to start collecting donations!
Your charity will also send you a welcome pack which will give you advice and support on how to go about your fundraising plans.
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What happens if I fail to raise the minimum sponsorship amount?
The Trans Pennine Challenge is a fundraising event for charity, therefore by signing up, you are aiming to commit to fundraise a minimum sponsorship amount for your chosen charity.
We ideally ask that you meet the fundraising pledge to the certain dates to ensure that your charity benefits from your sponsorship and efforts. The event is tough, but in many respects this makes it a bit easier to find willing sponsors, as it's no walk in the park and we often find that our challengers exceed their fundraising targets!
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Who should I speak to regarding fundraising issues and my sponsorship pack?
Once you've signed up to the challenge, your charity will send out a fundraising pack. If you still haven't received this, then please contact the charity directly. You'll find their contact details in your confirmation email.
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I would like to fundraise for a charity who aren't on the list or website?
If you'd like to fundraise for a charity who aren't listed on our website, then just fill out the charity name when registering and we'll contact them! Your charity will pay a fee of between £75-£99 for 100K Challengers and £50-£74 for 50K Challengers (depending on their recruitment levels) to the event organiser (Action Challenge), for services associated with marketing and organising the event.
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