The Three Peaks Challenge is a mountain running trail of some 50km first done by Carl Wilhelm Schneeberger in March 1897. The challenge comprises ascending the three major peaks above Cape Town, namely Devil's Peak, Table Mountain and Lion's Head. Schneeberger completed the course in 9h5m, not counting his rest stops at the old Johannesburg Hotel in Long Street after each peak. On the centenary of Schneeberger's feat, Don Hartley and a group of 13 runners took on the challenge on 13 September 1987. In 2001 Chad Ulansky set a new record at 5h27m29s, a record which stood until 2010 when Andrew Hagen posted a time of 5h23m.
The course starts at 108 Long Street and runners scramble up Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain (Maclear’s Beacon, via Platteklip Gorge) and Lion’s Head, returning to Greenmarket Square after each peak.
Three Peaks Records: 1897 to 2011
| Year | Men | Time | Year | Women | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 | Carl W Schneeberger * | 10:50:00 | Pioneer | |||
| 1927 | Sandy Trimble * | 07:17:00 | ||||
| 1977 | Geoff Pitter * | 06:51:00 | ||||
| * denotes solo efforts | ||||||
| 1997 | Don Hartley | 07:18:00 | 1997 | Catherine Schorr | 09:27:00 | |
| 1998 | Danny Biggs | 06:07:42 | 1998 | Tanya Katzchner | 08:23:07 | |
| 1999 | Glenn Castle | 06:41:56 | 1999 | Helen Davies | 08:43:15 | |
| 2000 | Arvind Varsani | 06:18:20 | 2000 | Tanya Katzchner | 07:38:27 | |
| 2001 | Chad Ulansky | 05:27:29 | 2001 | Caroline Brawner | 07:43:49 | |
| 2002 | Danny Biggs | 05:33:51 | 2002 | Sylvie Harris | 07:31:19 | |
| 2003 | Danny Biggs | 05:44:24 | 2003 | Nicola Le Marquand | 07:07:21 | |
| 2004 | Ake Fagereng | 06:36:13 | 2004 | Sylvie Harris | 06:42:32 | |
| 2005 | Ake Fagereng | 05:46:53 | 2005 | Janette Terblanche | 07:52:54 | |
| 2006 | Roger Steel | 05:56:42 | 2006 | Sylvie Harris | 06:17:26 | |
| 2007 | Andrew Hagen | 06:11:38 | 2007 | Karen De Kock | 07:48:12 | |
| 2008 | Bruce Arnett | 05:28:08 | 2008 | Caroline Balkwill | 07:40:34 | |
| 2009 | Andrew Hagen | 05:34:27 | 2009 | Cherilyn Vossberg | 07:09:23 | |
| 2010 | Andrew Hagen | 05:23:20 | 2010 | Janette Terblanche | 07:28:13 | |
| 2011 | Andre Calitz | 05:07:39 | 2011 | Caroline Balkwill | 07:14:09 |
Record Times:
| Name | Date | Devil's Peak | Table Mountain | Lion's Head | Total Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | AJ Calitz | 05-11-2011 | 01:42:36 | 02:04:35 | 01:20:28 | 05:07:39 |
| Women | Sylvie Harris | 04-11-2006 | 02:11:55 | 02:37:32 | 01:27:59 | 06:17:26 |
Ten or more Three Peaks Challenges completed:
| Name | Times completed | Year first completed |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Snell | 15 | 1997 |
| Roger Steel | 13 | 1998 |
| Rolf Aebischer | 13 | 1999 |
| Stephen Hector | 12 | 2000 |
| Brian Key | 11 | 2001 |
| Glenn Castle | 10 | 1997 |
| Sonia Beard | 10 | 2001 |
| Barry Washkansky | 10 | 2002 |
Read more about Three Peaks Challenge: External Links
Famous quotes containing the words peaks and/or challenge:
“On the secret map the assassins
Cloistered, the Moon River was marked
Near the eighteen peaks and the city
Of humiliation and defeat ...”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“The new American finds his challenge and his love in the traffic-choked streets, skies nested in smog, choking with the acids of industry, the screech of rubber and houses leashed in against one another while the townlets wither a time and die.”
—John Steinbeck (1902–1968)