Members of a local athletics club have conquered “Cheverest” by climbing The Chevin in West Yorkshire 48 times until they matched the height of the world’s tallest mountain for charity.
The gruelling 24-hour endurance event required participants to complete the off-road route from Birdcage Walk to Surprise View as many as 48 times.
Collectively, the 200 runners and walkers accumulated 8,849 metres of elevation climbed, equivalent to the peak of Mount Everest.
In completing the stunning feat, Otley Athletic Club raised £15,000 for a cancer charity.
Funds raised will benefit Hug On A Tray, an Otley-based charity supporting haematology patients and their families at St James’s Hospital’s Bexley Wing with complimentary refreshments and entertainment.
The challenge was dreamt up over a pint by organisers Oliver Richards and Stephen Boddy, a 45-year-old teacher from Burley-in-Wharfedale, as a means of supporting a fellow club member undergoing cancer treatment.
The friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, received an acute leukaemia diagnosis last year, merely a week after crossing the finish line at the Chicago Marathon.
His family members participated in the Cheverest event, dividing the distance among themselves.
200-some runners and walkers accumulated 8,849 metres of elevation climbed, equivalent to the peak of Mount Everest
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OTLEY ATHLETIC CLUB
What began as an idea planned for 10 to 15 participants quickly snowballed into something far larger, prompting the organisers to establish a dedicated fundraising page.
Incredibly, two club members managed to conquer the entire challenge solo.
Oliver Richards and Tom Lynch each covered more than 62 miles individually, completing the full 48 ascents required to match Everest’s elevation.
Other participants contributed what they could, with some completing just a handful of laps as part of team efforts.
The group rasied £15,000 for a cancer charity
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OTLEY ATHLETIC CLUB
The event, which kicked off at 7pm on Friday, attracted a remarkably diverse range of ages.
According to Mr Boddy, the youngest participant was a three-year-old.
At the other end of the scale, the oldest runner was 83-year-old Bob Payne.
Mr Boddy expressed astonishment at the fundraising total, stating: “That’s just gone nuts, it’s now gone past £15,000 when I think we initially thought we might raise a grand.”
The charity has been overwhelmed by the donation, which represents their largest single contribution to date.
“The £15,000 will have a huge impact on them,” Boddy told the BBC.
“It’s quite nice that we did it for quite a small local charity because I think it will have a tangible effect.”
Hug On A Tray provides free television, drinks, and snacks to haematology patients and their families at the Leeds hospital. The organisers now hope Cheverest could become an annual fixture in the club’s calendar.
GB News has contacted Otley Athletic Club for more information.