The 13th edition of the Cumbrian Challenge sees biggest success to date

It may have been a cold start to the day, but as the sun shone down on the Lake District hills on Saturday 17th May, the 13th edition of Walking With The Wounded's Cumbrian Challenge saw its biggest year on record with 206 teams and 816 participants taking part.

This flagship event has become an integral part of Walking With The Wounded’s identity, bringing together supporters from across the UK for a weekend of hiking and solidarity, all with the same purpose in mind – to raise funds for those who served.

The teams took off for their chosen routes, the Peak, Tough, and Tougher, ranging from 14km to 27km, with smiles on their faces and determination in their hearts, and working together really paid off, with the victorious teams for each route finishing in:

• Peak: ‘FUBAR’ in 3 hours 50 minutes
• Tough: ‘BAE Two Eggs, Two Coconuts’ in 3 hours 47 minutes
• Tougher: ‘Savill Row’ in 3 hours 45 minutes

What a weekend! We experienced the benefits of human interaction, building trusted partnerships and simply being present. In 2024, WWTW staff spent 48,640 hours face-to-face directly with veterans for the same reasons. Every penny raised by this event will enable us to continue making a real difference to the lives of ex-service personnel throughout the UK. Each participant that completed their challenge undertook an incredible feat. 

Among those incredible participants was long-term WWTW supporter, Dale Eades, who completed the Peak route dressed in a full suit of armour despite the scorching heat and was subsequently awarded the Kevin Uglow Spirit of Cumbria award for his dedication to both the Cumbrian Challenge and Walking With The Wounded. Congratulations to Dale and everyone else who took part.