Mountain biking legend and World Expert Bike Trial Champion Martyn Ashton is encouraging riders to take part in a Three Peaks Bike and Hike Challenge for children’s charity Action Medical Research this spring.

Three Peaks Bike and Hike will take place on Saturday 16 April 2011 set in the spectacular surroundings of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, famous for the “Yorkshire Three Peaks” of Pen y Gent, Whernside and Ingleborough.

The event will test team spirit and stamina, as well as cycling and hiking ability, as teams of four summit each of the peaks and cycle from one to the next both on and off-road.

Martyn says: “Get three mates and get involved. Off-roading in beautiful scenery, all for a great cause.”

Whilst the event is designed to be challenging for dedicated event athletes like Martyn, it’s also accessible to anyone who keeps in reasonable physical condition or doesn’t mind training to get in to shape. The total event distance is approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles), broken down into stages.

The fastest participants will complete the course in six hours, with average teams finishing in eight to nine and those who opt to enjoy the spectacular surroundings at a more leisurely pace taking 10 or 11 hours. There are awards for teams that finish the event in the fastest times as well as awards for the fastest mixed team (one or more female members), all-female team and the ‘golden oldies’ – the fastest team whose combined ages total 180 years or more.

Three Peaks Bike and Hike starts and finishes in the Dales’ village of Ingleton, easily reached from Leeds or Bradford to the South East on the A65, or from the M6 to the West, again along the A65.

Money raised by the challenge will support the work of Action Medical Research and will make a huge difference to the research the charity is able to fund, offering hope to the many thousands of families across the UK who are dealing with the trauma of a baby born too early, striving to support a child affected by disability, or facing the challenge of caring for a child with a rare and devastating disease for which there is no cure.

Teams will need to raise £1,600 in sponsorship. For more information and to enter go to www.action.org.uk/bikeandhike