Man gets world record certificate 40 years late

A man who set a Guinness World Record as the fastest person to complete the Three Peaks challenge by cycling has finally been given a certificate to prove it - more than 40 years after the event.

Steve Poulton, 79, cycled up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in just under 42 hours in 1980, starting from sea level.

The record only appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1993 and Poulton, from Leckhampton, only recently received a certificate. He had not previously realised he could ask for one.

"It's the end of a story - or it's the beginning of a new story", he said, revealing that he was making plans to cycle across Australia to celebrate his 80th birthday.

Poulton, who describes himself as a mountaineer, decided to attempt the world record challenge after regularly cycling to work.

His first attempt was made in 1979 but he failed because his time "was totally out of kilter", he said.

He tried again the following year and completed the challenge with a support car providing food and water but without another cyclist helping to pace him.

"The objective was to be solo, un-paced, whereas the previous year it was just let's do it because we want to do it," he said.

Poulton's effort was only recognised in the book of Guinness World Records after several others had tried and failed to beat his time.

Yet it was only recently that Poulton realised he could get a certificate to honour the achievement.

"About two years ago, having watched all the certificates being presented on Strictly Come Dancing within minutes of them achieving their record of a little few tap dances, I thought - I need one of those," he said.

Poulton applied for one online with no luck.

He then sent a letter and was initially told he could not have a certificate because the record was achieved more than a decade ago.

"They eventually relented and very kindly, at no cost to me, provided me with the certificate," he said.

It now sits framed in his house alongside the stopwatch used to time his effort.

Poulton's record of 41 hours and 51 minutes was eventually broken after 37 years in 2017.

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