A few nutters in my triathlon club have already signed up for the bonkers-sounding City to Summit event taking place for the first time in Scotland this year. The event can be completed over one or two days as a triathlon or a duathlon, on June 1 and 2. It could be the challenge you have been looking for?

The City To Summit is a new journey-style adventure event, with options to complete the full distance from Edinburgh to the top of Ben Nevis in one or two days. The one-day option follows the format of an Ironman event with a 2.4-mile swim in the Firth of Forth, followed by a 112-mile cycle to Glencoe and then a 26.2 mile off-road run to the summit of Ben Nevis. The two-day option is a duathlon format with a 112-mile cycle and the 26.2 mile run to the top of the UK’s highest mountain.

Three event categories to enter

Challenger – Tri (Solo or Pair)

The Challenger Iron-Distance Tri is for the everyday triathlete or adventurer who is prepared to up their game to a serious long-distance undertaking, but who prefers some social aspects to their event with an overnight camp. The Challengers will have an overnight camp in a stunning location at Glencoe and will break the journey after they have done the swim and the bike, attempting the marathon stage on The Ben the following day. Kit is transferred for competitors.

Challenger – Iron-Duathlon (Solo or Pair)

If you don’t fancy the swim, why not do the Duathlon? You will depart shortly after the Tri Challengers field with a short “Le Mans” style start, running into transition to pick up your bikes and setting off to join the bike stage. After that, the action is exactly the same as for the two-day Tri Challengers with a bike stage to Glencoe and a foot marathon up Ben Nevis, set over two days. Kit is transferred for competitors.

Expert Tri (Solo or Pair)

The experts will have 18 hours to complete the event on one push. This is the ultimate Iron-Distance Triathlon and will be supported the whole way with transition areas, feed stations and checkpoints. Kit is transferred for competitors. This leaves competitors to concentrate on the 140 miles of rugged Scottish terrain ahead of them.

Are you up to this crazy challenge? See City to Summit for more details.