Man gets world record certificate 40 years late

TL;DR

Steve Poulton received his Guinness World Record certificate 40 years after completing the Three Peaks challenge by bicycle. He set the record in 1980, finishing in just under 42 hours.

Key points

Steve Poulton set a Guinness World Record in 1980.
He completed the Three Peaks challenge by bicycle.
The challenge took him just under 42 hours.
He received his certificate over 40 years later.
He was unaware he could request the certificate.

Mentioned in this story

Steve Poulton

Guinness World RecordThree Peaks challenge

Steve Poulton said he barely slept while completing the challenge in just under 42 hours [BBC]

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.

The photo shows an article from Cycling World, dated October 1980. The headline reads: "New Three Peaks Record?" Next to the headline is an image of a much younger Steve Poulton, crouching down behind his bike.

An article in Cycling World marked the achievement at the time [BBC]

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.

Q&A

Who is Steve Poulton and what record did he set?

Steve Poulton is a 79-year-old man who set the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to complete the UK national Three Peaks challenge by bicycle in 1980.

How long did it take Steve Poulton to complete the Three Peaks challenge?

Steve Poulton completed the Three Peaks challenge in just under 42 hours.

When did Steve Poulton receive his Guinness World Record certificate?

Steve Poulton received his Guinness World Record certificate recently, more than 40 years after he set the record in 1980.

Why did it take so long for Steve Poulton to get his record certificate?

Steve Poulton was unaware that he could request a certificate for his record, which only appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1993.