Friends Howard Chambers, Charles Barlow and Dr Ian Watson, all members of Saddleworth Runners, completed the Milltown to Moors Oldham Half Marathon 24 hours after a gruelling fell race in the Lake District.
It was a measure of how tough the 14-mile Horseshoe Fell Race, which had 6,000ft of ascent, was that Howard clocked a time of 3hrs 23min.
Yet 24 hours later Howard, 50, completed the 13.1mile half marathon, which had 1,100ft of climbing, in 1hr 52min.
Howard, a former secretary of Saddleworth Runners, explained that he decided to do the two runs to build up his stamina before a 50-mile ultra event in Derbyshire later this month.
The three were among a group of 14 Saddleworth Runners to do the Langdale fell race which was one of the club championship race series.
Howard, who runs a holiday company, added that the Horseshoe race was difficult due to the wet and slippery conditions.
“The rocks were slippery and there were a number of falls so it was like a blood bath at the end,” he explained.
Andy Anchor, who works on the checkout at Tesco’s in Greenfield completed his first half mararthon in a time of just over two hours.
It was a great achievement as Andy, 23, had only taken up running six weeks ago and only learnt he was in the Oldham run less than a fortnight ago.
Tesco provided the water for Ladcastle Road and as a thank you race organiser Alan Keane offered the supermarket place.
Andy, who lives in Waterhead, explained: “It was by coincidence that I started running to improve my fitness which was poor as I am a smoker.
“Then a fortnight ago I learnt I had a place in the half marathon having never run longer than 4.6miles before.
“I went out and did 12.9miles on the Wednesday before the race to see if I could do it. But the hills on my route were only a couple of hundred yards long and nothing like the ones in the half marathon.”
Andy added he was spurred on by the fact family and friends doubted whether he would complete the run as he raised money for diabetics, Tesco’s charity for 2014.
