SWISS orienteer Marc Lauenstein won the Three Peaks Race in a near record time on Saturday.

The 35-year-old dentist finished the 23-mile course, taking in Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, in 2hrs 48 mins 58 secs.

He was only nine seconds ahead of his Salomon team-mate Ricky Lightfoot, the winner in 2014 and 2015. His winning time was two minutes and 55seconds slower than the record over the current course set by Andy Peace, of Bingley Harriers, in 1996.

It meant the Three Peaks Association treasurer Graham Newby did not have to pay out the £500 bonus prize on offer for a winner who could break the men’s record.

His accounts looked even better when Victoria Wilkinson, of Sedbergh, claimed the women’s prize and 35th place overall to beat ultra-runner Mira Rai from Nepal but finished outside Czech runner Anna Pichtova’s 2008 record of 3hrs 14 mins and 43 secs.

Wilkinson, who runs for Bingley Harriers, set 3hrs 26mins 47secs with Rai just over nine minutes behind.

Lauenstein reached the 2,277ft summit of Penyghent from Horton-in-Ribblesdale in 28mins 19secs – three seconds ahead of Lightfoot, but the firefighter from Maryport, then edged into the lead as it turned into a race with their Salomon team-mate Tom Owens, 34.

At High Birkwith only 42 seconds separated them with Lightfoot in the lead, Owens 14 seconds behind and Lauenstein 42 seconds in arrears. Lightfoot reached Ribblehead in 1hrs 12mins 13 secs with Lauenstein, winner of the Pikes Peak Marathon in 2014 and the Marathon du Mont Blanc in 2015, third.

But Lauenstein dug deep on the steep ascent to Whernside’s 2,415ft summit, a climb made treacherous by three days of heavy snow showers and freezing conditions overnight.

Lightfoot, 31, knew the tricky descent down the natural rock steps to Bruntscar and reached the valley bottom Hill Inn checkpoint two seconds ahead of Lauenstein with Owens now just over a minute behind.

But it seemed to be the ascent of Ingleborough which made the difference. Lauenstein reached the 2,372ft summit 1min 4secs ahead of Lightfoot, but the race was far from over and he and Lightfoot gave spectators at Horton a thrilling finish after a five-mile run for home.

Lauenstein, from Neuchatel, near Berne, won a silver medal in the long distance category at the 2005 World Orienteering Championships at Aichi and silver at Aarhus in 2006 and won the South African Otter Trail Run at his first attempt in 2015, but claimed the Three Peaks was his first real fell race.

"Really I am an orienteer which is why I had some trouble running the section up to Ribblehead, but running up Whernside it was my terrain,” he said.

“On the way up Ingleborough I was able to get away from Ricky, but on the way down he was so fast. He is such an incredible runner. I really did have to push hard. When he was getting close I was swearing. I used to think fell running was the thing to do and I always wished I could do it. Today was the day.”

Tom Owens was third in 2hrs 52mins 14secs. Two other runners – both in the Male Veteran Over-40 class - finished in under three hours. They were Karl Gray, of Calder Valley Fell runners in 2hrs 57mins 13secs and Rob Hope of Pudsey and Bramley in 2hrs 58mins 14secs.

In the ladies’ race Helen Berry, of Holmfirth Harriers, was in third place and 71st overall in 3hrs 37mins 20secs. There were 800 starters and 703 finished.

Helm Hill's Nigel Wood, Kieran Hodgson and Craig Burrow won the MV40 team prize while Sharon Taylor, Carrie Gibson and Amanda Burrow led Helm Hill ladies to third place.

L Keswick's Carl Bell won the Coniston Fell Race over a shortened course on Saturday. He denied Ian Holmes his tenth race victory with the Bingley athlete having to settle for second ahead of Borrowdale's Jim Davies.