2013
Not every challenge was on foot.
Dragon-boat racing was another part of the story: teams pulling together on the water, with a very different kind of finish line.
01 · The early years
Taking on challenges together.
Running, walking, mountain days and the encouragement of a group. The early archive is full of people giving something a go.
2010–2012
A shared starting point.
Before the annual programmes and international journeys, there was a community of people taking on challenges together. Branded shirts, muddy shoes and a good reason to get outside.
Challenge Central Limited was incorporated on .
02 · The first bigger journeys
A little further from home.
A route to Paris became a real journey. Closer to home, there were other ways to bring people together.
2013
The first road to Paris.
An April recce came first. In July, a small group set off on our first official London–Paris ride.
This photograph captures the arrival: bikes gathered beneath the Eiffel Tower, tired legs and something worth remembering. Paris would become a destination we returned to with many different groups.
Ride to Paris with us →
2015
A local finish. A shared cause.
Medals, a Challenge Central tent and an Action for Children banner. The Cambridge photographs capture the mix of local riding, friendship and a reason to take part.
Explore the Cambridge ride →03 · Going further
More routes. More reasons to go.
The portfolio grew across mountains, cycling and bespoke group experiences. A printed brochure gives us a glimpse of that period.
2016
A broader world of challenges.
Paris and Amsterdam rides sat alongside Three Peaks, Welsh mountain days, Kilimanjaro and dragon-boat racing in the brochure.
Public dates and bespoke experiences were becoming different ways into the same idea: choose something meaningful, then bring the route and support together.
2016–2017
One journey led to another.
IHG rode from London to Amsterdam in 2016. The following year, the brief moved to Yorkshire for another two days on the road.
A returning team could take on a fresh route while keeping the support and people they trusted.
Read the IHG story →04 · Challenges with purpose
Different teams. Different challenges.
Some groups wanted a mountain day. Others wanted a cross-border ride or several activities in one experience. Listening to the brief mattered.
2019
Bespoke meant making it fit.
Ashmore combined cycling, trekking and kayaking. FIDI took a London–Amsterdam journey for Operation Smile. Tristan headed into the Welsh mountains, while Sysmex took on National Three Peaks.
Different experiences, planned around the people taking part and the purpose behind the day.
Explore the client stories →2020–2021
Plans changed.
The story continued.
The archive records cancelled programmes and new operating protocols during the pandemic. It was a period of adapting plans, not a neat continuation of the years before.
Mountain, cycling and walking programmes returned in the years that followed, including a Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge for Sysmex in 2021.
The people behind the miles.
A welcome at a stop, a briefing, a vehicle where it is needed. These quieter moments are part of every journey too.
05 · Partnerships that return
The next chapter, together.
A repeat programme is more than another date in a diary. It is a chance to build on what a team has already achieved.
2022–2026
A new destination each year.
Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Cologne and Lille. Five consecutive years of Smith & Nephew cycling challenges, with a different destination to look forward to.
Alongside the rides, colleagues have also headed into the mountains. A relationship can grow in more than one direction.
Follow the five-year programme →
2026
Walking with purpose, across cities.
The September Lloyds/Crisis City Walks programme spanned 10 locations and 20 routes, with 12- and 20-mile choices. A shared cause, made accessible in different places.
Read the City Walks story →
2024–2026
More ways to reach the hills.
Snowdonia, Brecon and the Lake District: three years of regional mountain challenges with ALM Fitness, each offering a new landscape and another day together.
Explore the ALM journey →
2026
A mountain day with meaningful impact.
Irwin Mitchell's Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge brought 40 of its colleagues together with Crisis colleagues to take on the route.
The firm's published account reports more than £64,000 raised, including match funding, for this event. A specific achievement, behind one memorable day.
Read their challenge story →06 · Challenge Central today
Still about the people beside you.
Mountain days, European rides, city walks and bespoke experiences. The portfolio has changed; the value of sharing a challenge has not.
The next journey is yours.
Join a public date, bring your own group or create an experience around your team and cause. We still start by asking who is coming, what matters to them and how we can help them get there.
