Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team used its boat to reach one of the injured runners

Three runners in a Lake District challenge were rescued after falling and injuring themselves.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called out three times in three hours today after competitors in the Lakeland Trails event slipped on the Ullswater shore path between Howtown and Patterdale.

The volunteer team used its rescue boat Patrick Scotty to reach a 33-year-old Manchester man after being called out at 11am.

The runner was treated at the scene for an ankle injury, stretchered down the fell to the team’s boat then taken across the lake to a waiting ambulance.

While dealing with the incident, the team was alerted to a second injured runner on the same path, about 3km away.

The 35-year-old woman from Oswestry slipped and broke her wrist.

A Patterdale MRT spokesperson said: “After calling for help the woman made her own way to a farmhouse where she was met and treated by a team member and shortly afterwards transferred to hospital by ambulance.

“The casualty’s running partner was picked up by the team in their rescue boat and transported back to Glenridding.

“Just as the team were about to head back to base for a cup of tea a third callout was received for a 55-year-old man from North Yorkshire who had fallen, again on the same path, injuring his knee and sustaining cuts and bruises to his face.

“He was treated by the team and stretchered off the mountain to a waiting team Land Rover.”

Rescuers took him to their Patterdale base where he was met by his family who took him to hospital.

The afternoon’s rescues took more than five hours and involved 16 volunteer team members.

The Lakeland Trails are a series of races of between 10km and 17km staged at various locations across the national park.