THE ‘mini beast from the East’ put paid to the long-awaited Shropshire Hills 80k.

A bad forecast and concerns for the safety of walkers and runners resulted in the last-minute postponement of the 50-mile challenge that should have started from Craven Arms on Saturday.

The challenge taking in the ‘Shropshire Way’ is now scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 28.

Organisers said that cold temperatures and strong winds made it unsafe to go-ahead with the event that was due to start at 3am.

A major concern was about the ability of rescue vehicles and the emergency services to get to any injured or unwell participants.

It is hoped that people who had booked on will be able to take part on the revised date and booking have been reopened.

The challenge in a route of 80km (50 miles) and the aim is for competitors to complete the circuit in less than 24 hours.

Run as a charity fund-raising event by local charity, Grow Cook Learn, the Shropshire Way 80K is a new mass participation challenge walk taking in some of the finest parts of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Starting and finishing at Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms, the home of Grow Cook Learn, the route will take walkers through the very best of Shropshire’s amazing, undiscovered landscape and some of its hidden market towns.

Along the way, as competitors pass through check points, they will be able to sample some of the wonderful local produce.

The snowfall that caused the postponement of the 80k is the third time this winter that Ludlow and south Shropshire as well as Tenbury and the Teme Valley have been affected by bad weather.

Although the ‘mini beast’ was shorter and less disruptive than the earlier falls it still resulted in problems for travel but this was not as bad as it might have been as it came over a weekend.