Royals

Pippa Middleton Slogs 50 Miles Through Mud

The younger Middleton finishes on top in the 20-mile run and 30-mile bike race

Published on June 20, 2011 03:30 PM

What could be more daunting than the trek Pippa Middleton made down the Westminster Abbey aisle on April 29?

The race she ran last Saturday would likely qualify.

The younger Middleton sister, 27, sloshed through mud and rain and over the rough terrain in the Highland Cross, a 50-mile endurance race across Scotland that features a grueling 20-mile run followed by a 30-mile bike race.

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In her first attempt at the race, the famously fit royal bridesmaid completed the course in an impressive 5 hours, 8 minutes, finishing 12th out of 150 women.

“I am really tired,” she told reporters afterward. “It was one of the toughest things I have done. I don’t know if I will do it again but I am really pleased to have finished.”

“She did very well,” added event organizer John Fraser. “She was still smiling at the end, despite the rain and the heavy wind. The wind was against her and the other competitors the whole way.”

Chopper Arrival

Pippa arrived at the starting line (in front of a sheep shed) by private helicopter, which cost about $1,615 an hour to charter.

Fraser noted that athletes usually take a bus arranged by the race organizers but this was not the first time a helicopter has dropped off competitors since the race started in 1983.

The race ended in a village called Beauly, where volunteers provided an informal party, and Fraser said Pippa hung around after the race. The Highland Cross raises money for charities that provide medical and social services for people living in the Highlands.

As far as Pippa’s much-followed love life is concerned, rumors are swirling about whether she and ex cricketer/financier boyfriend Alex Loudon are still an item.

A member of Loudon’s family told the U.K.’s Mail on Sunday that rumors of the split are “completely untrue,” though the couple has not been spotted together for weeks.

Loudon is supposed to attend a family affair with Pippa in two weeks. She’s been spotted around London and on vacation in Spain with former roommate George Percy, whose family home is the setting for Hogwarts Castle in the Harry Potter films.