Fred Bagley has finally taken the Three Peaks Fell Race trophy home – 57 years after winning the inaugual race.

There was no official award when Bagley triumphed in 1954. But now the 80-year-old, who lives on the Wirral, is looking after the carved oak trophy after it was given to him by the 2011 winner Thomas Owens, of Shettleston Harriers in Glasgow.

Bagley, a retired aeronautical engineer and teacher, who was invited to present trophies after the Three Peaks Race at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, near Settle, on Saturday, watched Owens win in a time of 2hrs 53mins 34secs.

Owens, 29, said: “It was a privilege to meet Fred Bagley, who is such an important figure in the history of fell running.

“It is right that he should have the trophy to look after for me. I am proud and very happy to ask him to hold it on my behalf.”

Mr Bagley, who was one of the founders of the Three Peaks Race, which originally started at the Hill Inn at Chapel-le-Dale, said: “I will cherish the trophy and show it to my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It feels so good to be able to hold it after so many years.”

The oak wall plaque includes two of the Three Peaks – Penyghent and an outline of Ingleborough – as well as the Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle railway and Horton-in-Ribblesdale church. It was first presented in 1958.

Chairman of the Three Peaks Race Association, Paul Dennison, said: “The fell runners and their supporters gave Mr Bagley a tremendous reception at the prize presentation and we were delighted that Tom Owens made such a wonderful gesture.”

When Mr Bagley ran in the first race in 1954 there were only six competitors and he won in a time of 3hrs 48 mins.

This year 766 runners tackled the 23.3 mile course, which has 5,279ft of ascent over the summits of Penyghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.

The record time for the Three Peaks Race, which is supported by Welcome to Yorkshire, is 2hrs 46mins 3secs.

It was set in 1996 by Andy Peace, from Bingley Harriers. Saturday’s race was run in near perfect conditions except for gale force winds on the mountain summits. It was only the second time that Owens had competed in the Three Peaks. In 2008 he finished second in an international field when the race hosted the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge. On Saturday he beat the 2008 winner Jethro Lennox, also of Shettleston Harriers, who finished in fourth place.

Twenty Year old James Mountain of Skipton Athletics Club – contesting the event for the second time – improved on his previous time to finish as fifth under-25 runner in 3 hours 37 minutes 38 seconds.

He came 57th overall from the massive total of 762 finishers, and with some of the big names close at hand, Wharfedale Harriers Mark McColdrick from Settle also made a particularly worthy impact at open-age level as he finished 33rd in 3:28:33.

Another Wharfedale Harrier, Tamara Hird from Silsden likewise impressed as eighth female finisher in a time of 3:57:35 .