The beginning of the Lake District addiction and the Bob Graham bug
“A testing ground for the supremely fit” (Bob Graham,1932)
The Bob Graham round
The Bob Graham Round is a fell running challenge consisting of a 66 mile, 27,000ft circuit of 42 of the highest peaks in the English Lake District with the added challenge of completing it within a 24-hour time limit. Bob Graham first completed it in 1932, and each summer around 100 of the adrenaline-fuelled ultra-distance runners attempt it, and only 1 in 3 complete it.
The Bob Graham Round is one of the classic big three mountain challenges in the UK; with the Paddy Buckley Round and the Ramsay Round being the other two. (Only thirty individuals completing all three!)
Since I was introduced to the fell running scene by a fellow runner and Bob Graham completer, Alan Billington. It has always been at the back of my mind to explore the purity of fell running in lakes myself. Hence I jumped at the opportunity to support Jonathan kinder (a Bob Graham completer) who was wanting to push the boundaries further and complete an extended Bob Graham round clockwise and run 50 peaks in under 24 hours. (The principle of your age equals the number of peaks you summit; after the age of 42)
A breakdown of the round into the typical 5 legs
“A testing ground for the supremely fit” (Bob Graham,1932)
The Bob Graham round
The Bob Graham Round is a fell running challenge consisting of a 66 mile, 27,000ft circuit of 42 of the highest peaks in the English Lake District with the added challenge of completing it within a 24-hour time limit. Bob Graham first completed it in 1932, and each summer around 100 of the adrenaline-fuelled ultra-distance runners attempt it, and only 1 in 3 complete it.
The Bob Graham Round is one of the classic big three mountain challenges in the UK; with the Paddy Buckley Round and the Ramsay Round being the other two. (Only thirty individuals completing all three!)
Since I was introduced to the fell running scene by a fellow runner and Bob Graham completer, Alan Billington. It has always been at the back of my mind to explore the purity of fell running in lakes myself. Hence I jumped at the opportunity to support Jonathan kinder (a Bob Graham completer) who was wanting to push the boundaries further and complete an extended Bob Graham round clockwise and run 50 peaks in under 24 hours. (The principle of your age equals the number of peaks you summit; after the age of 42)
A breakdown of the round into the typical 5 legs
Leg 1: Moot hall (Keswick) - Threlkeld
Leg 2: Threlkeld – Dunmail Raise
Leg 3: Dunmail Raise – Wasdale
Leg 4: Wasdale – Honister Pass
Leg 5: Honister Pass - Moot Hall
(Keswick) via additional road support at Newlands
The route is unable to have any extra
legs due to it doesn’t cross any more roads
The support team
The first thing I soon learnt about increasing the
chances of a Bob Graham round completion had a strong support team around you.
Jons team was extremely strong and experienced; 10 runners over the round with
at least two on each leg that navigated, pace set, time kept and fed and
watered Jon regularly. It consisted of hardy ultra distance fell runners,
orienteers and mountain marathon experts with almost all completing the bob
graham rounds. They had substantial knowledge of the fells to help with
quicker/smoother line choices, and their map reading skills were second to
none, which led to swift running at all times. In addition to the superb support on the fells, road support was required for a bob graham attempt to be realistic of completion (Jo who was driving the campervan for the whole round had supported the Bob Graham round 5 times; she only slept for 30 mins over the 24 hours!). At each leg, the road support team would ferry the support runners to the start of the leg with all of the necessary running kit and supplies. Once Jon arrives at the beginning of each leg; the road support team would feed him with warm food (Baked beans, soup and rice pudding) and then quickly pack the running support crews rucksacks with food and water for Jon for the next leg.
Leg 4 and 5 statistics combined
3D route profile: https://www.relive.cc/view/2471534068
Distance:
23 milesElevation: 8500 ft
Leg 4 Wasdale to Honister
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| Wasdale |
This was my first time I had run any of the legs; consequently, I started at the back and followed the footsteps of the other support team and carried the main food for Jon (Bannan, 2 chocolate bars and a packet of crisps). The start of my leg instantly began with a bonkers 2000-foot climb to the top of Yewbarrow, which took 40 minutes. After this, we had a small descent until we had another long climb towards Red Pike where which I stayed at the side of Jon fueling and keeping his mind occupied with random conversation (a pattern of the day; long climbs with fast and loose descents).
Although Jon had been running for over 14 hours, he looked fresh and kept running with ease the final legs. It was amazing to see his sheer fitness and determination as he must have been suffering some pain…or is he just superhuman as he didn’t seem to be struggling! He was that fast that he broke the rest of his support runners which led to myself doing some navigation to the peaks, Green Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts and then towards Honister Pass (the start of leg 5).
Honister
Pass to Keswick- Moots hall
After
a swift transition of fuelling Jon and filling up our bottles (we had perfect
sunny weather for both legs) from the road support team, we set off up towards
Dalehead. The leg began with a long climb, but we all knew Jon had the Bob
Graham in the bag by now, so nothing was going to stop him. Leg 5 was more
populated by runner and walkers which made of a friendly atmosphere as Jon
ticked off the final peaks of the round; Hindscarth and Robinson. All we had to
do now was smash it down the rocky descent off Robinson and plod our way along
the 5-mile road section to the moot hall. Due to Jon's super pace on leg 5,
unfortunately, the road support couldn't reach us in time at the Newlands layby
to allow is to swap our fell shoes for some road trainers, so I began to feel
the impact in my joints from the pounding on the tarmac in my minimal padded
fell shoes.
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| Hindscarf |
To
summarise, leg 4 was hard but the scenery was stunning, and leg 5 was more
forgiving until the tricky and steep descent off Robinson and the 5-mile road
section that led to the finish line of Moots hall where Jon completed the 50
peaks round in 21hours and 16 mins, and he was just under 3 hours faster than
scheduled!
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| Jon's Bob Graham team
Bob Graham 50 peaks schedule
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