LITMIR.BIZ

      INTRODUCTION

      This book will introduce you to the world of trail and fell running on some of the finest mountains of the world; the Lake District. They may not have the stark granite spires of the Mont Blanc massif, or the huge mountain faces of the Himalayas or the Andes, but the old weathered Cumbrian mountains exude a majesty and history that make them more quietly stunning and fascinating. It’s a landscape that draws you in, with the next fell ever beckoning you to run its slopes, until the lure of a cosy pub beckons you back into the valley.

      It was only at the end of writing this book that I realised what a personal journey it had been for me. I sat atop Jenkins Crag at sunset one glorious June evening, the surface of Windermere as still as a mirror below me, as the fells beyond caught the last rays of the sun; Wetherlam, Cold Pike, Crinkle Crags, Bowfell and Loughrigg. Each ridgeline, each crinkle, each notch on those fellsides was as familiar as my own hands, and a cascade of memories flooded in with each area my eyes focused on. To be lucky enough to live in the Lake District is one thing, but to feel so connected to these fells and to have learnt to read the running lines over them forges a permanent bond.

      There is a rich history of mountain running in the UK, with the first recorded fell race in Braemar around 1040. The Lake District became the spiritual home to fell running, with the Guide’s Race in each of the village fairs and sports days. These were first recorded in the 19th century, and one of the oldest events occurs each August in Grasmere. Keswick hotelier Bob Graham made a round of 42 fell tops within 24 hours in 1932, and this circuit has become a test piece for all fell runners.

      Bob Graham took 23hr 39min, but the men’s record now stands at 13hr 53min by Billy Bland in 1982, and the women’s at 15hr 24min by Jasmin Paris in 2016. Joss Naylor ran an incredible round with 72 peaks in 23hr 20min in 1975. In 1970 the Fell Runners Association (FRA) was established, and there are now over 400 races each year in its calendar. Many records in fell running stand for an incredible length of time, such as Kenny Stuart’s 18min 56sec record for the Wansfell race, set back in 1983.

      Books have been written about the rich history of fell running, but there has been a growth in other facets of the sport of mountain running, including trail running and ultras. Some of this growth has been driven by the development of better clothing, equipment and training, but also changes in lifestyle and a challenge-based culture have seen a demand for the evolution of different styles of mountain running. Some runners want to stay on trails and paths, while others want to belt hell for leather over the open hillsides. What unites these various facets of the sport is that mountain running is driven by the simplicity and the joy of pushing one’s limits in glorious scenery. Mountain running gives us freedom.