Winter Wainwrights – James Gibson

The Wainwright’s challenge is one of the most popular and infamously difficult fell running challenges in the UK. The route takes in all 214 original English Lake District fells summits, covering 318 miles of stunning distance, incorporating 36,000m of ascent!

Previous record holders for the Wainwrights challenge have included Pioneer Alan Heaton (9 days, 16 hours), Fell Legend Joss Naylor (7 days, one hour, 25 minutes), and the phenomenal Steve Birkinshaw (6 days, 13 hours).

Making his way into the history books, James Gibson recently took on the Wainwright’s challenge for himself, but not to go after an FKT record, rather blaze the trail into the unknown completing the round during winter, a never been done before, awe-inspiring attempt, when the fells are at their most dangerous!

Facing two storms and icy summits, James made his way to the finish line in a total time of 8 days, 6 hours, 43 minutes, thankfully, he lived to tell the tale … to Ultrarunner Magazine!

An accidental Bob Graham…

“I am always outdoors, I climb quite a bit, and through my job, I have a decent level of hill fitness, though I had never been big on running until my good friend Joe got me into it around five years ago”.

“One day (around two years ago), I went out and completed leg one of the Bob Graham Round, finishing within the suggested time frame of 24-hours and rather enjoyed it. The week after that, I went to do a Recce of legs three, four and five up to Kezzik. I had planned to go back to my car after that last section, calling it a day after leg five. However, I was moving alright, and I was up on time. I called Joe, who I had been in contact with throughout the day, and he said, why don’t you just carry on and finish the entire round? and so I did!”.

“Completing the first legs solo and managing to pick up a few friends to run with me for the remaining legs, I carried on and almost accidentally completed a Bob Graham Round, finishing in a reasonable time of 24-hours and 20 minutes!”.