The Bob Graham Blues

The Bob Graham Round has long been an iconic goal for fell runners but, with more attempts than ever, increasingly worn trods and rumours of Kilian Jornet attempting the record, has it become just another endurance junkie’s box to tick?

On June 13-14th 1932, shod in an old pair of plimsolls, Bob Graham summited 42 Lakeland Peaks in 23:39 covering, according to modern measurements, 72 miles and 26,000ft of ascent. The enormity (insanity?) of the feat being confirmed by it standing unchallenged until finally being beaten in 1960 by Alan Heaton clocking 22:18. Since then, people have gone faster, the legendary Billy Bland holding the record in a staggering 13:53, longer with Mark Hartell topping out on 77 peaks in 24 hours and colder, completing rounds in the depths of winter.

However, for most fell runners, their target is the still massive achievement of replicating Bob’s Round and covering the 42 Peaks in 24 hours. Having recced all the 5 legs and witnessed several attempts, I can fully attest to the scale of this task. At the end of 2010, 1617 members had completed the Round and, having proudly received their certificate at the annual dinner, joined this exclusive club.

Completing a Round involves so much more than the 24-hour attempt. Endless weekends in the Lakes to train and recce the route, finding pacers to witness your attempt, encourage you and help with navigation and recruiting long suffering road crossing support teams to feed you and to lift you off that camping chair when all you want to do is sleep. Because of these epic logistics and almost infinite amount of goodwill needed from friends and volunteers, it’s become traditional to serve a Bob Graham apprenticeship. By helping out pacing, providing company on recces and manning road crossings on friends’ and club-mates’ Rounds, you learn the ropes and know that they’ll reciprocate the favour when it comes to your attempt. Certain strong fell running clubs now have a “Bob Graham Round Machine” lining up successful attempts following the same tried and trusted formula year after year.

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