Borrowdale Fell Race

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2018 Borrowdale Fell Race Ian Holmes 2018 Borrowdale Fell Race Ian Holmes 1.jpg
2018 Borrowdale Fell Race Ian Holmes

The Borrowdale Fell Race is an annual fell race held in August, starting and finishing in Rosthwaite. It is considered to be one of the "classic" Lakeland races and the route initially heads over Bessyboot before climbing England's highest summit, Scafell Pike. Great Gable is then scaled before a descent to Honister Pass and the final climb up Dale Head. The distance is approximately 17 miles (27 kilometres) and the route has around 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) of ascent. [1]

Contents

History

The race, sponsored by Miles Jessop of the Scafell Hotel, Borrowdale, and the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale, was originally intended to link those two establishments. However, Chris Bland, Andy Ewing and others decided on the route via Bessyboot, Esk Hause, Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Honister Hause and Dale Head. The inaugural race was held in 1974 and in that year only, there was an extra checkpoint in Tongue Gill on the descent to Rosthwaite. [2]

In 2001, a foot-and-mouth outbreak led to the cancellation of many fell races. Borrowdale was one of the first to take place as the access restrictions were reduced, and Prince Philip presented the prizes to the leading runners that year. [3]

In 2003, the route to the first checkpoint on Bessyboot was changed following concerns about the possibility of serious injuries due to falling rocks on the steep climb. [4]

The 2007 race was run over a shortened course due to inclement weather. After the climb up Bessyboot and traverse to Esk Hause, runners were directed to Sty Head, missing out Scafell Pike on which conditions were considered to be unsafe. From Sty Head, the usual route was rejoined with the ascent of Great Gable. [5]

A forecast thunderstorm at the time of the 2021 race resulted in a shorter route of around 8 miles (13 kilometres) being used that year. The course went over High Spy and Dale Head, then down to Honister before returning to Rosthwaite. [6]

Borrowdale is one of the Lakeland Classics Trophy races [7] and it has frequently been one of the counting races in the English or British Fell Running Championships. [8]

Results

The men's course record is held by Billy Bland with a time of 2:34:38 set in 1981. [9] The fastest time in the years since then is 2:35:18 by Simon Booth in the 1999 event when the race was featured on the BBC’s Grandstand. [10] The women's record is 3:15:33 by Jasmin Paris in 2015. Due to course changes, this superseded the time of 3:14:36 set by Menna Angharad in 1997. [11] [12]

Simon Booth has the most wins, with twelve between 1995 and 2010. Billy Bland won ten times between 1976 and 1988. Sarah Haines won the women’s race five times between 1985 and 1990.

A board showing the winners of the race is on permanent display in the Scafell Hotel. [13]

The winners have been as follows. [14]

YearMenTimeWomenTime
1974Dave Halstead3:05:07[Note 1]
1975Mike Short3:13:30
1976 Billy Bland 2:53:30
1977Mike Short2:49:03
1978Mike Short2:44:52
1979Billy Bland2:37:11
1980Billy Bland2:41:31 Pauline Haworth 3:50:45
1981Billy Bland2:34:38 Ros Coats 3:30:30
1982Billy Bland2:43:38Rosie Naish3:55:13
1983 Kenny Stuart 2:45:25Daphne Varney3:54:30
1984Billy Bland2:37:45Pauline Haworth3:26:05
1985Billy Bland2:42:13Sarah Haines4:13:43
1986Billy Bland2:52:38Sarah Haines4:29:17
1987Billy Bland2:41:18Sarah Haines3:50:23
1988Billy Bland2:42:50Sarah Haines3:38:26
1989Dave Spedding2:50:37Sue Mackay3:53:17
1990 Mark Rigby 2:40:07Sarah Haines3:29:19
1991 Gavin Bland 2:40:37 Helene Diamantides 3:26:05
1992Gavin Bland2:43:33Helene Diamantides3:30:31
1993Gavin Bland2:47:43Mari Todd3:53:40
1994 Ian Holmes 2:42:22Nicola Davies3:37:31
1995 Simon Booth 2:49:33Menna Angharad3:25:33
1996Ian Holmes2:45:56 Sarah Rowell 3:15:34
1997Jonathan Bland2:42:04Menna Angharad3:14:36
1998Simon Booth2:40:18Louise Osborn3:46:06
1999Simon Booth2:35:18Helene Diamantides3:14:45
2000Simon Booth2:42:46Janet King3:17:19
2001Simon Booth2:47:13Hilde Krynen3:56:03
2002Simon Booth2:50:20Helen Jackson3:58:10
2003Simon Booth2:49:12Nicola Davies3:46:18
2004Simon Booth2:50:37Jill Mykura3:41:02
2005Simon Booth2:46:18Nicola Davies3:40:25
2006Simon Booth3:01:48Helene Diamantides3:44:24
2007[Note 2]Ben Bardsley2:18:29Sharon Taylor3:03:10
2008Simon Booth2:49:50Janet McIver3:25:34
2009 Rob Jebb 2:51:54Mary Gillie4:00:24
2010Simon Booth2:52:42 Philippa Maddams 3:19:42
2011Ben Abdelnoor2:52:37Andrea Rowlands3:47:43
2012 Ricky Lightfoot 2:49:20 Jasmin Paris 3:32:03
2013Ricky Lightfoot2:51:24 Nicky Spinks 3:53:13
2014Ricky Lightfoot3:03:16Judith Jepson3:56:59
2015Ricky Lightfoot2:54:14Jasmin Paris3:15:33
2016Ricky Lightfoot2:49:21Lou Roberts3:26:09
2017Carl Bell2:50:05Catherine Spurden3:45:14
2018Ricky Lightfoot2:51:59Jasmin Paris3:32:46
2019Ricky Lightfoot3:03:57Majka Kunicka4:00:05
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021[Note 2]Ricky Lightfoot1:16:00Sharon Taylor1:33:14
2022Brennan Townshend2:58:42Anna Lupton3:48:04
2023Brennan Townshend2:53:16Holly Wootten3:49:05
2024Tom Simpson3:01:24Nichola Jackson3:26:16
2025 Finlay Wild 2:49:26Eve Pannone3:39:16

Note 1: Halstead's time is given as 3:05:57 on the winners’ board but as 3:05:07 in other sources.

Note 2: The 2007 and 2021 races were run over shorter courses.

References

  1. Angela Mudge, World’s Ultimate Running Races (Glasgow, 2011), 297.
  2. Bill Smith, Stud Marks on the Summits (Preston, 1985), 182-85; "Chris Bland Found Dead in Borrowdale Valley", Cumberland & Westmorland Herald, 22 Mar 2003; "MBE for Lakeland Hotelier", Cumberland & Westmorland Herald, 3 Jan 2004.
  3. Steve Chilton, It's a Hill, Get Over It (Dingwall, 2013), 85-87; The Times, 6 Aug 2001.
  4. The Fellrunner Magazine, Jun 2003, 20; The Fellrunner Magazine, Oct 2003, 66.
  5. Northumberland Fell Runners: 2007 Race Reports – Borrowdale Fell Race.
  6. Ellenborough AC: Club News.
  7. Lakeland Classics Trophy.
  8. "Graham Breeze, "Classic Fell Races Part 1: Il Campionissimo", The Fellrunner Magazine, Jun 2001, 8-11" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  9. "The Fell Runner, Dec 1981, 24-27" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  10. "Bland Clinches Fell Running Title in Front of Home Crowd", Cumberland & Westmorland Herald, 14 Aug 1999.
  11. "The Fellrunner, Oct 1997, 14, results section, 28" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  12. "English Fell Running Championships Preview 2025," The Fellrunner, Autumn 2024, 105-07.
  13. Scafell Hotel: The Riverside Bar; Archived 2016-08-28 at the Wayback Machine Borrowdale Fell Race Winners.
  14. Borrowdale Fell Race Winners; The Fell Runner, 1974, 35 Archived 2016-06-01 at the Wayback Machine ; Steve Chilton, It's a Hill, Get Over It (Dingwall, 2013), 85-87; SPORTident Results; Graham Breeze, "Classic Fell Races Part 1: Il Campionissimo", The Fellrunner Magazine, Jun 2001, 8-11 Archived 2016-06-03 at the Wayback Machine ; Bill Smith, "An Early History of the Lakeland Long As: 1968-85"; Borrowdale Fell Runners: Race Results; The Fellrunner, Oct 1998, Results section, 28; Borrowdale Fell Runners: Borrowdale 2001 Results; Fellrunner.org.uk: Results; Power of 10: Borrowdale 2013 Results.