Sabrina Verjee

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Sabrina Verjee (born 1980or1981) is a British long-distance fell-runner who held the overall record for the 325 mile circuit of the Wainwrights from June 2021 to May 2022 [1] and the female record for the Pennine Way from September 2020 to August 2021. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Early life and education

Verjee grew up in Surrey and studied human sciences at Oxford University. After a few months working as an investment banker she studied veterinary medicine at Cambridge, with a postgraduate certificate in emergency medicine and surgery. At both universities she ran and rowed, and at Cambridge she took up modern pentathlon and then adventure racing. [5] [2]

Running

Verjee competed in, and won, her first ultramarathon, the Grand Tour of Skiddaw, in 2014. [3]

In 2017 she competed in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, finishing in 21st place, but did not enjoy the experience: "You climb to the top of the hill and all you can hear is these banging cowbells and shouting people, but it's so foreign to me because I actually go to the hills for peace and quiet. I just hated it". [3]

Pennine Way

In Summer 2019 she was the overall winner of the Spine Fusion, a summer race which follows a similar route to the Pennine Way but is not identical, in a time of 81hrs 19mins. In January 2020 she finished fifth overall, and first woman, in the Spine Race, the equivalent winter race; her time was 108hrs 7 mins, outside the female race record of 83hrs 12mins set the previous year by Jasmin Paris. [7]

In September 2020 Verjee set a female record for the fastest completion of the Pennine Way, finishing the 268 miles (431 km) run in 3 days 2hrs 28mins. [8] This stood until August 2021 when Anna Troup set a new best time of 3 days 46 minutes. [9]

Wainwrights

Verjee's first attempt at a tour of the 214 Wainwright summits in June 2020 was ended early due to COVID-19 restrictions. [10] She tried again the following month and on 12 July, returned to her start point having visited all the 214 summits in 6 days, 17 hours and 51 minutes, a route of 325 miles (523 km) involving 36,000 metres (118,000 ft) of ascent. However, this was not claimed as a record for the challenge as she had received physical support because of knee problems ("I needed assistance down Clough Head to the Old Coach Road – I had to lean on little Dave to take the weight off"). [6] [11] In September of that year, Mel Steventon became the first woman known to have run all the Wainwrights in a continuous journey, with a time of 13 days 12 hours. [12]

On 30 April 2021, Verjee began another effort on the route, aiming to complete in under six days, but had to stop after three days because the severe weather conditions were aggravating her asthma. She said: "This is not the conclusion I had anticipated and I am hugely disappointed. This story isn't over. I love running and I love exploring the Wainwrights. We have unfinished business." [13] [4]

She started a further attempt on 11 June 2021 and was successful, completing the tour of the Wainwrights in 5 days 23 hours 49 minutes and 12 seconds. This was the fastest time by anyone for the route. [1] The overall record was broken on 7 May 2022 by 37-year-old American runner John Kelly who completed in a time of 5 days 12hrs 14mins 42secs, taking more than 11 hours off Verjee's time. [14]

Personal life

Verjee works as a vet in Carnforth and lives in Langdale with her three cats [5] [3] and husband. [13]

On 21 August 2021 she was Simon Armitage's guest in his BBC Radio 4 programme The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed. [15]

Related Research Articles

Alfred Wainwright MBE, who preferred to be known as A. Wainwright or A.W., was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the English Lake District. Among his 40-odd other books is the first guide to the Coast to Coast Walk, a 182-mile (293-kilometre) long-distance footpath devised by Wainwright which remains popular today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennine Way</span> Long distance footpath in England

The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail stretches for 268 miles (431 km) from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border. The path runs along the Pennine hills, sometimes described as the "backbone of England". Although not the United Kingdom's longest National Trail, it is, according to The Ramblers, "one of Britain's best known and toughest".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultramarathon</span> Footrace longer than the marathon

An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres. The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast to Coast Walk</span> Walk from the west coast to the east coast of Britain

The Coast to Coast Walk is a long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England, nominally 190-mile (306 km) long. Devised by Alfred Wainwright, it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park. The current actual measured distance is reported as 182-mile (293 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fell running</span> Sport of running and racing, off-road, over upland country

Fell running, also sometimes known as hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off-road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty. The name arises from the origins of the English sport on the fells of northern Britain, especially those in the Lake District. It has elements of trail running, cross country and mountain running, but is also distinct from those disciplines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furness line</span>

The Furness line is a British railway between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster, joining the West Coast Main Line at Carnforth. A predominantly passenger line, it serves various towns along the Furness coast, including Barrow-in-Furness, Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands. It runs through Cumbria and Lancashire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joss Naylor</span> British fell runner (1936–2024)

Joseph Naylor was an English fell runner who set many long-distance records, and a sheep farmer, living in the Lake District. He became known as the "King of the Fells" or simply the "Iron Man".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathrine Switzer</span> German-born American runner (born 1947)

Kathrine Virginia Switzer is an American marathon runner, author, and television commentator.

Paul Tierney is an Irish sportsperson and fell runner. He played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 2003 until 2004.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasmin Paris</span> British runner (born 1983)

Jasmin Karina Paris is a British runner who has been a national fell running champion and who has set records for the Bob Graham Round and the Ramsay Round. In 2024, she became the first woman to successfully complete the Barkley Marathons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Morgan</span> Irish ultrarunner

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Stephen Birkinshaw is an English fell runner and hydrologist. From 21 June 2014 until 20 June 2019 he held the record for the fastest run round the 214 Wainwright summits, at 6 days 13 hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jez Bragg</span> British ultramarathon runner

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The Spine Race is an ultramarathon held over a distance of around 268 miles (431 km) from Edale, England, to Kirk Yetholm, Scotland, along the Pennine Way. Participants are allowed seven days to complete the course. The race has been held annually since 2012. Initially held in the winter only a summer version the Spine Fusion was introduced in 2017. The events are now known as the Winter Spine Race and Summer Spine Race.

Michael Hartley is a British ultramarathon runner. He has held the record for a number of British long-distance trails, including the Pennine Way, and has represented Great Britain in the 100km road race.

John Wade Kelly is an American endurance athlete who specializes in ultrarunning.

Anna Troup is a British ultramarathon runner who, in 2021, achieved the fastest known time for a female completion of the Pennine Way. She is a qualified lawyer and works in financial management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damian Hall</span> British ultrarunner, author and activist

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References

  1. 1 2 "Sabrina Verjee sets record for running 214 Wainwright peaks in less than six days". the Guardian. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 Hall, Damian (28 October 2020). "The first lady - Sabrina Verjee". Runner's World. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Halford, Paul (12 January 2021). "Sabrina Verjee interview". Trail Running. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Cumbrian vet ends second attempt at Wainwright world record". BBC News. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 "Carnforth Pet Care - Vets - Sabrina Verjee". carnforthpc. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Sabrina Verjee and Kim Collison make ultra running history in the Lake District". Athletics Weekly. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Stirling, Sarah (22 January 2021). "Interview: winners of the 2020 Montane Spine Race". thebmc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Smith, Bob (15 September 2020). "Runner Sabrina Verjee sets new female Pennine Way record time". Grough. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Smith, Bob (17 August 2021). "Runner Anna Troup completes Pennine Way in new record female time". Grough. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  10. ↑ Ally Beaven, Broken (Sheffield, 2020).
  11. ↑ "Cumbrian vet 'first woman' to complete Wainwright challenge". BBC News. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Mason, Vivien (6 October 2020). "Skipton woman completes 214 Wainwrights in less than two weeks". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Cumbrian vet starts second attempt at Wainwright world record". BBC News. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Smith, Bob (7 May 2022). "Runner John Kelly sets new record for completing round of Wainwright fells". Grough. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Sabrina Verjee". BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
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