Steve Birkinshaw

Last updated

Stephen Birkinshaw (born 1968) 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. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Fell running

Birkinshaw was introduced to orienteering by his family as a child. He competed in many long-distance fell running events, and completed the Bob Graham Round in 2005 in a time of 17 hours 9 minutes. [4] He won the Original Mountain Marathon, formerly known as the Karrimoor International Mountain Marathon, in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2009. [5]

In 1987 Joss Naylor set a record for a run around all 214 Wainwrights, completing this in 7 days 1 hour 25 minutes, beating Alan Heaton's 1985 time of 9 days 16 hours 42 minutes. [6]

Birkinshaw broke this record on 21 June 2014 in a time of 6 days 12 hours 58 minutes. [6] In doing so he raised over £22,000 for two multiple sclerosis charities, the MS Society and the Samson Centre for MS in Guildford, [7] because his sister has MS. [2] He described the run in his book There is No Map in Hell, including full details of his route and timings, as well as the complex logistics of support runners, road support, and general planning involved in the operation, and the pain and psychological challenges he endured. [8] The record was broken again when Paul Tierney completed the run in a time of 6 days 6 hours and 4 minutes, from 8am on 14 June to 2:04pm on 20 June 2019. [9]

After the Wainwrights run, Birkinshaw suffered health problems diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, saying in an article in Fell Runner in 2017 that he "is not sure if he is fully recovered. 'Sometimes I have days when I feel completely normal. Other days I have some "brain fog" but it is nowhere near as bad as it was. ... I have done some longer harder runs and sometimes I have felt OK and sometimes I have really struggled. Basically I am happy with where I am. I might recover fully and be able to push it as hard and be as fast as before, but I might never get there. However, I can live a normal life and go out running every day.' " [10] In July 2018 he accompanied Kilian Jornet on a section of his record-breaking Bob Graham Round (Jornet completed in 12 hours 52 minutes, an hour below the previous record) and reported that "although I have recovered from my Wainwrights round – which is now four years ago – I am still five to ten per cent slower than I was then." [11]

Academic career

Birkinshaw gained a Ph.D. in 1997, studying nitrate pollution modelling. [1] He works as a research hydrologist at Newcastle University, in the area of "physically based hydrological modelling of river basins". [12]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marathon</span> Long-distance running event of 42.195 kilometres

The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42.195 km, usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. More than 800 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes, as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultramarathon</span> Any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres

An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres. Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 50 kilometres (31 mi) to over 200 miles (320 km). 50k and 100k are both World Athletics record distances, but some 100 miles (160 km) races are among the oldest and most prestigious events, especially in North America.

The Great North Run is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.

<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">Bob Graham Round</span> English Lakeland fell-running challenge

The Bob Graham Round is a fell running challenge in the English Lake District. It is named after Bob Graham (1889–1966), a Keswick guest-house owner, who in June 1932 broke the Lakeland Fell record by traversing 42 fells within a 24-hour period. Traversing the 42 fells, starting and finishing at Keswick Moot Hall, involves 66 miles with 26,900 feet of ascent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joss Naylor</span> British fell runner

Joss Naylor, MBE is an English fell runner who set many long-distance records, and a sheep farmer, living in the English Lake District. As his achievements increased he became better known as the King of the Fells or simply the Iron Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliud Kipchoge</span> Kenyan long-distance runner (born 1984)

Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly specialized at the 5000 metre distance. Widely regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time, he is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion and the world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. He has run four of the six fastest marathons in history.

Helene Diamantides is a fell runner.

Billy Bland is a British former long-distance runner. He was one of the most prominent fell runners from the mid-1970s until the late 1980s, and is arguably the best long-distance fell runner in the history of the sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kílian Jornet Burgada</span> Spanish professional sky runner, long-distance runner, trail runner and ski mountaineer

Kílian Jornet is a Spanish professional long-distance trail runner and ski mountaineer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest trail runners of all time, he has won some of the most prestigious ultramarathons, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, Grand Raid, ̍Western States and ̍Hardrock.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich</span> Kenyan long-distance runner

Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich is a Kenyan professional athlete who specialises in long-distance running, competing in events ranging from 10 km to the marathon. He was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He is the former world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:03:23, which he set at the 2013 Berlin Marathon. He has run under 2 hours 4 minutes for the marathon on four occasions.

Bill Smith was a fell runner and author on the sport. His achievements in breaking records for the number of peaks scaled within 24 hours, contributions to fell-running events, plus documenting its history, earned him the accolade of "legend" within the sport upon his accidental death in 2011. His body was discovered on 7 October in a peat bog in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, England, after a three-week disappearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicky Spinks</span> British long-distance runner

Nicola "Nicky" Spinks is a British long-distance runner, specialising in fell running, who set women's records for the major fell-running challenges the Ramsay Round, the Paddy Buckley Round and the Bob Graham Round.

<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.

Michael Hartley is a British former ultramarathon runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 World Athletics Championships – Men's marathon</span> Long distance running race at the 2019 World Athletics Championships

The men's marathon was one of the road events at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Due to the heat in Doha, the race was scheduled to begin at 23:59 on 5 October 2019. Even with the unusual timing, high temperatures were expected to provide difficult conditions for running, but in the end temperatures dropped to around 29 °C (84 °F) and 50% humidity. The race was won by Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia in 2 h 10 min 40 s, followed four seconds behind by his compatriot Mosinet Geremew. Amos Kipruto of Kenya was third in 2:10:51.

Sabrina Verjee 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 and the female record for the Pennine Way from September 2020 to August 2021.

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

References

  1. 1 2 "Our very own 'Man of Steel'". NU Connections. Newcastle University. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  2. 1 2 Davies, Carey (23 June 2014). "This man just ran 12 marathons, 214 mountains and four times the height of Everest. In under a week". Summit Magazine. British Mountaineering Council.
  3. ↑ "Fell runner Steve Birkinshaw breaks Wainwright peaks record". BBC News. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  4. ↑ Birkinshaw, Steve (21 May 2005). "Bob Graham Round". Northumberland Fell Runners. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  5. ↑ "OMM/KIMM events". Joe Lee Computing. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Records". Bob Graham Club. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  7. ↑ "The Samson Centre for MS" . Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  8. ↑ Smith, Bob (1 May 2017). "Review: There is no Map in Hell, by Steve Birkinshaw". Grough. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "Runner sets a new record summiting all 214 Wainwrights". ITV News. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  10. ↑ Chilton, Steve; Birkinshaw, Steve (Summer 2017). "Chronic fatigue syndrome in elite athletes: four case studies" (PDF). The Fellrunner: 46–51. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "Steve Birkinshaw supports Kilian Jornet on Record-Breaking Bob Graham Round". Vertebrate Publishing. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  12. ↑ "Dr Stephen Birkinshaw: Researcher in Water Resources". Staff. Newcastle University: School of Engineering.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.