Last updated: 16-Jul-18
He’s done it again. Yet another record has fallen to the unstoppable Kilian Jornet. He has completed the infamous Bob Graham Round in 12hr 52m – nearly an hour faster than the previous record held by Billy Brand.
After the race, gracious as ever when congratulated by Billy, he tweeted, “Thanks Billy, I had better conditions, the best pacers and your inspiration to give it everything! And even like that it was sooo sooo hard!!!“
The Bob Graham Round is a legendary British challenge where you have to complete 42 fells in the English Lake District within 24 hours. It is named after a guest-house owner from Keswick, Bob Graham who first did it in June 1932. His record stood until 1960 when Alan Heaton took it.
Billy Bland was the reigning champion with a time of 13 hours and 53 minutes which is a record that has stood since 1982. Billy told Wild Ginger Films that when he did it he just went for, “a good day out.”
At that time he said he would be surprised if anyone could knock more than 45 minutes off it, he also said that beating the challenge without stopping would be a hard task. ” I do feel sorry for them,” he said, “if they feel that they can’t stop at all. For me, if I had had to go at that intensity, I wouldn’t have gone out at all!“
Kilian, of course, knocked it out of the court with nearly an hour saved.
Jasmine Paris is the women’s record holder with a time of 15hr and 24m which she set in 2016.
The Bob Graham Round is now a bucket list item for fell runners: and has been completed by 2119 people up to the end of 2017 (according to Wikipedia). Most people do the round with support which is a requirement of being allowed to enter the Bob Graham Club.
38 folk are believed to have managed winter rounds but the vast majority try the challenge in the summer – given the extremely changeable weather in the lakes. The weather Gods were smiling on Kilian’s attempt.
As always, Twitter, provided some fine entertainment during the round. A couple of our favourites.
“Prediction: Kilian Jornet beats the Bob Graham Round record. Then does it again later in the week but unsupported.” @VeganTrailRunr
“When you are a mountain & fell runner and you have such an incredible and long standing récord, it being broken by Kilian jornet it is probably the better and most honorable thing it could happen. In my opinion this further increases the legend of Bland…” @jvinualzar
“Kilian Jornet – encouraging a generation of people to stay indoors excitedly pressing ‘refresh’ since 1987…” @philofthemoore
Another amazing achievement for the unstoppable Mr Jornet.
