Continuing what was then an already many-decades-old tradition of connects peak bagging in ’rounds’ in England’s Lake District, Bob Graham summited 42 Lake District peaks in under 24 hours in 1932. That feat wasn’t equaled until 1960, when Alan Heaton repeated the task. Over the half century and change since then, another 2,000-plus runners have officially completed what’s come to be known as the Bob Graham Round, which has been formalized into summiting the 42 peaks summited by Mr. Graham in 1932 starting and finishing at Moot Hall in Keswick within 24 hours. For more on the BGR, check out this introduction as well as the rest of the Bob Graham 24 Hour Club’s website.
Starting at 3 a.m. local time (WEST) on Saturday, May 20th, Meghan Hicks will make her attempt to finish the BGR and to join the Bob Graham Club. In the process, she’ll cover approximately 66 miles and climb 27,000 feet. Her attempt will be well supported, as is the tradition with the Round, going back to its very first completion. Thanks to the dozen or so people supporting Meghan’s BGR attempt and to locally-based trail running brand Inov-8 for helping make it possible.
While mobile service is intermittent at the route’s crew-accessible locations, I’ll update this page as I can. I’ll do so in reverse chronological order. This is likely only to happen at or after Meghan passes through the four road crossings at Threlkeld (by 7 a.m.), Dunmail Raise (by 11:30 a.m.), Wasdale (by 6 p.m.), and Honister Pass (~10:30 p.m.), although I’ll be running with Meghan from Honsiter (where there’s no cell service), so an update might not happen there. I’ll try to post from up high.
For more frequent updates, you can also jump down to her Spot tracker map below.
– Bryon
Note From Meghan
Hello, thank you for following me along the Bob Graham Round. I’m being supported today by a full team of locals–something like 15 people total!–including Steve and Wynn Cliff. We just published an article this week about these legends of the U.K. fell running community. In 2015, Steve was diagnosed with progressive bulbar palsy, a motor neurone disease. Since his diagnosis, he’s raised more than £250,000 for the nonprofit Motor Neurone Disease Association and he’s not stopping there. Please consider supporting Steve’s fundraising efforts on his Just Giving donation page. Thank you.
Update 11: Post-Attempt, May 22
Meghan has submitted her splits for ratification into the Bob Graham 24-Hour Club, and they were approved by the club. For transparency, we’ve published the splits she’s submitted below.
Update 10: Moot Hall, Keswick – 1:24 a.m. (22:24 elapsed)
Meghan Hicks completes the Bob Graham Round in 22:24.
Update 9: Robinson – 11:41
Meghan’s topped out on Robinson, the final peak of her Bob Graham Round. From here, she heads down toward the finish at Moot Hall in Keswick.
Update 8: Honister Pass – 10:09 p.m.
It’s turned into an absolutely stellar evening on the last part of the Bob Graham Round in the clockwise direction. The skies have mostly cleared and the air is dry. It’s a bit chilly and there’s a breeze mid-mountain, but it’s still pleasant and will be great for the last climb.
Meghan came into Honister at 10:09. She left three minutes later.
If you’re getting this, we’re atop Dale Head, peak 40 of 42 with mobile service from the finishing town of Keswick. Time for Meghan to finish this up!
Update 7: Wasdale Head – 5:09 p.m (14:09 elapsed)
Meghan came into the car park at Wasdale Head at 5:09 p.m. She’d planned on 6:09 for Leg 3 and it took 6:13. She said it was really slippery on wet rocks through that leg an she just had to move slower. She made up two minutes on her estimated time in the checkpoint. Overall, she’s between 40 and 45 minutes ahead of schedule.
She’s in tremendously good spirits and moving well. She was smiling and laughing away while with her crew. She shoveled in a ton of buttery potatoes here, as well.
She blitzed up Yewbarrow with two pacers, Alicia Hudelson (a previous American BGR finisher) and Tim Ripper (who also paced Leg 3), along with Tim’s two border collies.
Since she’s left it’s cooled off with a brisk wind even in the valley floor. The wind looks like it’s whipping up high.
Update 6: Wasdale Head Inn Pub – 3:47 p.m.
It’s been raining heavily from time to time from a bit before 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. or so. Things seem to have cleared up noticeably since then, though anything goes up high and there’ll surely be some more showers, at the least.
Jo Zakrzewski, who joined Meghan for the first part of Leg 3, reports that “she was looking awesome.”
Meghan should be atop Scafell Pike by now, so I’d best leave the pub and see her in. :-)
More updates and pics once I’m back in cell service.
Update 5: Dunmail Raise – 10:44 a.m.
Meghan ran a strong Leg 2. Her pacers say she was “metronomic,” “made it look easy,” and “broke into a run whenever it flattened out.” She also ate a ton on the trail.
Meghan came into Dunmail Raise 47 minutes ahead of schedule and left five minutes later 52 minutes up.
She’s on her way up Steel Fell…
With her puppy pacers, May(hem) and Pip.
Update 4: Dunmail Raise – 7:56 a.m.
Well, it’s raining here at Dunmail Raise, where we’re waiting for Meghan at the end of Leg 2. She’s surely getting rained on up on the fells.
Update 3: Threlkeld – 6:36 a.m.
Meghan came into Threlkeld, the first aid point about 15 minutes ahead of her conservative pace projection. She says she went up Blencathra a bit too fast, but that she relaxed on the way down. She’s doing great and was on her way in five minutes tops.
The pacers who stopped her said it was a great morning up on the fells, with a refreshingly pleasant breeze on top.
Update 2: Blencathra Summit – 6:08 a.m.
We just saw Meghan come off the summit of Blencathra down the Hall’s Fell route with three pacers in tow. She’s about ten minutes ahead of her conservatively estimated pace. More soon.
Update 1: Under Way – 3 a.m.
Meghan headed out from Moot Hall in Keswick right at 3 a.m. local time with three supporters. It’s a pleasantly cool and dry night as she gets underway.
Where Is Meghan
Here’s a link to the map on Spot’s website, as well.
Meghan’s Splits
Here are the splits that Meghan has submitted to the Bob Graham 24-Hour Club for ratification on May 22.
