There’s a new name on our leaderboard for the 23 before Tea challenge.
Bob Halstead, who runs for Todmorden Harriers, ran round recently on a VERY hot day and finished in 9 hours 9 minutes. This puts him in 14th place among the Fastest Known Times, and he’s possibly – at 64 – our oldest finisher so far!
Bob says he had a great day out following what now seems to be the established route, up to Silver How, along and round the Langdale Pikes, over High Raise picking off the Wainwrights, then over and down to Helm Crag before tackling the Fairfield Horseshoe and finishing over Loughrigg.
He told us: “With the forecast for one of the hottest days so far this year I set off early just after 7am but was definitely suffering with the heat in the second half of the route. I didn’t feel I navigated things perfectly but no major mishaps, so with that and the heat it felt like a time that could maybe improved upon! We’ll see.”
Bob’s an experienced fellrunner with lots of long Lakes races to his credit, along with The Abrahams Round (our north Lakes cousin) and the Joss Naylor round.
Interestingly, he recced the route in two sections, and has provided us with his details, which might be useful for mere mortals who want to go round at a more leisurely pace, over two days.
The first half, which he called 13 Before Lunch, was 28k (which he ran in 4.59), and the other ten, 24k including the Fairfield Horseshoe and Loughrigg, took 3.41.
We think this is a great idea if anyone is staying here and fancies walking the route over two days. Well done, Bob, and thanks for the inspiration.
