An Ambleside vet has set the fastest known time for a continuous round of the 214 Wainwrights after her fourth attempt.
Sabrina Verjee, one of the UK’s leading ultra runners, finished outside her home in Langdale this morning after completing her round in five days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, more than six hours faster than the previous fastest known time, which was set by Paul Tierney in 2019.
The 40-year-old has made four attempts at completing a Wainwrights round in the last two years.
The first was stopped very early when lockdown intervened. Later in 2020, she completed a round in under seven days, but a knee injury slowed her down and forced her to accept physical assistance during some technical descents.
Terrible weather and asthma forced Sabrina to abandon another attempt last month, but she rested, recovered and waited for a favourable weather window. When it became clear that June was likely to provide that and a support team was ready and willing to join her on the fells at short notice, Sabrina decided to start another round, following the same route (and a similar schedule) to her previous run this year.
She set out last Friday morning and during her round, covered a distance of 525km, climbing 36,000m in the process. During her six days on the fells, she stopped only for food, running repairs and, very occasionally, for two or three hours rest.
Speaking after her round, Sabrina said: “I am very tired and very happy. This time, my body held out better than I expected and I was able to maintain a good pace throughout. The Wainwrights have become an obsession and I felt that I could and should complete a round in under six days, so I am over the moon to have proved myself right.
“Once again, I had a big support group and they have all been absolutely amazing. I could not have done this without them – it was a fantastic team effort. More than anything, it has been brilliant to spend even more time out on the glorious Lakeland fells in the company of good friends.
“And if what I have done inspires more people – especially girls and women – to get out there and challenge themselves, then that’s an added bonus.”
The first recorded continuous round of the Wainwrights was completed by Alan Heaton in 1985, in nine days and 16 hours. Two years later, fell running legend Joss Naylor set a new record of seven days, one hour and 25 minutes.
That stood for 27 years, until Steve Birkinshaw knocked almost 12 hours off the time in 2014, when he completed his run in six days and 13 hours. In the summer of 2019, Paul Tierney, from Windermere, lowered the record by another seven hours.
Along with her husband Ben and a large group of willing friends and fellow runners, Sabrina was supported by sponsors to whom she is very grateful: Berghaus, La Sportiva, Petzl, Dexshell, Supernatural Fuel, Gingerbakers and Mountain Fuel.
Sabrina’s 2021 rounds have been filmed and photographed by Steve Ashworth and Summit Fever Media, supported by La Sportiva, Berghaus and Right Lines Communications.
