Four new records have been set in just two weeks for an intense 35-mile fell running challenge in the Lake District.
The record time for 23 Before Tea has been beaten twice in two days and two new record winter times have been achieved – which also saw the first woman complete the challenge.
Covering 23 Wainwright fell tops over 35 miles, the route was first completed by Pete Faulkner in 11 hours and 23 minutes in 2020 and starts and finishes at the Elterwater Independent Hostel.
On Friday December 2, Angela Wilson and her husband Paul established the short-lived winter record of 11 hours and 52 minutes, with Angela becoming the first woman to smash the challenge. But just four days later, Carol Morgan running with Steve Rhodes defeated the record by four minutes.
On Sunday December 11, Penrith’s Jack Oliver ran round in 10 hours and 10 minutes. He said: “I just fancied a long day in the mountains to see if all my training was paying off. This ticked the boxes.”
Three days later on Wednesday December 14, that record was smashed when Kendal’s Josh Wade galloped round in seven hours and 43 minutes. He said: “It was the best day out in the Lakes ever. Conditions and visibility were perfect. There were 35mph winds forecast, but it was only about 15.”
Runners are allowed to chart their own path between the peaks in the challenge, and Josh included a rock climb up Middlefell Buttress to shorten the route to one of the summits.
Josh was also this year’s winner of the 100k Ultra Trail Snowdonia race, and was first in the 100 mile Spine Challenger event. He has raced throughout Europe including the Ultra Tour of Mont Blanc, and the 100k La Palma island ultra-marathon.
The 23 Before Tea challenge was created in the aftermath of Paul Tierney’s record-breaking run around all 214 Wainwright tops in 2019, when hostel owner Christine Thomas wanted to pay tribute to his achievement.
Christine said: “Eileen, a member of Paul’s support team has a large scale map of his route on her wall, so she took a close-up photo of the map, with Elterwater at its centre, and then counted the number of summits within the frame of that picture. There were 23.”
Christine’s son Adrian then made the first attempt at completing all 23 within a day, but injury proved a barrier – along with the fact that those particular 23 involved four valley-floor-to-summit ascents and descents.
The route was then modified by Dave Cumins, known to everyone in the running world as Little Dave. He created an altered and more efficient route, with a slightly different list of 23 tops, which was planned during 2020.
He and fellow runner James Harris then tested that route in September 2020, and got back in time for a late tea in 14 hours 50 minutes. Dave said: “I’m not the fastest of runners, and I didn’t have the distance, or the climbing, in my legs after a six-month lay-off from the mountains. But I did reckon decent Lakes runners could do it in eight hours.”
The route has been modified again since, with some fells taken off the list and others added, to create a more coherent circuit. Christine said: “We’re thrilled that this is taking off now. Everyone who has a go tells us what a terrific route it is. It took a little while to capture the imagination of the running world, but now it’s really exciting to see so many enjoying it.”
The hostel team also hope that walkers and “mere mortal” runners might tackle the route over two days – two slices of cake, as Christine calls it.
The 23 summits include: Wetherlam, Swirl How, Grey Friar, Great Carrs, Cold Pike, Pike o Blisco, Loft Crag, Pike o Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Pavey Ark, Thunacar Knott, High Raise, Sergeant man, Calf Crag, Gibson Knott, Helm Crag, Seat Sandal, Fairfield, Great Rigg, Stone Arthur, Heron Pike, Nab Scar and Loughrigg.
The current leader board is as follows:
Josh Wade: Seven hours 44 minutes (winter)
Jack Oliver: 10 hours 10 minutes (winter)
Pete Faulkner: 11 hours 23 minutes
Carol Morgan and Steve Rhodes (winter) 11 hours 48 minutes
Paul and Angela Wilson (winter round) 11 hours 52 minutes
Richard Bolton: 12 hours 18 minutes
Paul Wilson: 12 hours 41 minutes
Little Dave Cumins and James Harris: 14 hours 50 minutes
