A Lake District athlete has set a winter ultra running record by completing three of the toughest runs in the UK.
James Gibson, of Ambleside, has achieved solo and unsupported sub-24 hour completions of the Lake District’s Bob Graham Round, Wales’ Paddy Buckley Round and the Scottish Charlie Ramsay Round.
He battled deep snow, treacherous ice and brutal blizzards to become the first person to achieve solo and unsupported sub-24 hour completions of all three iconic mountain rounds in winter.
After ticking off the 66-mile, 42-peak Bob Graham in December last year (21hrs 12mins), James then completed the 61-mile, 47-peak Paddy Buckley in early February (23hrs 02mins).
His amazing ‘Big Three’ project was completed last month when he ran the 58-mile, 24-peak Ramsay Round (23hrs 09mins).
That totals 185 winter mountain miles in 67hrs 23mins, with a total ascent of 75,000ft – two-and-a-half times the equivalent height of Mount Everest.
During the three rounds, James also bagged the highest peaks in England (Scafell Pike), Wales (Snowdon) and Scotland (Ben Nevis).
James, an ambassador for Lake District sports brand inov-8, said: “I’m psyched to finally complete my project for the season. It took some perseverance and effort to keep coming back and trying, but I’m glad I did. In total, I made six attempts – one at the Bob Graham, three at the Paddy Buckley and two at the Ramsay Round – with three successes and three weather-beaten failures between December 10 and February 25. What an adventure it has been!”
James’s times for the Bob Graham and Ramsay Round are solo and unsupported winter records in themselves.
The Bob Graham, Paddy Buckley and Ramsay Round are all 24-hour challenges undertaken by strong ultra runners throughout the year, with the summer months being particularly popular. It’s a monumental effort to successfully complete all three in the space of one year, let alone one season. Most runners hoping to do all three will spread them out over several years. Each can be tackled in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction and with differing levels of support as chosen by the runner.
