A 14-year-old Lake District fell runner is hoping to race faster towards his goal of representing England, having been awarded the Pete Bland Bursary by Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show.
Zeke Sumner, of Little Langdale, Ambleside, joined Ambleside Running Club aged eight and has proved to be a dedicated runner, obsessed with fell running as his chosen form of athletic competition.
He placed second in the Under-17s fell race at Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show and is aiming for the top spot in future events.
From the start of Zeke’s fell running journey, a weekly run up Loughrigg was the norm. During lockdown, he added in his own runs and then, in 2021, was rewarded with third-place in the under-12s British Open Fell Runners Associations (BOFRA) Championship, as well as the 4th under-13 in the Fell Runners Association (FRA) Championship.
This success spurred him on. In 2023, he became the under-14 BOFRA Champion and was third in the FRA English championship. He was also the fastest Cumbrian runner in five out of six races. On moving up to the under-17s, he has achieved his goal of finishing in the top 10, by coming ninth.
However, he narrowly missed out on making the Under-17 England team at trials in Cracoe and is determined to represent his country next year. Applying for the Pete Bland Bursary has been a strategic move, to help him progress over winter and achieve the fitness required.
It was this focus on a goal that really impressed the judges of the bursary applications, Pete Bland’s son, Matt, and his mother, Anne. They recognised Zeke is a talented athlete and admired the strong storytelling in his application, which provided a narrative of his athletics career to date, visuals and a strong vision of how he would use the £500 bursary.
His desire to train, race and test himself to the limit, while overcoming the issues of training during the cold, dark winter months, shone through the application. His well-thought-through strategy includes escaping the perils of running on non-gritted roads, by taking out a membership to a local gym facility, which can provide consistent training facilities and allow him to blend running, cycling and swimming into his fitness regime.
He also plans to work on all muscle groups and gain the benefits of good aerobic exercise, by making a contribution to a new road bike. Buying better waterproofs, head torch and higher standard running gear is the third aim and the bursary means not having to rely on parental financial support.
Matt said: “Zeke’s powerful application stood out and we were assured he would put the financial support to excellent use. That is important, as the bursary is very personal for our family. We lost dad in very tragic circumstances and the bursary recognises how the sport of fell running loved him and how he loved it. We see that same passion in Zeke.”
Chairman of Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show’s committee, John Hibbert, added: “It is fitting this bursary is supported by Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show, as it was a very special event for Pete Bland, although he never won the Senior Guides race. Perhaps Zeke can do that, with the bursary’s support. We certainly view him as a very worthy recipient.”
Last year’s bursary winner, Rose Gilldaley, a member of Penrith’s Eden Runners club, has seen the bursary make a huge difference, allowing her to train for more days in the week and be equipped with good kit for both running and competition. Since being a joint winner of the 2023 bursary, she has qualified to run for England in the Under-18 Mountain Running Cup in Spain and achieved second place in the Junior British Inter-Counties Hill and Fell Championships at Rossendale.
Matt added: “The Bland family were very proud to award Zeke this year’s bursary, although it was a very wet official presentation on the day. Myself and my mum, Anne, would like to personally thank the Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show committee for continuing to support young runners with this bursary. Pete would be very honoured that his legacy continues and we look forward to watching Zeke’s progression.”
