Words Of Advice

It is 6 years ago now that I first thought about having a go at the Bob Graham challenge. After years of competing in various events from fell running, xcountry, road and track events I was looking for something of a challenge that would test me to the limit. There are lots of challenges out there to be done but none of them test you in a way that the BG does. Being out there on the fells for nearly 24 hours you against the clock the terrain and the elements surely this must be the ultimate test for all fell runners to try. So when it came to seeking out some sound advice on the BG challenge I got in touch with a well known fell runner and friend of mine with plenty of experience in these matters and had done the BG before. He also achieved a total of 63 peaks in under 24 hrours which at the time was 2nd to the great Joss Naylors record on 72 peaks in under 24 hours this person was the late Bill Smith from Liverpool. Below is a later that I recieved from Bill with some good words of advice.



Bill & myself at Beetham Sports 2011



Letter dated 17/7/2011

Dear Mark,

Many thanks for your letter and LSPA calender.
I have never been to Killington Sports but i know Roger Ingham has been associated with it for many years. It certinly sounds like a great event. John Morgan told me that at one time Lupton Sports were held on the same day as Lowgill Sports, though in the afternoon which enabled runners to compete in both. Lupton fell race climbed to Scout Hill, which was also the turning point for a Kendal Winter League race from the late Phillip Robinsons farm, as you proberly know. Maybe you competed at Lupton yourself.
Sorry to hear about your calf injury and i hope your proposed comeback last week is working well, without any setback. The Sedbergh Sports you mention is now in the FRA calender. I went to Sedbergh Gala in May, as i have done for a good number of years now, and always see John there. Tommy Sedgwick ran last year but wasn't there this year, though his daughter Judith ran. I was interested to hear that Graham Moffat ran at Sedbergh Sports as i've not seen or heard of him for a few years. I do see Steve Carr fairly regulary, the last time at the Penyghent race at Horton - in - Ribblesdale Gala last month.
If your thinking of having a go at the Bob Graham Round, Mark i think the main thing is to get plenty of long runs, both training and racing, in over the fells for at least a year defore you decide on attempting the actual round. Also long runs or walks over the actual course, split into say 20 mile or more sections. Even if your not confident of finding your own way over the route on the day, you'll surely be able to enlist the help of pacers, working in relays, who do know the course and will also carry your spare gear(eg. food, drink, waterproofs, extra clothing). The route crosses roads in four places, where a support team can see to your needs for food, drink, change of clothing or footwear, etc and you can recuperate for 15/20 minutes or so before continuing. There is a Bob Graham Round website ( i'll get the address for you) were you can get probably any information at all that you need, as well as advertise for pacers. The attempt has to be registerd with the BGR club chairman Selwyn Wright, whose address and phone number i'll give you.
If your injury - free and have enough miles in your legs, i'd recommend you trying the following events this Autumn, the first two including " Bob Graham Peaks " Three Shires Race, Langdale Horseshoe And Tour Of Pendle.
All these events require you to carry a map, compass and whistle, windproof cagole & overtrousers, and emergency rations. For the later, i usually carried a small Milky Way bar or two (easier to digest on the run than a Mars Bar) and ate it on the way up Lingmoor in the Three Shires, up Blisco at Langdale, and Mearley Moor at Pendle, to give me a boost for the final stages. Nowadays some carry water bottles but i never did as there are plenty of streams en route to provide drinking water if needed. i'll be at all three races and will be marshalling at Pendle ( checkpoints 4 and 11 in Ogden Clough - though approached from different sides of the steam).
If you can get these under your belt this year, you could move upto the longer and more strenuous Dudden, Ennerdale, Wasdale and Borrowdale next year, with maybe a couple of long Pennine races early in the year like Wodsworth Trog on the moor above Hebden Bridge and the Edale Skyline in Derbyshire, or even the Three Peaks.
I'm hoping to be at both Ambleside Sports and Beetham Sports next week, so will see you there and we can have a chat about both these races and the Bob Graham Round, and i can then decide how else i can help you.
Fred Rogerson, founder of the Bob Graham 24 Hour Club, died last October and last Saturday the club held a memorial relay over the route in which Freds ashes were carried in a small box given by Bob Graham himself to one of his pacers in 1932. The weather was very bad, with continous rain and strong winds but i think everyone enjoyed it, I certainly did - though i wasn't actually running. A great day out.

hope to see you next week Mark,

Bill.