Borrowdale Fell Race

The Borrowdale Fell Race is an annual fell race held in August, starting and finishing in Rosthwaite. It is considered to be one of the "classic" Lakeland races and the route initially heads over Bessyboot before climbing England’s highest summit, Scafell Pike. Great Gable is then scaled before a descent to Honister Pass and the final climb up Dale Head. The distance is approximately seventeen miles and the route has around 6,500 feet of ascent.[1]

History

The race, sponsored by Miles Jessop of the Scafell Hotel, Borrowdale, and the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, Langdale, was originally intended to link those two establishments. However, Chris Bland, Andy Ewing and others decided on the route via Bessyboot, Esk Hause, Scafell Pike, Great Gable, Honister Hause and Dale Head. The inaugural race was held in 1974 and in that year only, there was an extra checkpoint in Tongue Gill on the descent to Rosthwaite.[2]

In 2001, a foot-and-mouth outbreak led to the cancellation of many fell races. Borrowdale was one of the first to take place as the access restrictions were reduced, and Prince Philip presented the prizes to the leading runners that year.[3]

In 2003, the route to the first checkpoint on Bessyboot was changed following concerns about the possibility of serious injuries due to falling rocks on the steep climb.[4]

The 2007 race was run over a shortened course due to inclement weather. After the climb up Bessyboot and traverse to Esk Hause, runners were directed to Sty Head, missing out Scafell Pike on which conditions were considered to be unsafe. From Sty Head, the usual route was rejoined with the ascent of Great Gable.[5]

Borrowdale is one of the Lakeland Classics Trophy races[6] and it has frequently been one of the counting races in the English or British Fell Running Championships.[7]

Results

The men’s course record is held by Billy Bland with a time of 2:34:38 set in 1981.[8] The fastest time in the years since then is 2:35:18 by Simon Booth in the 1999 event when the race was featured on the BBC’s Grandstand.[9] The women’s record is 3:14:36 by Menna Angharad in 1997.[10]

Simon Booth has the most wins, with twelve between 1995 and 2010. Billy Bland won ten times between 1976 and 1988. Sarah Haines won the women’s race five times between 1985 and 1990.

A board showing the winners of the race is on permanent display in the Scafell Hotel.[11]

The winners have been as follows.[12]

Year Men Time Women Time
1974 Dave Halstead 3:05:07[Note 1]
1975 Mike Short 3:13:30
1976 Billy Bland 2:53:30
1977 Mike Short 2:49:03
1978 Mike Short 2:44:52
1979 Billy Bland 2:37:11
1980 Billy Bland 2:41:31 Pauline Haworth 3:50:45
1981 Billy Bland 2:34:38 Ros Coats 3:30:30
1982 Billy Bland 2:43:38 Rosie Naish 3:55:13
1983 Kenny Stuart 2:45:25 Daphne Varney 3:54:30
1984 Billy Bland 2:37:45 Pauline Haworth 3:26:05
1985 Billy Bland 2:42:13 Sarah Haines 4:13:43
1986 Billy Bland 2:52:38 Sarah Haines 4:29:17
1987 Billy Bland 2:41:18 Sarah Haines 3:50:23
1988 Billy Bland 2:42:50 Sarah Haines 3:38:26
1989 Dave Spedding 2:50:37 Sue Mackay 3:53:17
1990 Mark Rigby 2:40:07 Sarah Haines 3:29:19
1991 Gavin Bland 2:40:37 Helene Diamantides 3:26:05
1992 Gavin Bland 2:43:33 Helene Diamantides 3:30:31
1993 Gavin Bland 2:47:43 Mari Todd 3:53:40
1994 Ian Holmes 2:42:22 Nicola Davies 3:37:31
1995 Simon Booth 2:49:33 Menna Angharad 3:25:33
1996 Ian Holmes 2:45:56 Sarah Rowell 3:15:34
1997 Jonathan Bland 2:42:04 Menna Angharad 3:14:36
1998 Simon Booth 2:40:18 Louise Osborn 3:46:06
1999 Simon Booth 2:35:18 Helene Diamantides 3:14:45
2000 Simon Booth 2:42:46 Janet King 3:17:19
2001 Simon Booth 2:47:13 Hilde Krynen 3:56:03
2002 Simon Booth 2:50:20 Helen Jackson 3:58:10
2003 Simon Booth 2:49:12 Nicola Davies 3:46:18
2004 Simon Booth 2:50:37 Jill Mykura 3:41:02
2005 Simon Booth 2:46:18 Nicola Davies 3:40:25
2006 Simon Booth 3:01:48 Helene Diamantides 3:44:24
2007[Note 2] Ben Bardsley 2:18:29 Sharon Taylor 3:03:10
2008 Simon Booth 2:49:50 Janet McIver 3:25:34
2009 Rob Jebb 2:51:54 Mary Gillie 4:00:24
2010 Simon Booth 2:52:42 Philippa Maddams 3:19:42
2011 Ben Abdelnoor 2:52:37 Andrea Rowlands 3:47:43
2012 Ricky Lightfoot 2:49:20 Jasmin Paris 3:32:03
2013 Ricky Lightfoot 2:51:24 Nicky Spinks 3:53:13
2014 Ricky Lightfoot 3:03:16 Judith Jepson 3:56:59
2015 Ricky Lightfoot 2:54:14 Jasmin Paris 3:15:33
2016 Ricky Lightfoot 2:49:21 Lou Roberts 3:26:09
2017 Carl Bell 2:50:05 Catherine Spurden 3:45:14
2018 Ricky Lightfoot 2:51:59 Jasmin Paris 3:32:46
2019 Ricky Lightfoot 3:03:57 Majka Kunicka 4:00:05
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Note 1: Halstead’s time is given as 3:05:57 on the winners’ board but as 3:05:07 in other sources.

Note 2: The 2007 race was run over a shorter course.

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References
  1. Angela Mudge, World’s Ultimate Running Races (Glasgow, 2011), 297.
  2. Bill Smith, Stud Marks on the Summits (Preston, 1985), 182-85; "Chris Bland Found Dead in Borrowdale Valley", Cumberland & Westmorland Herald, 22 Mar 2003; "MBE for Lakeland Hotelier", Cumberland & Westmorland Herald, 3 Jan 2004.
  3. Steve Chilton, It's a Hill, Get Over It (Dingwall, 2013), 85-87; The Times, 6 Aug 2001.
  4. The Fellrunner Magazine, Jun 2003, 20; The Fellrunner Magazine, Oct 2003, 66.
  5. Northumberland Fell Runners: 2007 Race Reports – Borrowdale Fell Race.
  6. Lakeland Classics Trophy.
  7. Graham Breeze, "Classic Fell Races Part 1: Il Campionissimo", The Fellrunner Magazine, Jun 2001, 8-11.
  8. The Fell Runner, Dec 1981, 24-27.
  9. "Bland Clinches Fell Running Title in Front of Home Crowd", Cumberland & Westmorland Herald, 14 Aug 1999.
  10. The Fellrunner, Oct 1997, 14, results section, 28.
  11. Scafell Hotel: The Riverside Bar; Archived 2016-08-28 at the Wayback Machine Borrowdale Fell Race Winners.
  12. Borrowdale Fell Race Winners; The Fell Runner, 1974, 35; Steve Chilton, It's a Hill, Get Over It (Dingwall, 2013), 85-87; SPORTident Results; Graham Breeze, "Classic Fell Races Part 1: Il Campionissimo", The Fellrunner Magazine, Jun 2001, 8-11; Bill Smith, "An Early History of the Lakeland Long As: 1968-85"; Borrowdale Fell Runners: Race Results; The Fellrunner, Oct 1998, Results section, 28; Borrowdale Fell Runners: Borrowdale 2001 Results; Fellrunner.org.uk: Results; Power of 10: Borrowdale 2013 Results.
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