Mountain Fuel Winter Billy Bland - The Challenge
The Challenge | The teams | | The prizes | Donate & Enter|
The Challenge:
Due to extreme weather conditions the challenge this weekend has been cancelled however we will endeavour to organise a new date within the next couple of months.
Donations are still open up until the challenge can bet set, however if we're unable to get teams together by the end of April we'll carry out the prize draw based on everyone who has donated. There are some fantastic prizes and this is a great cause so please support if you haven't already done so.
Team Mountain Fuel will attempt to make fell running history with the first competitive Winter head-to-head Billy Bland Challenge.
Through the attempt we aim to raise much needed funds for Lake District Mountain Rescue teams. Donate here
Funds will be raised by people making pledges on which team team they think will be successful and live tracking will enable users to follow this exciting event. As an incentive for people to pledge there will be a prizes draw from correct pledges. Prizes have been provided by Mountain Fuel Sports Nutrition, Salomon Running, Inov 8 - All Terrain, Scott Sports, VJ Sport and Mountain Run. Prizes will include running shoes, clothing and sports nutrition packages.
The challenge is based on the famous Bob Graham round and is a 66 mile, 42 peak challenge with a 24hr time limit It is considered one the biggest challenges in English fell running, involving a 26,350 ft of ascent up Skiddaw and Blencathra, over the Helvellyn range, the Langdale pikes, Scafell, Wasdale and Great Gable, starting and finishing at the Moot Hall in Keswick.
Two elite level mixed teams of 10 men and women will race against each other in an attempt to beat the legendary Billy Bland’s time of 13 hours 53 minutes, the record held for 38 years.
Then depending on conditions, they will also be attempting to beat the incredible Kilian Jornet's 12 hours 52 minutes, which was set last summer on the Bob Graham Round. Each team will have two runners on each of the five legs and race as a relay. The teams are made up of a collective mix of ultra, trail and fell runners and include some of the countries best in their fields but winter conditions will make this a very challenging race for all involved.
Support from the worlds best:
Kilian Jornet "Last year I had one of my most marvelous days out running the Bob Graham Round, it is harder than one can imagine, and on this technical mountains where the weather can change in any moment it is precious to have a Mountain Rescue Team who can help any of us when we do our adventures or just go for a hike - Guess what these teams can do in the Bob Graham Round, if they can beat my time and help the Mountain Rescue Team to protect all of us, I'll be delighted. Please donate what you can afford.”
Billy Bland "Good luck to all the runners and what a fantastic cause, raising money for Mountain Rescue. It's a pleasure to be associated with a challenge like this, but it should be called Kilian Jornet challenge now, especially with quality of the runners who are supporting the event. If the teams can beat our times and raise a lot of money at the same time I'll be delighted so please give what you can." (Bob Graham Record holder 1982 to 2018)