Buttermere, starting point for the fellrunner's recce

Mountain rescuers were spared a major search after a fellrunner was found safe and well – in bed.

Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team and colleagues from other teams faced a huge operation after the man was reported missing while out on a reconnaissance trip for the upcoming Lakeland 100, a 160km (100-mile) run across the Lakeland fells.

The run takes in a large swathe of the Lake District and all rescuers knew was that the runner was following a 50-mile route ending on the hills around Ambleside.

Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team was also alerted as the 52-year-old man had set off from Buttermere, in their area, at lunchtime on Saturday.

Langdale and Ambleside MRT team leader Nick Owen explained: “They were staying in Ambleside and he hadn’t returned, so his wife went out to look for him and missed him.

“He had been out all night and was due back about 4am. He had run about 50 or 60 miles.

“He hadn’t taken his mobile phone; she had both phones, so couldn’t contact him. Somehow, while she was out looking, he sneaked back in to bed.

“One of our team went back to where they were staying with his wife and spotted movement under the duvet and there he was.”

The safe discovery of the snoozing runner about 10am on Sunday saved the Lake District teams a huge search along his known route, taking in much of the northern area of the fells.

“On the real event, of course, there are checkpoints, but when someone is out on their own on the route, with such a large area, it would have been quite an epic search,” Mr Owen added.

The Lakeland 100, which takes place over the weekend of 29 July, is dubbed the ‘Ultra Tour of the Lake District’. It starts in Coniston before passing along the Dunnerdale fells, Eskdale, Wasdale and Buttermere before arriving in Keswick. From there the route heads to Matterdale and continues over to Haweswater before returning via Kentmere, Ambleside and Elterwater to the finish at Coniston.

It avoids many of the favourite summits but still involves 6,300m (20,669ft) of ascent.