Steve Birkinshaw summited all 214 peaks in a record time

Long-distance specialist Steve Birkinshaw has smashed the record for a round of the Lake District’s 214 Wainwright fells.

The ultrarunner arrived in Keswick tonight at one minute past 10, over an hour earlier than he anticipated, to beat Joss Naylor’s record by 12 hours.

The Threlkeld-based runner picked up speed on his final few fells to arrive at the Moot Hall in Keswick in a time of six days and 13 hours.

He was accompanied into the town by about 100 support runners and a crowd greeted his arrival after a gruelling circuit 518km (322 miles) long, over all 214 mountains described by author Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.

The previous record of seven days and an hour had stood for 27 years and was set by fellrunning legend Joss Naylor.

Berghaus-sponsored Birkinshaw began his challenge at 9am last Saturday.

He was also using his record challenge to raise cash for two multiple sclerosis charities.

Steve Birkinshaw said: “It’s all a bit overwhelming to be honest. Joss Naylor is an incredible athlete, so to have beaten his record is an amazing feeling.

“I couldn’t have done it without my amazing support team and the backing of Berghaus, so I’m hugely grateful for their contributions.

“There were some really tough times out there, but I was spurred on every time I reached a Wainwright top and met someone else who had made the effort to come out and support me. I’m also over the moon with the amount of money that people have donated to the multiple sclerosis charities.

“The final day was incredible – to be joined by so many other runners and then welcomed home by my family and such a big crowd put the seal on everything.

It’s fair to say that my legs are a bit stiff now and I may take a few days off before my next run.”

More details are on Steve Birkinshaw’s Wainwright Run blog.