Tom Hollins in action during the Spine Race. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
Athlete Tom Hollins has completed his continuous round of the Wainwright fells.
The West Yorkshire runner arrived at the Moot Hall in Keswick just before 7.15am on Sunday, after summiting all 214 peaks.
His time of 6 days 21hrs 33mins 8secs is the fourth-fastest time for completing the circuit of the mountains described by the late author Alfred Wainwright in his series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.
Hospital anaesthetist Hollins faced brutal conditions during his challenge, with heavy rain, low temperatures and winds so strong he struggled not to be blown over at times.
He had hoped to beat the existing record of 6 days 6hrs 5mins set by Paul Tierney in 2019 and remained on schedule or ahead of his planned times during the first day, but his pace began to slip on Monday. Deteriorating conditions throughout the week pushed his times further behind the targets needed to break Tierney’s record.
A short video posted by support runner Paul Wilson on Facebook showed Hollins having to crawl to touch a summit cairn on the northern fells as severe winds blasted the mountain.
Endurance runner Sabrina Verjee had to abandon her Wainwrights challenge earlier this month when unseasonably low temperatures exacerbated her asthma, affecting her breathing.
Hollins’s time is the fourth fastest recorded for the 318-mile (512km) run, which involves 36,000m of ascent.
Steve Birkinshaw holds the record for second-fastest at 6 days 12hrs 58mins, with Sabrina Verjee’s time of 6 days 17hrs 51mins the third-fastest, and the quickest recorded by a woman. However, after setting the time in July 2020 she told the running community she didn’t consider it a record as support runners had helped her descend certain sections after she suffered knee problems.
Hollins, who is sponsored by outdoors brand Montane, has previously won the Spine Race, which involves a winter traverse of the full 260-mile length of the Pennine Way.
Are we nearly there
23 May 2021The headline would be more appropriate if it read "Athlete Tom Hollins failed in his attempt to set the fastest time for running the Wainwrights"
Report on fastest, 2nd fastest and at a push 3rd fastest but after that sorry no, it counts as a fail.
PD
23 May 2021Maybe didn’t beat the record but would hardly class it as a fail , bit of a nonsense statement that lacks class , In my opinion .
Mike
24 May 2021Try telling 10's of thousands of marathon 'finishers' that anything outside the top 3 is a fail and you will see how absurd that negative statement is.
In those conditions, finishing at all let alone in less than 7 days is a fantastic achievement, so well done Tom!
ps. Try the other side of bed tomorrow?
Bob
24 May 2021Several people have written to say that Tom Hollins's round should be considered the third fastest completion because, as we said in the story, Sabrina Verjee doesn't wish her 2020 time to be considered for the record books. The fact remains, however, that she did post the time stated, albeit receiving assistance from other runners after her knee problems. We're happy to acknowledge this. Mel Steventon completed a round of the Wainwrights in Septamber last year in a time of 13 days 12hrs 16mins 21secs, while raising money for Women's Aid and Community Action Nepal. If Sabrina's time is discounted, this is the fastest known woman's time and Tom's the third fastest.
Before Steve Birkinshaw's record breaker, Joss Naylor held the fastest time, 7 days 1hr 25mins, beating Alan Heaton's time of 9 days 16hrs 42mins.
Bob Smith, editor
Ian Peterson
24 May 2021Sorry, but the fact is he did not set the new fastest time he set out to do. Surely that counts as a fail.
Still pretty impressive to do what he did but did he set the new fastest time NO !!
john-paul hopkinson
26 May 2021Can "Are we nearly there" and Ian Peterson just take a moment and acknowledge the huge achievement it is to even finish this event in one go! Do's it really matter how long it takes for anyone to achieve their goal. We all aspire to do our best, and we all set our personal goals......For Tom that was to have a crack at the fastest time, but alas it was not to be. To those in the know, know what it means to anyone involved in such events.
The rest of the fell running population know how dedicated you need to be even to attempt such a monumental event salute those that complete them.
Mike
27 May 2021Not to mention all those Olympic gold medallists who are failures because they didn't set a world record...
Are we nearly there
27 May 2021#Mike,
Try again because this is not the same thing at all so not a good comparison.
An Olympic gold medallist sets out to get to the finishing line in front of everyone else in the same race. Setting a world record is a bonus for them NOT what they generally set out to do.
Winning a gold medal isn't a fail because they achieved what they set out to do. I can't think of any way to put is more simply for you.