Endurance runner Tom Hollins has set a new record for a self-supported round of the Wainwright fells.
The Montane athlete successfully summited his final peak in a time of 8 days 9hrs 44mins, easily beating the existing fastest known time for a self-supported round.
His time for ascending all 214 fells set a new self-supported record for winter, as well as the self-supported summer fastest time of 14 days 11hrs held by James Forrest.
Yorkshire-based consultant anaesthetist Hollins began his challenge on 20 February. A Montane spokesperson said: “He faced difficult weather conditions, navigated treacherous paths, and demonstrated incredible physical and mental resilience.
“His ability to set new records in both the winter and summer records in a single attempt is a testament to his endurance and determination. Despite the challenging winter conditions, he maintained an extraordinary pace, completing the full challenge with no external support.”
The Wainwrights challenge entails summiting all Lake District 214 peaks detailed by Alfred Wainwright in his series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells and is one of the most challenging endurance tests in the UK. The route involves running 500km with 36,000m of ascent. The winter variation of the challenge must be completed between 1 December and 28 February.
Hollins’s self-supported round bettered Forrest’s time, set in September 2020. These challenges allow runners to stash food and supplies on the route. Christopher Gaskin set a fastest time for a completely unsupported round, carrying all supplies with him, of 11 days 10hrs 58mins in May 2021.
Carol Morgan holds the record for a winter supported Wainwrights round: 8 days 1hr 51mins 43secs, set in January 2025.
John Kelly holds the overall record for the fastest time, completing the round in May 2022 in 5 days 12hrs 14mins 43secs.
Tom Hollins, deputy medical director at Airedale Hospital in Keighley, West Yorkshire, has career highlights including victory in the 2017 winter Spine Race and a vertical ascent record during a 195-mile charity marathon on Pendle Hill in Lancashire.
