Runner John Kelly sets new record for completing round of Wainwright fells
Runner John Kelly has set a new record for completing a round of the Wainwright fells.
The American long-distance specialist arrived back in Keswick on Saturday evening, after running more than 515km (320 miles) over 214 Lakeland peaks.
His provisional time of 5 days 12hrs 14mins 42secs was 11 hours faster than that set by Sabrina Verjee in June last year.
His successful round of all the fells detailed by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells completes unfinished business, after he had to abort a similar attempt in July last year.
Kelly, 37, also reclaimed the record for completing the full distance of the Pennine Way in May last year, clipping 3½ hours off the time set by Damian Hall in 2020, just eight days after Kelly has himself set a fastest known time.
He dubbed his Wainwrights and Pennine Way records the full English, and used the challenge to raise funds for Action Medical Research.
Kelly is due to return to the USA with his family shortly after basing himself in the UK since 2019.
Verjee was the first athlete to complete the round in less than six days, beating the record set by Paul Tierney in 2019.
The challenge involves 36,000m (118,110ft) of ascent.
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Full report is here: https://www.randomforestrunner.com/2022/05/wainwrights-take-2/