It can take many years from conceiving the idea of a book to seeing it published but Steve Chilton's history of the pioneering fell and mountain runners will shortly be on sale, with a foreword by Jasmin Paris.
In April 1970 the FRA was formed without any women members. In 1983 when Bill Smith wrote the history of fell running in Stud Marks On The Summits he provided brief biographies of almost 100 male fell runners - but of only 16 women.
Steve's new book tells the fascinating story of those pioneering early women in their own words, largely based on over thirty face to face interviews. And it just feels right to me that most of those 16 women identified by Bill Smith - including Linda Lord, Joan Glass, Jean Dawes, Pauline Stuart (Haworth)… have now told their individual stories.
My particular interest in Steve’s book is that after he had produced his first draft he asked me to fact check and critique his text. I was delighted to help him because I think it is important for the reputation of the sport that the story of women’s fell running is captured while the pioneers can still tell their revealing stories in their own fresh and vivid way.
Steve has made that happen in an important work of history with a just and happy ending.
Whilst one might expect that most interest in the book will be from women - who might want their personal copy in homage to the pioneers who opened up the way for them to now race freely on the fells - even those enlightened men who buy it may be surprised, and even embarrassed, by how much they learn about the chequered history of their sport.
Including how badly those women pioneers were treated when all they wanted to do was go out and race on the fells!
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