BGR in more than 24 hours?

[Mr1470]

FFS get over yourselves in the big scheme of things what does it really matter? 24 hours or 24 days what ever you the contender is happy with

Exactly! People are mixing up two seperate things: 1) The Bob Graham route is just that - a route around the hills. Go and do it over 3 days if you fancy, you've still done the route. 2) The Bob Graham Club - if you want to be part of this (and it's not compulsory!) then you need to do it under 24 hours, whatever the weather, whatever else you come up against. If you get round in 26 hours when you were wanting to be in the club....well, tough, not this time. Try again. Weather FFS? We're in the mountains. I've seen one friend in particular battle around over half of the route twice in horrendous conditions before calling it a day. He returned and completed on a better day. That's why it's a real challenge still!

[IainR]

I suppose the superb 26 hr+ efforts by Clair and Andy over the past two weekends has highlighted this. The two of them deserve to be in the club for what they achieved. But I suppose if that was allowed how would you decide when the weather is bad enough to warrent waving the 24 hr rule?

Nah.. it was a great effort regardless.

But the rules for BGR are quite specific, and it diminishes those who do push to get around in 24 in bad weather, even winter.

Both will no doubt do a BGR in more settled weather and will be stronger from their experiences.

Weather is so subjective, one mans bad weather is another mans heaven..

Claire surpassed anything she has ever done before in terms of time and distance, so she'll have benefited massively from the attempt, mentally and physically, and its early in the year so another attempt this year is very plausible.

Plenty of people do fail, look at Nicky Spinks? How many failed rounds has she had? Was it 6 for the Bob, 1 for the Paddy, 1 for the Rigby?.. I think the Ramsay went in 1.. so 8 failed rounds and is now one of the greats of long distance fell running.

[zephr]

No.
If you do the BGR, in whatever amount of time, then bloody well done to you. Even more so if you have done so with minimal support and no navigational help.

However, the Bob Graham Club has a standard, and that standard is sub 24 hours. Yes, not allowing someone into the club because they haven't made the cut is elitest, but surely thats the damn point?!

Without upholding standards it degrades the efforts of those who have tried and excelled, and indeed, those who have tried, failed, tried again, and then got the standard. If you want to get in the club, train more, suffer more and run faster.

[that_fjell_guy]

Its clearly a moot point. But I tend to think that the Bob Graham Round is a 24 hour challenge and its not really the route thats the Bob Graham Round per se. ANY attempt to get the round done is a big major effort and should be congratulated, failure to complete or get inside 24 hours is just that..a 'failure'. But as Amex says each attemptee gets what they can and/or want out of it and in the real sense just toeing the line at the Moot Hall is a success!! Its similar to people who claim to have completed a Marathon when in fact they've walked half, a still comendable effort but not for me a Marathon completion.

[that_fjell_guy]

To be honest, I'm not even sure the Bob Graham Club has much to do with it either. If anyone goes out solo and makes an honest claim to have completed it its a completion! More so than someone who goes round in 24hr 1 minute. Then it gets complicated and we all think too much about it!! Its there to do, do it how you wish!! Enjoy!

[IainR]

No.
If you do the BGR, in whatever amount of time, then bloody well done to you. Even more so if you have done so with minimal support and no navigational help.

However, the Bob Graham Club has a standard, and that standard is sub 24 hours. Yes, not allowing someone into the club because they haven't made the cut is elitest, but surely thats the damn point?!

Without upholding standards it degrades the efforts of those who have tried and excelled, and indeed, those who have tried, failed, tried again, and then got the standard. If you want to get in the club, train more, suffer more and run faster.

Its not overly elitist anyway, that is the beauty of the BGR its a challenge possible for most fell runners if they focus on it.

Its like the walkers doing the welsh 3000ers in 24 hrs. Its possible, but very hard work.

I know there has been talk about whether the PBR should have a 24 hr limit.. but Paddy is quite keen it retains its informal status. Adding one also changes the history as Wendy's round would be removed.

But they are two very different rounds, the paddy you can do on your own and just email Paddy.. the Bob you can gain status to the club and get the dinner.. with the paddy you just get your name added to the spreadsheet.

Its like sub 4 Jura's.. I reckon my 4:05 (when I came 4th) or so in 2009 was a better run than my 3:42? (when I came 9th) run in 2008, but I only got the glass for 2008. Its arbitary but thats the system.

[Stagger]

Exactly! People are mixing up two seperate things: 1) The Bob Graham route is just that - a route around the hills. Go and do it over 3 days if you fancy, you've still done the route. 2) The Bob Graham Club - if you want to be part of this (and it's not compulsory!) then you need to do it under 24 hours, whatever the weather, whatever else you come up against. If you get round in 26 hours when you were wanting to be in the club....well, tough, not this time. Try again. Weather FFS? We're in the mountains. I've seen one friend in particular battle around over half of the route twice in horrendous conditions before calling it a day. He returned and completed on a better day. That's why it's a real challenge still!

Seconded

[stevefoster]

FFS get over yourselves in the big scheme of things what does it really matter? 24 hours or 24 days what ever you the contender is happy with

Dam right. If your over the 24 hours your not in the club, rules is rules, what does it matter though, if your happy to get round in any time, well done, you can always try, try again. As for letting supporters down, nonsense, I ran over from Honister to Wasdale for Daz's round, hung around for a while, then ran back. Didn't feel at all let down, had a good trot, got soaked and bloody loved it. And I'd do it again for others.

[that_fjell_guy]

Originally Posted by Mr1470
Exactly! People are mixing up two seperate things: 1) The Bob Graham route is just that - a route around the hills. Go and do it over 3 days if you fancy, you've still done the route. 2) The Bob Graham Club - if you want to be part of this (and it's not compulsory!) then you need to do it under 24 hours, whatever the weather, whatever else you come up against. If you get round in 26 hours when you were wanting to be in the club....well, tough, not this time. Try again. Weather FFS? We're in the mountains. I've seen one friend in particular battle around over half of the route twice in horrendous conditions before calling it a day. He returned and completed on a better day. That's why it's a real challenge still!

Seconded

Hmmm. Now its highlighted I'm waivering in my standpoint. I'll have to have a think.....didn't Bob Graham himself do it in over 24 hours!?

[Johnny Foreigner]

I'll have to have a think.....didn't Bob Graham himself do it in over 24 hours!?

Rumour has it Bob Graham could never be arsed to do the round, and any footage of it was filmed in studios in Ealing.