I've bet someone £5 that he doesn't beat Billy's record this year. I think I'd still be more pleased if he does it.
Very sentimentally in some ways (impressive though it may be)I hope he doesn't break the record. I kind of like the record as a mark of real awe and legend.One that I have grown up on as 'The' record of records, held by a man local to the fells. If the record does go, which it will at sometime, I hope another Brit with that feel and passion for the Lakes that many of us have will be the one to achieve it.
Totally agree with you there.
Nothing wrong with having pacers, navigators, etc, as that is now the established way to do it. But would this guy have the wherewithal to pull it off on his own if he didn't have a Salamon backed team?
Personally in any case I don't think he'll get close.
Definitely a little magic will disappear if and when the record does go. However wouldn't begrudge it falling to another "real fellrunner".
Billy Bland's BGR record has a similar legendary status to Bob Beamon's long-jump record (yes, I am old enough (just!) to remember that); and it has lasted longer. I am with those who, for whatever irrational, sentimental reasons, would only like to see it broken by someone from our home-grown fell-running tradition.
. . . and a footnote regarding Kilian Jornet and record-breaking.
A few years ago I wrote an article in The Fellrunner magazine about the Mount Marathon Race in Alaska. In 2015 Jornet got an invitation to run in that race, and duly lowered the record from 42m55s to 41m48s. But in 2016 an almost unknown Alaskan called David Norris took the record back for the "home team", winning in 41m26s. Jornet is not invincible.
Also, remember that Scott Jurek and Rickey Gates, two of the world's best ultra / trail runners, took 23h44m over their BGR.
Last edited by anthonykay; 28-03-2017 at 10:11 PM.
It will certainly be an interesting year to see just how good he is.
The Glencoe Skyline will have a class field, on terrain that he is very good on. Presumably he'll tie that trip in with a go at the BG. I think if rested and on form, he will be close to the record. If you take Robs lack of rest time, and Billy's troubles at Honnister, there is about 25 minutes to gain on the record there. The UTMB will also be interesting. Along with a seriously high class field, American Jim Walmsley is doing it this year. He was over 10 minutes ahead of record time 7 miles from the finish of the Western States 100, when he strayed off route. I think he will be tough to beat, even for Killian.
looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Interesting that most people seem to equate him having a go at the round with him trying to break the record. Bloody foreigners coming over here, stealing our records…
As observed above, he’s likely to be doing it off the back of UTMB and Glencoe Skyline, so may not be fresh for a serious challenge, like Jurek and Gates a couple of years ago. Maybe he’s just after a good day out. He’s born, bred and lives in the mountains. Different mountains, but mountains nonetheless. Always seems like a humble guy to me. Yeah, he’s a sponsored runner, but who wouldn’t be given the choice?
If he did give it a good go, consider: Jasmin P did around 15h30m last year for her BGR and 28h30m for the UTMB. Seriously impressive stuff. I’d guess KJ would be looking to take 6h30m or more off her UTMB time. Obviously there’s a lot of other factors at play here that are impossible to quantify, but a ballpark figure suggests 2-3h off Jasmin’s BGR time might be plausible.
If he were to focus on it and have a proper crack at the record, I reckon he’d smash it. That it would take someone of his calibre to do it is testament to the current record.
Geoff Clarke