The One with the Biblical Weather 13.6.25-14.6.25
A big round is one of those running challenges that you talk a lot about in the pub with running friends. The UK Rounds are generally set around a challenging, rugged mountainous part of the UK, requiring you to summit challenging peaks, running a long distance and doing all of this within 24 hours.
There are 3 in Britain;
- The Charley Ramsey Round, set in Scotland and including Ben Nevis, it is the shortest of the 3, at 57 miles and with 28,879ft of ascent (24 summits). It is remote and therefore it’s hard to recce and hard get support in the right places.
- The Paddy Buckley Round, set in rugged Wales and including Mt Snowdon. It is 62 miles, 28,750ft of ascent (47peaks) It is set on some peaks that are infrequently visited, and so paths are hard to come by for some of the route.
- The Bob Graham Round, set in the Lake District with the highest summit being Sca Fell Pike, the longest at between 66 miles, 26,778 ft of ascent (42 peaks).
The Bob Graham is steeped in history. Bob Graham, a Keswick hotelier and keen walker decided on his 42nd birthday in 1932 to go out and see if he could reach 42 peaks around the Lake District and be back in 24 hours. From this the legend and challenge began. Over the years many have attempted this fell challenge, but few have achieved it (the number was up to 2925 by the end of 2024).
So, all that history stuff out of the way and time for me to tell you about my round! Generally, BG contenders call their runs an ‘attempt’ until they complete it in 24 hours. From the moment I decided to do it I consciously decided to call it ‘my round’. Please don’t get me wrong, it’s not me being pretentious or big headed, far from it. This was me setting the right mind set from the start, I was always going to do it, get it done, nothing was going to stop me and I had to have that set in my head so when the challenges came (and there were lots) I knew I was just going to get it done.
You must be supported by at least one person to witness each of the summits, and it really helps to have a team around you to help at road stops, run with you, keep your spirits up and share in the madness. I had one of those, a brilliant and mad team, more about them later.
Decisions, decisions
Running with the SCS Tuesday head torch group from 2022 introduced me to likeminded, crazy, strong and skilled fell runners. I learned quite early into my time there that Nick Burns, our fell run leader, had done and achieved his own Bob Graham Round. I was interested in listening to the stories and his experiences. The name Bob Graham wasn’t new to me, I had heard it a lot as a kid growing up as my dad, who was a fell runner, also moved in these circles and had got his own BG round in 1983 #257 (this is his BG number). But more on him later.
I had always thought I would like to do a BG and as I got more into running ultras, talking to Nick and other BG members it continued to fuel my interest but only as a slow burner. That was until 2024 when I did my Mt Snowdon 24 hour challenge. I trained well for it, enjoyed it and came out of the back of it strong. So, during a Tuesday fell run a few weeks later Nick suggested 2025 might be a good time to do a BG, I had a good training and distance background now, the fell group was filling up with people also interested in getting experience in a support for a BG (all mad!) and personally I wanted to do this while my dad could still share the experience with me.
My dad, John Abbott
I want to give a bit of background about my dad; he has become an inspiration to me to keep going. Running has brought us closer and my BG has given him new energy.
Growing up as kids myself, my brother and sister spent most weekends somewhere in the Lakes or the Peaks supporting my dad with his fell running at short and long competitions (he was one of the founder members of Dark Peak) or at the bottom of rocks while my mum and dad took turns climbing. We were brought up on running and being outdoors. You could say it was in the blood.
He has achieved so much in life, career, family and running. 2 things for me I see as his amazing running achievements are; his completion of his Bob Graham Round in 1983 in 23 hours and 40 minutes and his support of Roger Baumeister to complete the very first Double Bob Graham in 1979 (in under 48 hours), there are many more, scrapbooks of fell races steeped in history, all amazing achievements.
Although I said it’s in the blood, I didn’t follow in his running footsteps as a kid and adult. I played football for most of my life and it was only recently (2021) I got into running and straight into ultra-running. This sparked a new talking point for us and brought us closer together at a tough time. Dad has Motor Neurone Disease. Diagnosed 6 years ago. It has stripped away his strength, his power, his independence but not his memories, his vast mountain and fell running experience or his hope.
I was going to complete my Bob Graham Round like him and be one of the few father and son finishers while he could still acknowledge and enjoy it.
My training
I love training for long events; I love the monotony of going out and doing the same thing repeatedly and seeing improvements. But this training needed to be big.
My plan lasted 32 weeks, although the first 8 were pretty much the same ticking over stuff, a fell run, a long run, a road run and strength work. Miles grew, not big miles (well I still needed to have a good average of about 40-50miles per week) as the weeks went on.
But the 2 big changes I made in my training was upping the leg strength training and amount of hill reps. Couple that with visits to the Lakes for recces with Nigel Barnes, my fellow 2025 Bob Graham Finisher (club BG record holder), Nick Burns (BG finisher) Simon Atkins and Clare McKeown (BG finisher) training went steady and smooth. When I couldn’t get to the lakes I did some challenges in the Peaks, thank you to Jim Rangeley for the Kinder Dozen epic day out. Then finished off my training plan with my last Big Day Out, the Old County Tops Race weekend, exactly 4 weeks from my Bob Graham Round with Jim, Louis Wood and Nick Burns on the Saturday. Jim and I added an extra 3500ft of ascent on a few peaks on the Sunday of that weekend.
My Bob Weekend – The one with the Biblical weather
Over the weeks and months, I had assembled my crack team of pacers and crew. The Bob Graham is split into 5 legs; I had great support on each one. I am going to sum up each leg with the pacers at the top, they are all to be celebrated as each one played their part to get this round done!
We stayed in Embleton, in a small farm cottage just 20 minutes from Keswick on the West side of the lakes. As people got there throughout the afternoon (in the sunshine and dry weather) we began last minute checking, prepping, organising. Who was going to do what, when, where, what time we were getting to Keswick, people planning dinner so they could sleep before they came out.
Before we knew it, it was 7pm and time to set off to Keswick to make a start. Simon Atkins drove with Michael Raynor and Will Learning accompanying me on leg 1. When we got to Keswick, we met up with local leg 1 specialists Clare McKeown and Richard Ellwood. The team was ready! Just enough time for a cameo appearance from Scott Banks (a seasoned crew driver fresh from Nigel’s attempt last week) and my old pal from school Steve Taylor. Both giving suitable support balanced with acceptable piss taking, which included Scott (and everyone else) reminding me how well Nige had done last week smashing the club Bob Graham record! No pressure then!
The stage was set, the clock was counting down and I was standing on the (quite high) steps of Moot Hall ready to touch the door, press the start on my watch and set off.
I had a lasting phrase that Nick Burns always says to me that helps in these situations, it is simple ‘Don’t be shit!’. I wasn’t intending to!
Leg 1 – Michael Raynor, Will Learning, Clare McKeown, Richard Ellwood
8pm came and off we went into a muggy, calm, breezeless Friday evening. Little did I know what awaited us! Leg 1 was lovely, chatty and steady. It’s a beautiful leg to start on, the climb up Skiddaw looking over your shoulder you see Keswick nestled between great mountains. I was finally doing it; it was really happening! The views were amazing, a sunset, cloudy but lovely. We hit all our summits on time; I took my time on the downhills so as not to trash my legs early on. We got to the top of Blencathra a little up on time and as we headed down to the first checkpoint the sky reminded us of what the forecast had been telling us. It began to drizzle, not too bad but enough to decide to put a rainproof on.
It was lovely coming into Threlkeld to meet the crew, Simon driving and crewing, Connor Brown and Scott Marc-Berry ready to pace and navigate for leg 2. Food was eaten, new nutrition was added, drinks were filled, and we were off again. Perfectly executed stop.
Leg 2 Connor Brown, Scott Marc-Berry
It was the first time running with Scott but Con and Scott had done some leg recces together (Con is planning his BG in 2026). It was great fun, they were well organised, checking heart rate so we didn’t go too quickly, I felt very well supported. There was much singing (show tunes mostly) so Clough Head was taken with ease, and we were on top of the Dodds hoping to make good time. This is when the weather introduced itself to us! The rain began to get heavier, the wind picked up and there were some flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder, but this wasn’t going to stop us intrepid fell runners. We pushed on, ticking the summits off, eating, drinking but being relentlessly battered by wind and rain. We were about 6 hours in, coming off White Side I met my first personal challenge.
As I descended my left shin began to ache. This was early. This was new. But it wasn’t going to stop me, however it did begin to piss me off, and for the rest of the descents of the whole round I used poles to take some of the soreness away. (I was already using them for the climbs) I also began using paracetamol to take the edge off. This was an ache that didn’t go away for the whole of the rest of the round. It grew through the round, but I was able to manage it with painkillers and some anti-inflammatory tablets. It turned out it to be a small tendon rupture, sore but not run stopping.
Anyway, as we climbed onto Fairfield the weather added another treat, thunderstorms and lightning! It was beautiful and bloody dangerous! Rain, lightning and standing on top of a 2900ft mountain was an interesting concept, we didn’t hang about to see the result!
As we came off Seat Sandal and headed down to the Dunmail Raise crew stop, it began to get light. We were soaked and cold but had really enjoyed the leg. The plan was to get fully changed, grab some food, pick up leg 3 and 4 specialists Nick Burns and Simon Atkins and head back up Steel Fell as quickly as we could as we were on our 23-hour schedule.
I wish I had a photo of Nick and Simon as we arrived, they were standing under the awning of Mike’s van, full waterproofs at 4.50am, their faces said ‘For F@~s Sake what have we got ourselves out of bed for this for’ but bless them they were positive and helpful. Even though I faffed getting changed (in a tiny van and soaking wet) we eventually got off a bit behind (15 minutes down) and so planned to put in a bit more effort so we could hit our time for leg 4 to start making some time (great plans and all that!).
Leg 3 – Simon Atkins, Nick Burns, Connor Brown, Scott Marc-Berry
I was quarter the way up Steel Fell when I realised, I had left a pole glove. Scott went back but this meant he was playing catch up all the way for leg 3. Not what he and Con planned but it all worked out. Simon was setting a superb pace and although everything was ankle deep in water, the summit times were good, as was the pace. I was eating fine, but probably not enough, it was wet and miserable, so you just didn’t want to do it!
The river crossing at Black crags showed us what to expect further along. Waist deep rushing water, there was no point trying to stay out of it. As Nick was crossing, I thought ‘f’#k it’ (I shouted it) and jumped in, the rush was great, the current was a little strong but defiantly invigorating!
There are some beautiful summits and views on leg 3 but we got none of that (glad I did during my recces) so I will move onto the most memorable parts.
Sca Fell Pike came and went and then we headed down to one of my favourite parts of the round. The climb up to Sca Fell via Lords Rake. There are 2 other choices. A climb up Broad stand where you need a rope and harness (NOPE) and a round route up Foxes Tarn but takes ages (BORING) so it was Lords Rake. This can only be described as steep sloped scramble using feet and hands while trying not to dislodge the loose rocks sat upon a scree slope. The last time I did this was in April just as the nice weather had started. It was not the same, far from it, the scree had become a raging waterfall and was constantly on the move. Exciting all the same.
Simon led and leapt like a goat across the main waterfall part onto the adjacent rock and off up, I followed. However, when I landed from leaping across, the rocks that held Simon before gave way and I was slipping back, back down the waterfall, basically falling. I grabbed the main rock with the water running across my arms, steadied myself and got across. Looking over at Nick, he gave me a look of ‘that was pretty dangerous!’ Simon was watching and shouted his encouragement ‘stop being so fat!’ Banta!
The rest of the climb was, as you could imagine, slippery and challenging but we got it done and even caught up to another BG contender who had set off at least an hour before us. We were making good time.
Sca Fell was ticked off and we could see Wasdale and the next challenge after that, Yewbarrow.
The route down to Wasdale from Sca Fell is as challenging as it is to get up, scree sliding at least a third of it then grass running, down wet saturated grass, there was a lot of falling over. We were treated to sun appearing for around half an hour which was very welcome. As we neared the bottom, we could see the stream you cross, but it was white! The closer we got, the louder it got. The stream had turned to a raging torrent of white water surrounded by huge boulders and only one crossing option, to go through. Simon led, took his time, secured himself and then held out a pole to grab onto, Nick made it across in one piece and it was my turn. I jumped in and immediately the torrent wanted to pull me away, I used the pole and pulled myself across but with some strength needed!
A short jog and we were at the cheering road crew, everyone was there waiting for us, Mike, Will, Con and Scott (who had gone ahead and got in front of us). I needed a bit of a clothes change and did this quickly, Mike unpacked my bag and repacked putting what I asked for in there. I was ready for leg 4 and Yewbarrow.
Leg 4 – Simon Atkins, Nick Burns.
We were about 9 minutes down on 23 hours (well done Si) when we left Wasdale and I was feeling pumped for Yewbarrow. It is sort of a nemesis for most BG rounds and has the nickname of Yew-bastard as it is one massive straight up 50-minute slog out of Wasdale. The sun was still around, and it was quite warm. About halfway up I looked back enjoying the view, as I did, I checked my pack and realised I’d made a mistake at the crew point. When Mike asked what I wanted, he gave me my nutrition pack from which I took just 2 cliff blocks. Thankfully he also made me take a bag of peanuts. But that was all I had, it was not enough, I had messed up. I spent the last quarter of Yewbarrow trying to work out how to say to Nick and Simon that I might need to use/borrow/eat their food. But when we did have a chat, they sorted out a plan of what to do to get energy in me and I felt positive about it. (last time for a while)
Ascending Red Pike, the weather came back in, and I began to bonk, I realised I’d also only eaten a doughnut on my stop at Wasdale and that wasn’t going to cut it. This is the point Simon and Nick started chucking food at me and telling me to get it down. I was but it was not helping, I slowed, started death marching, I couldn’t get a run out of my legs, I felt sleepy and had to go into myself to have a word. We were about 17 hours in now, I just knew I was doing it but couldn’t muster the strength to go any quicker. This is where the real training comes in. I was fine, I just needed to have some more fuel and for my body to get this from what I had been given. It took a while, but it was going to get done one way or another.
I am a positive person and knew and told myself ‘This is just a rough patch’. Simon and Nick were great at pointing out we were good on time and just needed to keep going.
I remember the exact moment my body went, ‘right, I’m sorted now, got energy, let’s go again!’ As we ascended Great Gable, Simon reminded me we were on my favourite climb. I love how Gable looks as you come down Kirk fell, it looms at you like a great big monolith of rock protruding from the ground and you think ‘there’s no way you can get up that’ but really it’s quite a nice sloping ascent and giant boulder hopping, which I love. I didn’t let Gable down! It brought me round and got me back on track, I could run again!
Me and Nick ticked off the last two summits (Simon made his own way round as he was suffering from his Achilles) and made our way down to Honister, the last stop. This was the first time I looked at my watch. All the way round so far, I had lapped each summit but not looked at time, it was everyone else telling me how we were doing. I expected to be behind, but we were bang on schedule. I had a plan. I was going to run through Honister and not stop, that would save 10 minutes. Will and Phil Howson could grab my stuff and catch up to me. Nick ran ahead to tell them the plan. 3 more summits to go and I’d almost done it.
Leg 5-Will Learning, Phil Howson
I thanked everyone for the support as I ran though, felt bad that I hadn’t stopped and they had come all this way but couldn’t dwell on it, I needed to get going if I was going to get 23 hours.
The rubbish weather continued throughout leg 4 and into 5 where it ramped up again adding high strength winds to the occasion. Phil and Will were like a well-oiled team, Phil ran ahead to check routes while Will made me eat, drink and used himself as a windbreak protecting me from the side on gale that was blowing. (As a side note this isn’t the worse wind I’ve experienced in the Lakes, that was in November when myself and Nick recced leg 2 during storm Burt! Even named storms didn’t get in the way of my preparation!).
Thankfully leg 5 is runnable and we were doing well. We ticked off Dale Head and Hindscarth with time to spare.
As we came up the slope to summit the last peak, Robinson, I felt a bit sad. I knew I would feel like this, all the times coming up to recce, all the prep, all the thinking and visualising has got me and my team to here. Realistically, I knew when I touch the shelter of Robinson it is done (apart from running down a massive slope and 5 miles of road). Of course, I knew I would be out here again, supporting and recceing with others but this part of the chapter was over. As touched the summit I remembered Simon, Nige and myself getting here months ago and talking about how it would feel, I thought about Nige being here only last week and achieving so much. And thought of my dad, being here 40+ years ago, probably having the same thoughts. I enjoyed that moment but snapped out of it as more lightning flashed and reminded us it was time to be heading back!
Descending from Robinson, back into the valley is really smooth and steady (and slippery when it’s pissing it down) there is one really big slope down past the reservoir (also grass so also slippery when wet) and then it’s a pretty flat run to tarmac and your last stop (if you want to make it) to put on road shoes. The whole team was there with lots of encouragement. There was a change of socks and very comfortable soft road shoes, a few caffeine gels and some anti-chafe cream and we were ready for the last 5 miles.
I felt great, we were making good time, and I was knocking out 8 and half minute miles but knew I needed to slow a bit to not blow up. I had now set my sights on getting near Nige’s time. I might as well give it a go. It was close, and I had hoped to match it. Phil read out the miles as we ticked them off, I was so glad I had recced this part, it is boring but important to know what to expect! Inclines were walked and declines were taken quickly then suddenly we were into Keswick and coming up the road to the pedestrian area.
Phil and Will made sure I was able to cross, and I put in what I though was a bit of a sprint (it’s more of a faster jog on the video) as I could hear cheering and see Moot Hall. All the crew was there, Scott and Steve were back cheering on, and I was getting cheers from randoms in and around the area. It felt great, I was going to do this. All I had in my head was ‘JUST DON’T FALL UP THE STEPS TO THE DOOR!’ I didn’t! I stopped my watch, and I was done!
Smiling and looking out I could hear Nick shouting, ‘Dan your dad is here!’ As an amazing, kind thing to do, Nige had gone round to my parents’ house and had face timed Nick so he could show me finishing in real time. He was so happy and so was I. After a quick chat, a beer was pushed into my hand by the barman from ’The Round’ pub, (it is a tradition all finishers get one). Then I had to go back up those damn steps for photos!
I’d done it! I was so pleased, after we got chips, headed back to the cottage for a few beers and debrief and a long sleep and that was that.
Looking back, the Bob Graham was hard and harder than I thought it would be. This sounds strange as obviously it is hard but it’s too difficult to explain why because it’s hard for different reasons for each person that achieves it. But it strengthened and galvanised me as person, it showed me I can be strong and deal with tough stuff. Even more so than I thought.
My team THANK YOU! You played a huge part in my achievement, they were amazing, driving about with little sleep and little comfort in the pissing rain. It’s what your friends are for, to help you experience amazing things and be a part of those amazing things. I was also really pleased with my training. By Tuesday I was ready to run again (although I’m not until this ruptured tendon is healed). Again, I’m not trying to show off, just that all things were planned, thought out and all fell into place.
Finally, I would like to thank my family, Anna and the boys, mum and dad and my sister Sophie. I have not always been there because I’ve been in the Lakes or out on a long run but in your own ways, I know you want me to achieve what I set out to do and thank you for that!
I am looking forward to going to the bi-annual dinner along with my Pal Nige to collect my certificate have a few beers and chat with him all about it when all the dust (and rain) has settled.
In the end I got a sub-23. I managed to do my round in 22 hours 44 minutes and 55 seconds.
Dan just sneaked under Nige’s Striders BGR record of 22.50.00. Nige was a record holder but it only lasted for 7 days. Question is, ‘how long will Dan hold it for?’ Who’s up for next year then??
