42 peaks. 66 miles. 27,000ft of ascent. Starting and finishing at Keswick Moot Hall — all within 24 hours. Britain's most iconic mountain challenge, and one of the ultimate challenges in British fell running.
Brennan is a Keswick-based elite fell runner with intimate knowledge of all 42 BGR summits, the fastest racing lines, and what it truly takes to go sub-24. Kat knows these fells well too — local knowledge runs deep on both sides of this coaching partnership. Townshend Performance has coached many runners to successful BGR completions. For guided recces, see our Recces page.
Robert "Bob" Graham (1889–1966) was a Keswick guesthouse owner with a love of the Lake District fells. On 13th June 1932 — his 42nd birthday — he set out from Moot Hall in the centre of Keswick and traversed 42 peaks in 23 hours and 39 minutes, returning before his time was up. He wore plimsolls and carried a handful of boiled eggs and bread. No GPS. No running vest. No specialist kit.
His record stood for 28 years. When fell runners finally began trying to equal or surpass it in the 1960s, the route was named in his honour. The Bob Graham Club was formally established in 1971 for all those who could replicate the feat. By the end of 2025, just over 3,037 people had joined that club in 90-plus years — a measure of how demanding it really is.
The BGR is not simply a long run. It combines the demands of an ultramarathon with technical mountain terrain, significant navigation challenges, and sustained vertical — both up and down. On a typical 22-hour attempt you will climb almost the height of Mount Everest in a single continuous effort. Although many sections follow established paths, significant parts of the round require efficient line choice across open fell, boulder fields, bog and rough ground. In bad visibility, navigation by compass becomes essential.
Most people arrive at Wasdale — roughly the halfway point — in reasonable shape, only to face the hardest legs ahead: Leg 4's relentless ascents of Yewbarrow, Pillar and Great Gable, followed by legs that get progressively harder as fatigue compounds. The final leg over Dale Head and Robinson is only 3 summits, but it comes after 18+ hours of continuous effort.
The BGR is traditionally run clockwise, though anticlockwise attempts are recognised. The route is split into five legs, each ending at a road crossing where your support crew can meet you. Pacers typically join or leave at each road crossing.
Starting at Moot Hall in the centre of Keswick, Leg 1 heads north over Skiddaw (931m), drops to Great Calva (690m) via the remote Skiddaw Forest, then climbs the dramatic ridge of Blencathra (868m) before descending to Threlkeld. Distance: approximately 12 miles / 4,000ft ascent. Target time for sub-24h: 2h 30 – 3h 15.
Notes: Skiddaw is the second-highest peak on the round and comes on fresh legs — don't go out too hard here. The traverse to Great Calva across Skiddaw Forest is boggy and the ground underfoot can be slow. The climb and descent of Blencathra via Hall's Fell Ridge is the classic route but requires care in poor visibility or after rain.
The longest leg in terms of time for most runners. From Threlkeld you climb onto the long Helvellyn massif and traverse 12 summits: Clough Head (726m), Great Dodd (857m), Watson's Dodd (789m), Stybarrow Dodd (843m), Raise (883m), White Side (863m), Helvellyn (950m), Nethermost Pike (891m), Dollywaggon Pike (858m), Fairfield (873m), Seat Sandal (736m), and down to Dunmail Raise on the A591. Distance: approximately 16 miles / 7,500ft ascent. Target time for sub-24h: 5h 15 – 6h 30.
Notes: The Helvellyn ridge in good visibility is glorious — a long, runnable ridgeline. In cloud or wind it becomes a navigation exercise. Know the descent from Dollywaggon to Grisedale Tarn and the line off Seat Sandal to Dunmail. Don't neglect Stybarrow Dodd and Watson's Dodd — they are easy to shortcut but must be tagged. Leg 2 is where many BGR attempts find their rhythm or start to unravel.
The most complex leg — 15 peaks across the wild heart of the Lake District. From Dunmail Raise: Steel Fell (553m), Calf Crag (537m), High Raise (762m), Sergeant Man (730m), Thunacar Knott (723m), Harrison Stickle (736m), Pike o' Stickle (709m) — the famous Langdale Pikes — then into truly remote terrain via Rossett Pike (651m), Bowfell (902m), Esk Pike (885m), Great End (910m), Ill Crag (935m), Broad Crag (934m), Scafell Pike (978m — England's highest), and finally Scafell (964m). Then the long descent to Wasdale Head. Distance: approximately 17 miles / 8,000ft ascent. Target time for sub-24h: 5h 30 – 7h 00.
Notes: Broad Crag and Ill Crag are easy to miss in cloud — both are summits that require short detours from the main ridge. The crossing from Scafell Pike to Scafell via Lord's Rake or Foxes Tarn is the most technically demanding section of the entire BGR. In winter or poor conditions, the Lord's Rake option requires serious care. Know both routes and choose according to conditions on the day. The descent to Wasdale is steep and demanding on tired quads.
The leg that breaks people. Starting from Wasdale Head after 10–14 hours on the move, Leg 4 immediately throws you at Yewbarrow (628m) — a brutal frontal assault — before Red Pike (755m), Steeple (819m), Pillar (892m), Kirk Fell (802m), Great Gable (899m), Green Gable (801m), Brandreth (715m), and Grey Knotts (697m), then down to Honister Pass. Distance: approximately 14 miles / 6,000ft ascent. Target time for sub-24h: 4h 30 – 5h 30.
Notes: Yewbarrow from Wasdale is genuinely steep — hands-on-knees territory from the first steps. Steeple requires a short out-and-back from Scoat Fell. The traverse from Kirk Fell to Great Gable via Windy Gap can be brutal in westerly winds. Great Gable is where many runners have their emotional low point of the attempt — it feels so far from home. A strong pacer here is worth its weight in gold.
Three peaks stand between you and Moot Hall. Dale Head (753m), Hindscarth (727m) and Robinson (737m) — then a long descent into Keswick. Distance: approximately 8 miles / 1,600ft ascent. Target time for sub-24h: 2h 00 – 2h 45.
Notes: Don't underestimate Leg 5. The climbs feel enormous on fatigued legs and the descent into Keswick is longer than you expect. Many runners arrive at Honister with 3-4 hours remaining and assume they have it sewn up — then find themselves cutting it fine. Run every runnable metre of the descent into Keswick. You will be emotional. The town will be quiet or cheering depending on the time. Moot Hall is your finish line.
Jack Kuenzle (Switzerland) set the current men's record of 12:23 in 2022, surpassing Kilian Jornet's previous mark. His pace on the round — 66 miles of technical mountain terrain — is almost incomprehensible.
Beth Pascall set the women's record in 2020 with a remarkable time of 14 hours 34 minutes. Both records represent more than double the pace of a typical sub-24h attempt.
Arthur Hill completed the first winter sub-15 hour BGR in December 2025: 14 hours 54 minutes. Winter attempts face additional navigation demands, shorter daylight, and significantly harder underfoot conditions — a completely different challenge.
The Double BGR — 84 peaks, 132 miles, 54,000ft — has been completed by a small number of runners over the years. It remains one of the most extraordinary mountain endurance feats in British running.
The BGR is part of the Classic British Mountain Challenge trilogy, alongside the Paddy Buckley Round in Wales (47 peaks, 61 miles, 27,000ft) and the Ramsay Round in Scotland (23 Munros, 58 miles, 28,000ft). Together, completing all three is known as the "Rounds Grand Slam" — one of the most prestigious achievements in British mountain running. Each round has its own character: the BGR is the most accessible and most attempted; the Paddy Buckley the most technically runnable; the Ramsay the most remote and weather-dependent.
Most BGR attempts happen between May and August, with June and July being the sweet spot. The reasons are simple: maximum daylight (around midsummer you have 17 hours of light), generally more settled weather, and dry underfoot conditions. Starting at midnight on a June night means Leg 1 in darkness, then running into dawn over Helvellyn, with a full day of light for Legs 3 and 4.
Successful BGR attempts depend heavily on weather. A strong high pressure system with no fronts forecast gives you the best chance. Wind is often the deciding factor on the exposed ridges of Legs 2 and 4 — a 40mph westerly can add hours. Always have a reserve date planned 1–2 weeks after your primary attempt window, and be prepared to postpone if conditions aren't right.
September attempts are possible and can work well. October and beyond brings increasingly unpredictable weather, shorter days, and the realistic prospect of encountering snow or ice on the higher summits. Winter BGR attempts are a completely separate discipline and should only be considered by highly experienced mountain runners with specialist winter skills.
The Bob Graham Round requires serious fell running fitness. A typical successful attempter is running 60–80+ miles per week, with significant vertical in training — ideally 15,000–20,000ft of climbing per week in the months leading up to the attempt. Mountain experience and time on rough terrain remain essential, even if treadmills, stair machines and road running form an important part of your preparation.
Key training elements:
Most coaches recommend planning your BGR attempt 12–18 months in advance. Use the preceding year to build genuine fell running base, attempt shorter Lake District rounds and races (Lakeland 50, Three Peaks, local fell races), and build your confidence on technical mountain terrain. The BGR is not the place to discover you struggle with technical descents or navigation in cloud.
You should know every section of the BGR before you attempt it. That means recceing all 5 legs — ideally multiple times each, in different conditions. Pay particular attention to the complex navigation sections: the descent from Blencathra, the Scafell Pike to Scafell crossing, the approach to Steeple from Scoat Fell, and the line off Grey Knotts to Honister.
Many people recce legs individually over several months, then do a full leg-by-leg recce at night or in bad weather as the attempt approaches. Time yourself on recce legs to build realistic split targets. Know where you will lose time — most people underestimate Leg 2 and Leg 4 — and plan your schedule accordingly.
The Bob Graham Club does not provide an official route map, but the peaks and order are fixed. OS Explorer maps OL4 (The English Lakes — North Western), OL5 (The English Lakes — North Eastern) and OL6 (The English Lakes — South Western) together cover the full route. Harvey's BGR map is also popular and designed specifically for the round.
In good visibility the BGR is a navigation challenge you can manage with experience and route knowledge. In cloud or rain, it becomes a serious compass-and-map exercise. Several sections demand confident bearing work: leaving Skiddaw for Great Calva, finding Sergeant Man and Thunacar Knott from High Raise in cloud, the Scafell massif (Ill Crag and Broad Crag specifically), and the approach to Great Gable from Windy Gap.
Every BGR attemptee should be fully comfortable with map and compass navigation — not just "I can use a compass if I have to" but "I navigate by compass routinely." A GPS device can supplement your navigation but should never replace it. Batteries fail. Screens crack. The mountains don't care about your device.
The support crew system is central to the BGR experience. Your crew meets you at each road crossing — Threlkeld, Dunmail Raise, Wasdale Head, and Honister Pass — with food, fresh clothing, headtorches, and moral support. Pacers (who run with you on each leg) change over at these same points.
Your pacer quality can make or break your attempt. Choose people who know the terrain on their leg. A pacer who knows every cairn on Leg 4 and can navigate it in thick cloud is worth hours over someone experienced at road ultras. Brief every pacer and crew member in detail: your target splits, your nutritional plan, what you need them to carry, and what you need them to say (or not say) when things get hard.
Road crossing logistics matter. Wasdale Head is particularly complex — there's no main road, and your crew needs to drive via Gosforth or Santon Bridge to reach the car park at Wasdale Head Inn. Allow plenty of time for them to be there before you arrive. Dunmail Raise is on the A591 — traffic can be heavy on summer weekends. Honister has limited parking; coordinate carefully if you have a large support crew.
Brief each pacer on: the exact peaks to visit on their leg, the line between each one, your target time through each checkpoint, what to carry, and what you will need from them when it gets hard. A thorough briefing meeting a week before is essential.
At each road crossing your crew should have ready: hot food (soup, pasta, rice pudding), sports nutrition, a change of socks and shoes (in case of blistering or wet conditions), spare headtorch and batteries, dry base layer, rain jacket, and your next leg's nutrition pre-packed.
Club rules require each summit to be witnessed by a companion — traditionally your pacer. Ensure your pacer knows which summits must be tagged on their leg and that they must be present at each one. Keep a simple log of summit times if possible.
Agree on communication protocols before your attempt. On Leg 3 particularly, your crew may not have any contact with you for 6+ hours. Have a clear plan for what happens if you are significantly behind schedule, and know how your crew will decide whether to pull the plug if safety becomes a concern.
The BGR has no mandatory kit list — it is not an organised race — but as a minimum you should carry everything needed to spend an unplanned night out on the fells. Your pacing team and crew can supplement this, but you are ultimately responsible for your own safety on the mountain.
Trekking poles are allowed and some runners use them on Legs 3 and 4. They are particularly helpful on the sustained ascents and can save your quads on descents. They add logistical complexity at road crossings and pacers need to account for them. Traditional BGR ethos tends against poles, but there is no rule against them.
Aim for 300–400 calories per hour throughout the attempt, adjusting to what your stomach tolerates as fatigue builds. The first few legs allow for more solid food — sandwiches, flapjack, rice balls. By Leg 4 most runners rely more heavily on gels, liquids, and easily digestible carbohydrates.
Hydration is critical and often underestimated in summer conditions. You will be moving through the heat of the day on Legs 3 and 4. Electrolytes matter as much as fluid volume. Plan to take on 400–600ml per hour in warm conditions and adjust for temperature.
For pacing, build your leg-by-leg schedule before the attempt and share it with your entire crew and pacing team. A sensible sub-24h schedule for most runners:
Include buffer time at road crossings (10–15 minutes each) for clothing changes, eating, and pacer handovers. Don't let road crossings drift — every extra minute at Dunmail Raise becomes an extra minute of pressure on Legs 3, 4 and 5.
The Bob Graham Club is the custodian of the BGR tradition. Membership is awarded to anyone who completes all 42 peaks within 24 hours, with the following rules:
To register an attempt, contact the Bob Graham Club via their website at bobgrahamclub.org.uk. You'll need to submit your route, times and witness details after completion. The club maintains a full members' list and is the sole authority on recognising completed rounds.
Good BGR windows — long daylight, settled weather — are limited. Identify your primary and backup dates 6–8 weeks ahead. Check forecasts daily in the approach weeks and be ready to commit or postpone with 48 hours' notice.
You will likely face some cloud or rain on attempt day. Make sure you've recceed at least some legs in poor visibility — particularly the Scafell massif and the Helvellyn ridge — so you have genuine compass bearing experience, not just fair-weather route knowledge.
Most BGR failures come from legs that blow up because of quad fatigue on descents. Descending fast on technical fell terrain is a skill — and a physical adaptation — that takes months to develop. It cannot be replicated on flat roads or a treadmill.
The BGR is not simply a long training run. It demands months of specific preparation, a large support team, and significant logistical planning. Respect the challenge: runners who treat it casually often DNF, while those who prepare meticulously give themselves the best chance.
The completion rate on BGR attempts is estimated at under 50% for those who set off. Understanding why attempts fail is as important as understanding how to succeed.
Skiddaw on fresh legs feels easy. Too many runners bank 10–15 minutes on Leg 1, then pay it back with interest on Leg 4. Discipline in the first leg is everything. Stick to your schedule even when it feels slow — especially when it feels slow.
Leg 2 has 12 summits and is the longest leg by time for most runners. The Helvellyn ridge is exposed and the ground more complex than it looks on the map. Runners who arrive at Dunmail Raise 30+ minutes behind schedule rarely recover.
The Scafell Pike to Scafell crossing is the crux of Leg 3. In good conditions it's manageable. In wet rock, mist, or darkness it becomes genuinely dangerous and very slow. Not knowing this section intimately is a common reason for abandonment or a time-critical delay.
If Leg 3 has taken its toll — wrong line off Scafell, navigational detours, nausea, quad fatigue — arriving at Wasdale already in serious trouble makes Leg 4 almost impossible. The climb of Yewbarrow from Wasdale demands something left in the tank.
Attempting legs from GPS tracks alone, without having run them on your feet in real conditions, is a major risk factor. Knowing that a descent is "technical" from a description is very different from having descended it at pace in the dark on tired legs.
The BGR demands 6,000–8,000 calories over 18–24 hours. Many runners fail to eat enough in the first half when appetite is good, then find it impossible to eat in the second half when they need it most. Practise eating on the move in training — including at night when appetite often disappears.
A structured 16–24 week build is the foundation of a successful BGR attempt. The following is a guide to the key training phases — your specific plan should be tailored to your current fitness and starting point.
Build your weekly elevation to a consistent 3,000m (10,000ft) of climbing per week. This is the target elevation baseline that most BGR coaches recommend — not as a single week, but as a comfortable, repeatable weekly volume. Alongside elevation, build time-on-feet tolerance. Long days of 5–7 hours on rough terrain are more valuable than a single big weekly mileage number. Focus on: sustained aerobic fell running, technical descending practice, and beginning to recce individual legs.
Begin running the legs as specific training sessions, ideally at your target pace for the attempt. The critical session during this phase is running Legs 1 and 2 back-to-back in a single day — approximately 7–9 hours of running that mirrors the demands of the first half of your attempt. Time yourself against your planned schedule. If you arrive at Dunmail Raise 45 minutes behind schedule on a fresh training day, revise your schedule before your attempt. Other key sessions: night navigation runs on unfamiliar terrain, hill reps on steep ascents, strength and conditioning (squats, lunges, step-ups, drop jumps).
In the final 6–8 weeks, reduce volume and sharpen your pace. Complete a full recce of every leg under variable conditions — at least one leg in rain or poor visibility to practise navigation when it matters. Finalise your schedule and share it with every crew member and pacer. Test and finalise all kit in real conditions. Practise eating your race nutrition plan on all long training days. Reduce mileage in the final 2 weeks; arrive at the start line rested, not carrying fatigue from a last desperate training push.
Getting your crew logistics right can save 20–30 minutes across the round — and getting them wrong can add the same. Plan each road crossing in detail, brief your crew in writing, and do a dry run of the logistics if possible.
Threlkeld village is easily accessible from the A66. Parking is available in the village. Your Leg 1 pacer finishes here and your Leg 2 pacer begins. Have ready: water, food, any kit changes, fresh headtorch batteries (if starting at night), and Leg 2 nutrition pre-packed. Target time: 2h 45 – 3h 15 from start. If you are more than 30 minutes behind schedule here, reassess your Leg 2 target times.
On the A591 between Grasmere and Thirlmere. Pull-off parking beside the road. Summer weekends can see traffic — arrive early. Have a clear system for your runner to find your crew quickly: a distinctive colour, parked in an agreed spot. Most runners arrive at Dunmail in the daylight (if starting around midnight) and this is often the first time the crew sees how the attempt is really going. Have hot food ready. Keep the stop to 10 minutes maximum. If you are behind schedule here, have a frank conversation about leg targets — don't pretend all is well.
The most logistically complex crossing. There is no main road to Wasdale Head — your crew must drive via Gosforth (from the west) or over Hardknott and Wrynose Passes (from the east, not suitable for large vehicles in darkness). Allow at least 90 minutes for the crew to travel from Dunmail to Wasdale. The car park at Wasdale Head Inn is limited — arrive early. The runner descends a long, steep path from Scafell — allow for significant time variation here depending on conditions. Your pacer for Leg 4 should ideally know the Yewbarrow ascent by heart as it begins immediately after leaving the valley.
On the B5289 at the top of Honister Pass — there is parking at the slate mine car park (a charge may apply; have coins ready). This is where the runner descends from Grey Knotts — a long, steep finish to Leg 4. Assess the time carefully here: you need Leg 5 in under 3 hours to be safe with a sub-24h target. If you are behind schedule, your pacer needs to push the pace on the climbs over Dale Head and the descent into Keswick. Have warm clothes ready — Honister is exposed and runners often cool quickly after the effort of Leg 4.
The majority of BGR attempts start between 11pm and 1am, allowing runners to reach Threlkeld at first light and enjoy the Helvellyn ridge in daylight. This means navigating Leg 1 in the dark — which is manageable if you know the ground, but requires a confident headtorch section over Blencathra.
An alternative approach is an early morning start (5am–8am), which means starting Leg 1 in daylight but reaching Leg 4 or 5 in darkness. Some experienced BGR coaches prefer this approach, arguing that navigating the simpler terrain of Legs 4 and 5 in the dark is less risky than the complex navigation of Leg 3 at night. Choose based on where your strengths and recce knowledge lie. If you know Leg 3 (the Scafell massif) very well and are a strong navigator, a morning start can work well. If your Leg 3 navigation is shakier, starting at midnight and arriving at the Scafell section in daylight is the safer choice.
The BGR demands 18–24 hours of continuous movement on rough terrain. Foot care is not glamorous, but a hot spot that becomes a blister at Wasdale can end your round. Pre-tape any known problem areas before the start — the balls of the feet, the heels, and any toes prone to blistering. Many experienced BGR runners tape their entire foot sole before long training days to test what works.
Carry a small blister kit (needle, tape, antiseptic) in your pack or in the crew bag. Have a dry pair of socks and a decision made about whether you will change socks at any road crossing — some runners change at Dunmail or Wasdale, others run the full round in one pair. Lubrication (Bodyglide or Vaseline) on inner thighs, underarms, and nipples will prevent chafing from becoming a serious problem over 20+ hours.
When you return to Moot Hall in Keswick, your witness should log the time. You will need to gather all your summit witness records and submit them to the Bob Graham Club. The submission process is via the club website at bobgrahamclub.org.uk — do this promptly while the records are fresh.
The club will verify your attempt and add you to the membership list. You receive your BGR certificate and join a list of around 3,000 people who have completed the round in 90-plus years. After that: eat everything, sleep for as long as you need, and expect your legs to be extremely sore for 5–10 days. Most BGR runners return to easy running after 2–3 weeks, though the psychological processing of a major challenge can take a little longer than the physical recovery.
We build bespoke BGR coaching packages that address every element: fell fitness, technical descending, navigation, nutrition, pacing and support crew logistics. Get in touch to discuss your goals and timeline.
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