Billy Bland (runner)
Encyclopedia
Billy Bland was one of the most prominent fell runners from the mid-1970s until the late 1980s, and is arguably the best long-distance fell runner in the history of the sport.
He was born in 1947 in Borrowdale in the Lake District
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Bland is the current holder of the record for the fastest time in the fell running
challenge The Bob Graham Round. The Bob Graham Round involves a circuit of 42 Lake District
peaks, covering around 66 miles, in under 24 hours. Bland accomplished this in 1982 in a time of 13:53.
Among Bland's other outstanding records are that for the Wasdale Fell Race, which he completed in 3:25:21 in 1982 (only three weeks after his Bob Graham Round record). This time has not been approached in recent years, despite the event being one of the counting races in the national championships on several occasions.
He was born in 1947 in Borrowdale in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
.
Bland is the current holder of the record for the fastest time in the fell running
Fell running
Fell running, also known as mountain running and hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty...
challenge The Bob Graham Round. The Bob Graham Round involves a circuit of 42 Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
peaks, covering around 66 miles, in under 24 hours. Bland accomplished this in 1982 in a time of 13:53.
Among Bland's other outstanding records are that for the Wasdale Fell Race, which he completed in 3:25:21 in 1982 (only three weeks after his Bob Graham Round record). This time has not been approached in recent years, despite the event being one of the counting races in the national championships on several occasions.