It's probably Britain's most obscure sport. It's certainly its
maddest. But fell-running - the practice of racing up and down
trackless mountains in all weathers - is also one of the last
sports to remain utterly true to its roots. In this evocative
account of a season in the fells, Richard Askwith explores
fell-running in the most authentic way: by putting on his studded
boots and running as many of the great races as possible, from
Borrowdale to Ben Nevis.
In the process, he not only endures the stamina-sapping agonies
of going up and the bone-breaking terror of hurtling back down,
but also encounters the sport's all-time greats: athletes of
astounding endurance and tenacity, yet unknown outside their own
valleys. And ultimately his own obsession drives him to the
toughest challenge: the Bob Graham Round - a non-stop circuit of
42 of the Lake District's highest peaks, to be completed within 24 hours...
'A minor masterpiece.' Sunday Times
'Sports book of the season - a terrific story of fell-running
and obsession.' Blake Morrison Guardian
'Imagine how strange it feels not only to have read a book about
fell-running, but to have enjoyed it so much that I am now
contemplating trying the sport myself...a lovely little book'.
Annalisa Barbieri, New Statesman
(Annalisa Barbieri
New Statesman )
Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, the
Boardman-Tasker Prize and awarded the prize for Best New Writer at
the British Sports Publishing Awards, Richard Askwith's book on Fell
Running was acclaimed as one of the best sports books of the year in 2005.
