Andy Berry has written himself into history by successfully setting a new course record for the Lake District 24-hour challenge.
Originally set in 1904, a runner attempts as many Lake District summits as they can within a 24-hour period.
inov-8 athlete and Keswick AC member Andy summited 78 Lake District peaks in 23hrs 23mins, completing it 22 minutes than quicker than previous record holder Kim Collison, who also did 78 peaks in 2020.
Prior to that, the record had been held by fellow fell running legends including Joss Naylor (72 peaks), Mark McDermott (76 peaks) and Mark Hartell (77 peaks).
Andy expressed he had originally planned to do 79 peaks, including Haycock, but decided to miss it out, to ensure he would make the cut-off. His route – starting and finishing at the top of Newlands Pass – totalled 94 miles, with around 40,000ft of ascent.
A plumber from County Durham, Andy was supported throughout by experienced pacers on the fells and his partner, Jess, at road crossing points. His pacers included former record holder Kim, who is also his coach.
Andy, who set the new record on Saturday before returning to work Monday morning, said: “I can’t believe it all came together on the day and I managed to build on the incredible feats of those who have gone before.
“This record has been a huge dream of mine and everything I’ve done over the past 18 months built up to this attempt. I feel proud to now see my name alongside some of the greatest long-distance fell runners in history.
“I’m indebted to everyone who came out to help me, it couldn’t have been done without each and every one of them.”
inov-8 communications manager and experienced fell runner Lee Procter said: “Andy put it all on the line and reaped the rewards. His dedication in meticulously planning for this record attempt was incredible to witness and he deserves all the many plaudits.
“The Lake District 24-Hour Fell Record is insanely tough. To put it in perspective, the famous Bob Graham Round 24-hour challenge involves summitting 42 Lake District peaks, totalling around 66 miles. Andy did an additional 36 peaks on top of those, running at an estimated ‘15-hour Bob Graham Round pace’ to do so.”
Pioneering sports brand inov-8 is based in the Lake District and this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.