Steve Birkinshaw Prepares for Wainwrights Record Attempt

News Release / 20.05.2014

One of the UK’s most successful ever adventure racers is preparing to make an attempt to break a 27-year-old running record.  Steve Birkinshaw, a member of the Berghaus team of sponsored athletes, aims to set a new record for running a circuit that includes the summit of each of the 214 hills or mountains that feature in Alfred Wainwright’s seven volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.  If he achieves his objective, Birkinshaw will succeed fell running legend Joss Naylor MBE in holding the record.

Steve Birkinshaw, 45, is an accomplished adventure racer and fell runner.  He is a multiple winner of the Original Mountain Marathon (formerly the KIMM) and in 2012 won the Dragon’s Back Race, believed by many to be the toughest adventure race on the planet.  Starting on Saturday 14 June, Birkinshaw aims to beat the current Wainwrights record of seven days, one hour and 25 minutes, set by Joss Naylor in 1987.  He has planned his own route to complete the 214 tops, with 512km of distance, including 36,000m of ascent, and hopes to take 11 hours off the current record.

As well as fitness and good navigation, effective kit and well managed nutrition will be keys to the success of Steve Birkinshaw’s Wainwrights record attempt.  He will be using products from the latest Berghaus range of VapourLight clothing, footwear and equipment, some of which he helped to develop and test.  Birkinshaw plans to rest less than Joss Naylor and eat while on the move.  He is also being supported by performance nutrition brand TORQ, which is supplying him with balanced energy food and drink for the run.

Steve Birkinshaw comments: “I seriously started to think about running the Wainwrights about a year ago, since when I have been regularly asking myself whether it is possible to beat Joss Naylor’s time.  Joss is an amazing athlete and as tough as they come.  In 1987, he was able to run through pain over long periods of time, so to even contemplate breaking his Wainwrights record is very daunting.

“However, I have spent a lot of time preparing a route that I think I can complete in a faster time.  Like Joss, I won’t run the tops book by book, but I will stick with tradition by starting and finishing in Keswick.  Obviously, there is nothing I can do about the weather, but I will be well equipped and I hope that I will be joined on sections of the run by friends, as well as several members of staff from Berghaus who have promised to run with me at times.  I’m a little nervous, but am really looking forward to getting started.”

Steve Birkinshaw will be raising money for two multiple sclerosis (MS) charities during his run.  His sister has MS and he has created donation pages for both the national MS Society and a local charity, the Samson Centre.  During his run, Birkinshaw will carry a live tracker and people will be able to follow his progress or work out where they can join him along the way.

Regular updates will be posted on the Berghaus website, by @TheRealBerghaus on Twitter and more information about Birkinshaw and his attempt on the Wainwrights can be found at his blog. 

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