World’s Oldest Trail Race Over Subscribed As Always

What’s believed to be the world’s oldest trail race, as well as one of the most challenging in the UK, is over-subscribed once again as it approaches its 80^th anniversary in its current format, and 122 years since the first race.

Applicants are currently waiting to hear if their bids to compete in the 2017 Ben Nevis race, which starts at 1pm on Saturday, September 2^nd, have been successful.

A maximum of 600 runners are allowed to race in the contest which sees 4406 feet of cumulative elevation gain as competitors run up then back down Britain’s highest mountain – 4406 feet.

Many say racing down is harder than the ascent.

The history of hill running on Ben Nevis dates back to 1895. William Swan, a barber from Fort William, made the first recorded timed ascent up the mountain on or around 27 September of that year, when he ran from the old post office in Fort William to the summit and back in 2 hours 41 minutes.

The first competitive race was staged three years later on 3rd June 1898 and was raced in various forms with several breaks between race years before the what is now the current form was agtreed 80 years ago in 1937.

It now takes place on the first Saturday in September every year, with a maximum of 500 competitors taking part over a 14 kilometre (8.7 mi) route with 1,340 metres (4,400 ft) of ascent.

Due to the seriousness of the mountain environment, entry is restricted to those who have completed three hill races, and runners must carry waterproofs, a hat, gloves and a whistle; anyone who has not reached the summit after two hours is turned back.

The course records were set in 984 when Kenny Stuart and Pauline Haworth of Keswick Athletic Club won the men’s and the women’s races with times of 1:25:34 and 1:43:25 respectively.