James Gibson was the first to complete a winter Wainwrights round. Photo: Paul Holtom

James Gibson was the first to complete a winter Wainwrights round. Photo: Paul Holtom

Athlete James Gibson has completed his second full round of the Wainwrights in four months.

The Lake District-based runner finished his ‘summer’ challenge on Thursday afternoon, reaching the Moot Hall in Keswick six days five hours 23 minutes after setting off.

His time was the second-fastest for the gruelling run over all 214 fells detailed in Alfred Wainwright’s series of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, just over five hours longer than the time set by record holder Sabrina Verjee in June 2021.

Gibson, a member of the Lakeland Mountain Guides, completed the first known winter round of the Wainwrights in December last year. His latest challenge was completed in conditions little better than those he encountered four months ago and in far from typical summer weather.

The 30-year-old, from Rydal, who works at the Climbers’ Shop in Ambleside, celebrated his finish with a couple of beers at the Moot Hall with his support team.

His time is the fastest set by a man, bettering Paul Tierney’s 2019 completion by 41 minutes.

Completing all the peaks described by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells involves a distance of 318 miles (512km) run, with 36,000m (118,110ft) of ascent.

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