Bob Graham Round
Published 10 August 2026 · Updated 10 August 2026 · Written by Catriona Adams
The Bob Graham Round is a 66-mile, 42-summit circuit of the Lake District fells, run within 24 hours from a standing start and finish at Moot Hall in Keswick. There's no marked course and no aid stations — runners plan their own line, timing, and support. First completed by Bob Graham in 1932, it's the oldest and most attempted of Britain's self-navigated Rounds.
The numbers
| Distance | 66 miles (106 km) |
|---|---|
| Elevation gain | 26,900 ft (8,200 m) |
| Summits | 42 fells |
| Time limit | 24 hours |
| Start / finish | Moot Hall, Keswick |
| First completed | 12–13 June 1932, by Bob Graham, in 23h 39m |
| Verifying body | Bob Graham 24 Hour Club (proposed 1971 by Fred Rogerson) |
How the round is verified
Completing the distance within 24 hours isn't, by itself, membership of the Bob Graham 24 Hour Club. The Club — proposed in 1971 by Fred Rogerson — requires a witness at each of the 42 summits with a recorded time, which rules out an unwitnessed solo effort counting toward membership even if the runner genuinely finished in time. Since January 2020, the Club has also stopped accepting rounds completed with commercial guiding services: support from friends and pacers is normal and expected, but a paid professional guide is not recognised. By the end of 2025, the Club had accepted 3,037 members.
Current records
| Category | Holder | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men — supported | Jack Kuenzle | 12h 23m 48s | 2 September 2022 |
| Women — supported | Katharina Hartmuth | 14h 11m 58s | 24 July 2026 |
| Men — unsupported | James Gibson | 21h 12m 19s | 16 December 2022 |
| Double round — men | Caspian James | 1d 19h 53m | 23 June 2025 |
| Double round — women | Nicky Spinks | 1d 21h 30m | 15 May 2016 |
| Most fells in 24h — men | Kim Collison | 78 peaks, 23h 44m 43s | 12 July 2020 |
| Most fells in 24h — women | Nicky Spinks | 64 peaks, 23h 15m | 1 May 2011 |
Nicky Spinks holds two of these records outright. Her own account of the double round is published on her site, runbg.co.uk.
Why navigation decides the round, not fitness alone
Fitness gets a runner through 66 miles and 26,900 feet of climb. It doesn't get them through low cloud on Great Gable at 3am with the line to the next summit invisible, or through the decision to abandon a leg when the weather turns and the schedule is already gone. The Round has no marshals to redirect a wrong turn and no cut-off checkpoints to force a decision — every navigational call is the runner's, and a wrong one costs more time than most runners have to spare. See our guide to self-navigation for fell and mountain running for how that skill is built.
FAQ
- What is the Bob Graham Round?
- A 66-mile, 42-summit circuit of the Lake District fells, completed within 24 hours, starting and finishing at Moot Hall in Keswick. There is no marked course, no aid stations, and no entry fee — runners plan their own route and navigation.
- How many peaks are on the Bob Graham Round?
- 42 fells, matching the age at which Bob Graham first completed the round in 1932. The order and exact line between summits is left to the runner.
- What is the record time for the Bob Graham Round?
- The supported record is 12h 23m 48s, set by Jack Kuenzle in September 2022. The women's supported record is 14h 11m 58s, set by Katharina Hartmuth in July 2026.
- Can you attempt the Bob Graham Round solo?
- You can run it alone, but Bob Graham 24 Hour Club membership requires a witness at each summit with recorded times — an unwitnessed solo round doesn't count toward membership, even if completed within 24 hours.
- Do you need a guide to complete the Bob Graham Round?
- Since January 2020, the Club no longer accepts rounds completed with commercial guiding services. Support from friends and pacers is normal; hiring a professional guide is not recognised.
- What happens if you don't finish within 24 hours?
- The attempt doesn't count for Club membership, but many runners still finish the full circuit outside the limit, or complete a partial round. There's no penalty beyond not qualifying — it isn't a race with a field or a result sheet.
- How is the Bob Graham Round different from an organised ultra-trail race like Eryri by UTMB?
- There's no organiser, no marked route, no aid stations, and no entry list — you plan the navigation, the timing, and the support yourself. An organised race like Eryri by UTMB supplies all of that; the Round supplies none of it.
Related
- The British Rounds — how the Bob Graham compares to the Paddy Buckley and the Ramsay Round.
- Self-navigation for fell and mountain running