A fund-raising fell run in the Lake District almost equivalent to climbing to the top of Mount Everest has been attempted by two 18-year-old students, whose mission was to complete it in just 24 hours.
On 21 June, Ben H and Tom S, sixth form students and Army Cadets at Felsted School in north Essex, took on the ‘Bob Graham Round’, one of the most gruelling and demanding courses in the fell running world, spurred on by sponsorship to raise funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.
The course covers a distance of 106km and includes scaling 42 of the highest peaks in the Lake District. Ben and Tom’s goal was to complete it within 24 hours and raise £5,000 for a charity that is so important to them.
‘We chose to raise funds for SSAFA because of the vital support they provide to the military community,’ explained Ben. ‘As the oldest tri-service charity, they have a long history of assisting serving personnel, veterans and their families, but they are not as well-known as some other charities. We believe it is important to give them the recognition they deserve and to help them continue to provide their invaluable services to those who need it most.’
Ben and Tom have been Army Cadets at Felsted for five years and last year completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, also raising funds for SSAFA. This year the two have managed to fit training for the Bob Graham Round around study for Ben’s A Levels and Tom’s IB Diploma.
‘Balancing schoolwork and training has been a challenge, but we are very committed to our goal,’ said Tom. ‘We managed to maintain a rigorous schedule of running 60 to 70km per week, supplemented with strength and conditioning sessions in the gym. Even as we prepared for our final exams this summer, we remained focused on this important cause and the difference we hope to make.’
The boys finished their exams on 16 June and had packed their bags and driven up to the lakes by 18 June. After two days finalising their kit and scouting out each checkpoint for the support team, they woke up at 1:30am for an early start on 21 June for an energy packed breakfast and final kit checks. They started their run at 3am, making their way up the first peak, Skiddaw.
After a gruelling day’s run, over 6,000 calories burnt (each) and reaching a total altitude of 30,459ft – Mount Everest reaches 29,032ft – due to temperatures being well above the seasonal average, the run was called to a stop for safety reasons. However, Ben and Tom managed to complete an impressive 44 miles (71 km) of the 66 mile course – that’s nearly two marathons back to back, on a mountain.
Ben reflects; ‘Tom and I were disappointed with the outcome, but enjoyed the challenge and are happy that we have raised a good amount for a great charity.’ He adds; ‘We are planning to attempt it again next year. I personally feel like the key learning from this is to do more specific fell running – this will be more achievable next year with Tom and I both hoping to be moving up north for university, because you just can’t get the training you need down in Essex where the land is so flat!’.
Felsted School, an independent boarding and day school for girls and boys aged four to 18, has one of the longest-established Combined Cadet Force contingents in the country, having been founded in 1860.
‘CCF is an excellent opportunity for young people to challenge themselves and at the same time develop important life skills,’ said Felsted Head, Chris Townsend. ‘All Felsted pupils in Years 9 to Upper Sixth have the option to join, and take part in activities designed to practise team-working, communicating, leading and adventure, all skills which are so useful in future careers and adult life.’
It’s not too late to support Ben and Tom in their mission to raise £5,000 for SSAFA and show gratitude and support for the military community, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/bobgrahamround-for-ssafa?member=23682177&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer
In June 2023 Felsted was named Boarding School of the Year at the TES Schools Awards.
Categories: Felsted School
