Ultrarunner Beth Pascall sets fastest women's Bob Graham Round time

An ultrarunner has completed one of the most gruelling Lake District fell challenges by setting the fastest-known time (FKT) for a woman.

Beth Pascall finished the Bob Graham Round in 14 hours 34 minutes - taking 50 minutes off the previous best.

In a loop starting and finishing in Keswick, the 65-mile challenge (106km) saw her take on 42 fells and ascend about 27,000ft (8,200m).

The previous woman's FKT was set in 2016 by Jasmin Paris.

Pascall, who works as a paediatrician, turned her attention to training for Friday's effort when the coronavirus outbreak caused the cancellation of her long-distance running schedule in California this summer.

"I've always wanted to do a Bob Graham, but I've always put racing first," said the 32-year-old, who lives in Belper, Derbyshire.

"As soon as I realised there would be no racing for the foreseeable future it was in my mind, so probably from the end of May and beginning of June I was fully committed to it.

"I was training by going up and down the same little hills near where I live. It's not flat, but it's not the same as being in the Lake District."

A fan of several sports, Pascall said she began to "take running seriously about six years ago" and joked: "I grew up on my parents' farm chasing animals so I guess I always had good endurance."

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