Steve Chilton

The Three Peaks Race, often called the 'marathon with mountains', is the longest standing 'long' fell race in the UK. At a length of over 23 miles, and with over 5,000 feet of ascent, it is an iconic part of the fell and mountain running calendar. From a field of just 6 entrants in 1954 it has grown to the point that there are entry requirements to be met, and it now attracts up to 1,000 entries each year. This is a history of the event from its early foundations, through two cancellations (once due to foot and mouth and once Covid), encompassing being chosen as the venue for the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge and lately being nominated as a qualifying race for UTMB World Series. The Three Peaks Race is THE mountain race that UK runners, at all levels, want to compete in, in a similar way that marathon runners want to run in the London Marathon. Some want to do it just the once, others strive to do it enough times get the 15/21 completions award, and a crazy few keep doing it until they are no longer fit enough to make the cut-off times. In parallel with the detailed history of the race, the stories of many characters from the seven decades that the event has been held in are explored in some depth. Historical accounts and contemporary interviews with the author tell of the individual approaches and also differing success levels of many participants in the race. The many interviewees include six-time winner Jeff Norman and five-time winner Victoria Wilkinson, but also extend to runners throughout the field, and also members of the organising team, past and present. As well as the triumphs of race winners, accounts of perennial second-placers, and of iconic running champions who never managed to win this race, there are stories of runners getting lost while in the lead, of being knocked over at a stream crossing, of stepping on a rock that turned out to a dead sheep, and of stopping because they couldn't take it anymore. This is the history of the race and the many characters that have stood on the start line.

Voices from the Hills by Steve Chilton is the story of the barriers encountered by the first female fell runners who fought to participate in the early days of this male-dominated sport. Despite experiencing discouragement and resistance, these women responded with personal courage and self-confidence. Thanks to them, women now compete at traditional fell races, international mountain races and endurance challenges such as the Bob Graham Round in increasing numbers. Told predominantly through interviews with pioneering female athletes who recount their lives and running careers, this is the story of a fight for equality of opportunity and reward.

All or Nothing At All by Steve Chilton is the life story of Billy Bland, fellrunner extraordinaire and holder of many records including that of the Bob Graham Round until it was broken by the foreword author of this book, Kilian Jornet. It is also the story of Borrowdale in the English Lake District, describing its people, their character and their lifestyle, into which fellrunning is unmistakably woven. Filled with stories of competition and rich in northern humour, All or Nothing At All is testimony to the life spent in the fells by one of their greatest champions, Billy Bland.

The story of two very different athlete’s lives (Kenny Stuart and John Wild [RAF] up till 1983 (biogs), followed by an in-depth analysis of the 1983 Fell Championships season. It tells of how an international steeplechaser from the Midlands moved to the fells to go head-to-head with a Cumbrian fell runner who later became a 2-11 marathon runner. The Championship in 1983 was much tougher than it is now. After 15 races the title was decided by just 20 seconds at the final race. Then it covers what happened next with the two athletes, and what they are doing now.

The Round: In Bob Graham's Footsteps by Steve Chilton is not only a history of the Bob Graham Round, but also an exploration of the what, why and how of this classic fell endurance challenge. After covering the genesis of the Bob Graham Round in detail, it documents its development from a more-or-less idle challenge to its present status as a rite of passage for endurance runners. Interspersed with this detail of the round are extensive profiles of many of the event’s most significant individuals: innovators, record setters, recorders and supporters. Some links to resources for potential Bob Graham Round completers are be included. The Round is emphatically not a ‘how to’ guide, but it is a terrific follow up to Steve Chilton’s hugely popular first book, It’s a Hill, Get Over It.

It’s a Hill, Get Over It tells the story of fell running from its nineteenth-century origins to the present day. Exponents of the sport through the ages have maintained not only an amateur ethos, but also a wariness of change and public attention. As a result, many of their greatest achievements have not always been given the credit they deserve. To complete this detailed history, Steve Chilton has included in-depth conversations with many of the greats including Tommy Sedgwick, Jeff Norman, Pauline and Kenny Stewart, Helene Whitaker and Rob Jebb.