Last weekend, keen fell runner Kim Collison broke the Paddy Buckley record with an incredible finish time of 16:20:40. It was a very close call at moments, though by the time Collison reached Snowdon, he had gained a 20-minute lead, beating Math Robert’s previous record of 16 hours and 37 minutes.
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As an ultra runner, outdoor educator, and former British Trail Running champion; Kim Collison is no stranger to gnarly outdoor challenges. Just last summer he broke the Lakes 24-hour record with 78 peaks visited in 23 hours and 45 minutes. This feat saw him run 145km (90 miles), with a 38,550ft (11,750m) ascent. As a Lake District-based athlete, Wales’s Paddy Buckley Round, however, was less familiar terrain for him.
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Based in Snowdonia National Park, this Welsh Classic Round is one of three infamous long-distance, fell running challenges in Britain. Arguably the toughest, it covers 100km (62 miles), taking in 47 summits including Snowdon, Glyder Fawr, Carnedd Llewelyn, Moel Siabod, and those along the Nantlle Ridge, to name a few. With an ascent of 28,000 ft (8534m), most people aim to cover it in 24 hours or less.
Collison set off at 5am on Saturday morning, running in the dark with a support crew for morale that, along the way, included previous Paddy Buckley FKT holders Damian Hall and Math Roberts.
Having trained all throughout the UK lockdown, and with restrictions easing, Collison was well prepared and ready to take on this mighty goal. He describes the conditions as ‘perfect’ and a feeling of ‘pure joy’ as he reached the summit of Snowdon.
Main Photo: Twitter @CollisonKim / By Steve Ashworth
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