Ramsay Round facts for kids

The Ramsay Round, also known as the Charlie Ramsay Round, is a super tough hill running challenge in Scotland, near Fort William. It's a long circular route that covers 58 miles (about 93 kilometers) and climbs a huge 28,500 feet (about 8,687 meters)! This is like climbing up and down a very tall mountain many times.

The route includes 24 mountain peaks, and one of them is Ben Nevis, which is the highest mountain in Great Britain. When the challenge first started, all 24 peaks were called "Munros" (a Munro is a Scottish mountain over 3,000 feet or 914.4 meters). But in 1997, one peak, Sgorr an Iubhair, was no longer considered a Munro.

The Ramsay Round was created by Charlie Ramsay. He designed it as a longer version of an existing 24-hour walking route. Charlie was the first person to complete his own challenge, doing it on July 9, 1978.

Charlie's amazing achievement created what is now known as Scotland's Classic Mountain Marathon. The main goal for anyone trying the Ramsay Round is to finish the whole route, on foot, in less than 24 hours. Runners must begin and end their journey at the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel. They can choose to run the route either clockwise or anticlockwise.

What is the Ramsay Round Challenge?

The Ramsay Round is a famous test of endurance for runners. It's not just about running fast; it's also about navigating through tough mountain terrain. The challenge requires a lot of training and skill to complete within the 24-hour time limit.

Record Breakers

Over the years, many incredible runners have tried to complete the Ramsay Round as fast as possible. Here are some of the fastest times recorded:

• Until June 2015, the record was held by Adrian Belton, who finished in 18 hours and 23 minutes.
• On June 12, 2015, Jez Bragg broke this record with a time of 18 hours and 12 minutes.
• Soon after, on July 5, 2015, Jon Ascroft set an even faster time of 16 hours and 59 minutes.
• On June 18, 2016, Jasmin Paris made history by setting a new record for the Ramsay Round. She finished in an amazing 16 hours and 13 minutes. This was also the fastest time ever for a woman, beating the previous record set by Nicky Spinks in 2014.
• On July 6, 2019, Es Tresidder set a new fastest time of 16 hours and 12 minutes.
• The current record was set by Finlay Wild on August 31, 2020, with an incredible time of 14 hours and 42 minutes.

The Route

This table shows the original route that Charlie Ramsay followed, going anticlockwise. It lists all 24 peaks and their heights.