It takes most individuals a few years to finish a spherical of all 282 Munros in Scotland – but right this moment extremely runner Jamie Aarons set a formidable new document of 31 days, 10 hours and 27 minutes hours. She was 13 hours and 5 minutes sooner than the previous document holder Donnie Campbell.

Jamie, 43, began the problem on Ben Extra, Isle of Mull, on Might 26 at 6.30am and completed on Ben Klibreck, Sutherland, on June 26 at 4.57pm. Her spherical was continuous and self-propelled, which implies she ran every mountain and cycled or kayaked in between.

The social employee, an adopted British citizen who moved to Scotland from California in 2005, mentioned: “It was my hardest and most bold problem up to now. It was additionally  a problem with essentially the most uncontrollable variables. 

“So many issues may have gone flawed however I deliberate for 2 years beforehand to regulate as many of those variables as potential.”

She added: “Whereas it was by no means about beating a document, I’m very glad to have achieved so. That has been a bonus.

“My goal was at all times to do one of the best I may and due to this I set a schedule that was bold. 

“It was very robust and my toes have been extraordinarily sore at occasions however at no level did I take into consideration stopping.”

Jamie’s quickest Munro spherical

A Munro is a Scottish mountain with a top of greater than 3000ft (914.4m). They’re geographically unfold throughout Scotland’s mainland and on the islands of Mull and Skye.

Throughout her Munro spherical, Jamie ran 1315km, cycled 1249km and kayaked 11.5km throughout lochs and the ocean. Her whole ascent was 135,366m, together with 121,123m of climb on foot and 14,243m on two wheels, which is equal to greater than 15 occasions the peak of Mount Everest.

As compared, Donnie, of Inverness, adopted a route that totalled 1422km on foot and 1443km by bike. He ascended 126,143m on foot and 14,251m by bike. He did two kayak sections.

Jamie journeyed extensively throughout Scotland, reaching essentially the most southerly Munro of Ben Lomond in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs Nationwide Park on the morning of Might 31.

She bagged essentially the most easterly Munro Mount Eager in Angus simply after midnight on June 8 and essentially the most westerly Munro, Sgùrr na Banachdich on Skye on June 16. Probably the most northerly Munro, Ben Hope, was Jamie’s penultimate in her spherical.

• 

• 

She summited a number of Munros each day and all through every evening.  On June 7, she reached essentially the most Munros in in the future, together with Dreish and Mayar in Angus and Lochnagar and 10 extra within the Cairngorms.

Jamie, who’s initially type California, America, slept for not more than 4 hours at anybody time, preferring to nap when wanted. At occasions, she allowed herself solely 60 seconds of sleep.

In a single 78-hour stint, her whole nap time was only some hours. Throughout this time, she reached 26 Munros, together with a number of the most distant within the Knoydart, north-west Scotland, and 11 Munros on the extremely technical Cuillin Ridge on Skye. The statistics present she ran 121km, cycled 112,5km and kayaked 4.6km.

Micro naps are my tremendous energy

Jamie refers to her means to go for lengthy durations on little or no sleep as her “tremendous energy”.

She says: “I used to be impressed to do the continuous Munro spherical was once I listened to an interview with Donnie Campbell after he set his document. I heard him say he had slept for eight hours every evening, aside from a remaining 48-hour push.  He was on the mountains for 12 hours every day and recovering or sleeping for 12 hours.

“Whereas I knew I’d by no means be as quick as Donnie on the hills or on a motorcycle, I’ve received different expertise and one in every of these is the power to maintain going with solely micro-naps.

“This was the beginning of an concept that I couldn’t let go of. It appeared like a foolish thought initially however associates, particularly the late John Kynaston, inspired me.

“I used to be eager to see what I may within the mountains of Scotland that I like a lot and on a route that I believed could be as environment friendly as potential.

“I appreciated the concept of a purpose that suited my private capabilities and that might push me to go additional than I had earlier than.”

Who’s Jamie Aarons?

The document Munro spherical was Jamie’s third completion. In 2013, she did a spherical with Andy in a yr whereas working full-time. Her second spherical she did with her rescue canines, Pirate and Hope, and completed in 2020.

Different athletic successes embrace successful the 95-mile West Highland Approach Race in 2015. She additionally holds the feminine document for the Cateran Path Extremely and has twice gained the Snowdonia 100-miler. 

In 2018, she gained the 100km MaXi Race Madeira and he or she was the second-fastest feminine within the 340km Tor des Geants in Italy in the identical yr. 

See Jamie on Dumgoyne.

• 

• 

Lows and highs on document Munro spherical

A significant concern of the long-distance problem was how Jamie would cope bodily. She says: “It was inconceivable to coach for the bodily unknowns and to foretell difficulties and accidents.  As a substitute, I centered on constructing resilience. I knew I wanted to be unbreakable. I simply did what I may to regulate as many variables as potential.

“I suffered very painful sunburn on my lips and inside my mouth. 

She says: “It was inconceivable to coach for the bodily unknowns and to foretell difficulties and accidents. I suffered very painful sunburn on my lips and inside my mouth. Very early on, I used to be additionally frightened a few knee niggle and I had a sore hamstring at one level, too. 

“Nonetheless, my primary damage was very painful blisters on the surface heels of each toes. Within the later stage of the spherical, these had been extremely painful and it was agony to take every step.

“I used to be grateful when my medical assist was in a position to deal with the blisters and that gave me some reduction in the previous couple of days, however then I additionally had nerve ache in my forefoot. 

“Whereas I had no ache in my legs for a lot of the spherical, the foot issues slowed me down.

“I had hoped to complete in underneath month however my painful toes imply that wasn’t potential, which is irritating.”

Jamie additionally confronted some robust climate and the inevitable midges. She says: “It was very popular initially of the spherical. At one level, it was 26C at 8am.

“Later within the spherical, there have been robust winds and rain. I used to be additionally compelled to cease for some time to let a thunderstorm with lightning go by.

“The midges had been very unhealthy at occasions, too. In the future within the west Highlands space, it was heat and utterly nonetheless and and the midges had been swarming on my face, in my mouth and up my nostril. I used to be screaming to attempt to get the away.

“However it was my assist crew that confronted the worst of the midges, typically whereas they waited for me at transitions.”

One in all Jamie’s lowest occasions preceeded one in every of her highlights. She says: “One of many hardest components was descending from my final Munro in Knoydart. I used to be with a buddy, it was darkish and we had been bashing by heather as much as our armpits. We had been falling over on a regular basis. It was actually gradual going and really robust and I’m stunned we didn’t get injured. 

“However this was instantly adopted by among the finest occasions. I did a solo kayak at the hours of darkness on flat calm water throughout Loch Hourn. I may see my subsequent Munro, Beinn Sgritheall, the place I might be on the summit for dawn, and it seemed gorgeous.

“As I approached the shore at Arnisdale, I may odor a pizza being cooked for me by Andy in our outside pizza oven. I used to be additional motivated to get there.  It was such a phenomenal issues after one of many hardest sections of the problem.”

Different highlights included “a lot incredible surroundings, many superb sunsets and sunrises and a bunch of unbelievable wildlife”. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

An journey with associates

Whereas undoubtedly gruelling, Jamie was eager to take pleasure in an journey with associates. She says: “I didn’t take so many weeks off my work to endure time within the mountains, however reasonably I needed it to be a enjoyable expertise.

“Key to this was being with associates and I got down to construct a group of likeminded individuals who would be a part of me on the spherical. Because the problem progressed, I additionally met many new individuals, who had heard about my problem and needed to affix me.”

A core assist workforce took care of an in depth vary of behind-the-scenes logistics, particularly her associate Andy Taylor, who drove a assist van equipped by ACL HIRE.

Jamie says: “I couldn’t have achieved my spherical with out the assist, experience and generosity of so many individuals. Specifically, Andy was unbelievable, ensuring he was at every transition, shifting bikes round, feeding me and getting me up and out the van once I needed to sleep on. 

“My good buddy Jenny Allen was the challenge supervisor and I’m additionally indebted to her and lots of different associates for maintaining the Munro machine well-oiled. 

“It was a shared purpose with associates and for individuals who have a shared ardour for journey.. It was a a extremely stunning factor to be part of. I’m actually happy with all of the work I put in and all of the work the workforce did.”

Reward from earlier document holder

Donnie, who joined Jamie on the Munro Beinn Dearg on day 30, revealed he was “massively impressed”.

He says: “Jamie’s new document is a completely superb achievement. I’m very impressed, particularly how she has managed to maintain occurring so little sleep. 

“It appears prefer it has been an enormous workforce efficiency from planning to execution. Congratulations to her and her workforce.”  

Jamie’s remaining summit: Ben Klibreck

As Jamie reached her remaining summit at 961m elevation, with dozens of associates surrounding  her, she was emotional. She mentioned: “It feels very surreal. I’m so grateful to so many individuals, particularly Andy.”

The one factor she mentioned she was craving was sleep!

Problem for charity

By the top of her spherical, Jamie had raised greater than £12,000 for World Bicycle Aid.  The charity helps people to beat the barrier of distance and enhance entry to schooling, well being care and livelihood in rural components of the world. 

Jamie says: “That is superior. This implies we have now raised sufficient cash for 100 bikes to assist individuals to entry schooling and different assist and care. It’s such a great match as a result of I’ve actually loved the bike sections between my Munros.”

See Simply Giving to donate.

Discover out extra Jamie’s Munro Problem.

The stats: Donnie vs Jamie 

Donnie ran 1422km, cycled 1443km and ascended 126,143m. He did two kayak sections.

Jamie  ran 1315km, cycled 1249km and climbed 121,123m of ascent. She did 5  kayak sections.

Because of sponsors:

Different assist:

• Lacking Hyperlink Teaching @PaulMissingLink
• LUC (Land Use Consultants) UK
• SSE Renewables
• #watukoheadgear
• Visible Bike Match
• Mike Lates @Skye Guides
• Andrew Stark of Stark-Photographs @Bridge of Weir.