On July 24, 2026, Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth set a new women’s speed record on the 66-mile (106 kilometers) Bob Graham Round in England’s Lake District. Hartmuth completed a clockwise loop of the 42 peaks in 14 hours, 11 minutes, and 58 seconds, taking 22 minutes off Beth Pascall’s (U.K.) 2020 record of 14 hours, 34 minutes, and 26 seconds.
Katharina Hartmuth on her way to setting a new women’s Bob Graham Round speed record. All photos: Stephen Wilson
The Bob Graham Round is known for its technical, boggy, and steep terrain, as it gains approximately 27,000 feet of elevation. Runners traditionally start and end at Moot Hall in the small town of Keswick, but the exact route between the fells is undefined, and runners can choose their own way. The route is traditionally divided into five sections, and runners must be accompanied by a pacer to witness their arrival at each summit.
Hartmuth spent a few weeks in the Lake District in May of this year, intending to attempt the round, but had to abandon the effort due to bad weather and ill health. “I was really sad in May when it didn’t work,” says Hartmuth, “because I think I already realized that I really want to have that experience. And this very special experience.”
“The Entire Day Was a Highlight”
On the Fastest Known Time website, Hartmuth reported near-perfect weather conditions: “A cloudy, dry and not too warm day.” While she noted some strong winds and low clouds on the first two legs, and some wet rock around Scafell Pike — England’s highest peak at 3,209 feet (978 meters) — conditions were ideal for running in a characteristically rainy part of the country.
This was just as well, because the decision to attempt the round was very last-minute: Hartmuth traveled from the San Juan Mountains in the U.S. just two days before, and the weather was due to turn bad over the weekend. “I thought this could be a huge recipe for disaster,” says Hartmuth, “because of the jet lag, and just coming down from altitude, and the travel. I really was not sure if this was going to work. But I think I was a bit more relaxed because I thought, Ok, it could just all go wrong.”
Katharina Hartmuth at Moot Hall after setting a new women’s speed record on the Bob Graham Round.
Hartmuth took the first two legs of the route at a fast pace, mirroring Pascall’s splits, and feeling good. According to Harmuth, the only moment resembling a low point came on the third leg of the route from Dunmail Raise to Wasdale, including Scafell Pike. The technical terrain had slowed her progress, her pacers were in the clouds, the rocks were wet, and Hartmuth was experiencing some minor stomach problems. When she reached Broad Stand, a notoriously tricky section that leads to the summit of Scafell Pike, Hartmuth was trepidatious, having not attempted it in training, but she says getting through it forced the low section behind her, and she felt better again.
Hartmuth says she had been looking forward to the fourth leg and its longer climbs, including Yewbarrow and Great Gable, which are steep, craggy, and challenging ascents. The clouds were lifting, and by the fifth leg, the sun was coming out for the evening. It was here that Hartmuth says she knew the record was within reach.
Hartmuth was happy to have shared the day with her pacers and says, “It was so much fun because I was pushing myself to the limit, but in this different environment compared to a race.” She added, “The entire day was a highlight.”
A Shared Adventure
Hartmuth’s record comes off the back of a long-awaited victory at the 2026 Madeira Island Ultra Trail earlier this year, having intended to start the race three times previously, and a fourth-place finish at the Marathon du Mont Blanc. Hartmuth also holds the women’s supported FKT on the 48-mile (78 kilometers) Stubaier Höhenweg route through the Stubai Alps near Innsbruck, Austria.
Hartmuth smiling while running the Bob Graham Round.
According to Harmuth, the Bob Graham Round had always been intriguing for its story, history, and landscape. The pacer requirement also appealed to her, as it allowed her to share the adventure with others. Prior women’s record holder, Pascall, joined in as a pacer for part of Hartmuth’s attempt, a symbol of how group support is an ingrained part of Bob Graham Round culture.
The project felt close to Hartmuth’s own approach to the sport, and she enjoyed being immersed in a culture of fell runners. “They just do their thing and run,” says Hartmuth, “and I think that speaks a lot to why I run, and what’s very close to my heart when it comes to running.”
