Sportswoman Jamie Aarons sets a new World Record Munro Round. She summited 282 Munros, self-propelled in one continuous round to raise money for World Bicycle Relief. Munro are Scottish peaks over 3000 feet. She has beaten the World Record and almost doubled her fund-raising target.
It has taken her 31 days, 10 hours and 27 minutes. She beat the previous World Record set by Donnie Campbell in 2020 of 31 days and 23 hours.
Jamie has some impressive statistics:
- 2576.52km in total
- 135,366m of ascent
- 1315km on foot
- 830km by road bike
- 370km by mountain bike
- 49km on her gravel bike
- 11.6km by kayak
- She climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest 16 times.
Her biggest ‘day’ was Wednesday 7th June (Day 13). Jamie did 14 munros within the calendar day (Technically Mount Keen was 00.18 Thursday). Jamie went through six sticks of Trench Footcream and slept an average of four hours a day, on the days she actually slept.
Photo credit: Nic Crossley
Who is Jamie?
Jamie, 43, is an adopted British citizen, having moved to Scotland from California in 2005. She immediately embraced all the trail-running and mountaineering that her ‘right to roam’ enabled. Jamie won the West Highland 95-mile race in 2015 and her personal best (18.24) is still listed in the all-time female top ten. She also holds the female record for the Cateran Trail Ultra and has twice won the Snowdonia 100-miler (2018 and 2019). Jamie won the inaugural Maxi-Madeira 100km trail-race in December 2018 and was the second-fastest female in the gruelling Tor des Geants 340km/30,000m race in Italy in September 2018.
Jamie decided to take on the self-propelled round two years ago, when she read that Donnie slept eight hours every night on his epic round. She saw a tiny window in which she might be able to match his record. Two years were spent planning, recceing, creating spreadsheets and organising logistics. It’s been not only a superhuman feat of physical endurance but a VAST organisational challenge!
Photo credit: Nic Crossley
An Army of Volunteers
There was a team of 117 volunteers who were responsible for bringing equipment including food, clothes, bikes, and overnight camping equipment. They took shoes to her en route, keeping her company, covering her in sunscreen and keeping her morale high. Andy, her partner and Chief Operations Officer, was manning the van, donated by ACL Hire. It was used as bed, kitchen and office for the past 32 days. And towing her various bikes to where she needed it out on the course.
Jenny Allen, Jamie’s ‘girl Friday’ was a constant presence. Organising everyone from land owners to volunteers; she accompanied Jamie on several legs. She also made sure people, kit and equipment were where they needed to be when they needed to be. Jenny also updated the mega spreadsheet that kept Jamie on track, and all volunteers updated.
Jamie would like to thank every single sponsor and volunteer who helped to make this challenge happen.
Sponsors
Jamie was helped by her sponsors ACL Hire who kindly donated a long wheelbase van to use as a base of operations throughout the challenge. This was fitted out by Derek from Tabula Rasa Design (and it’s a floating fit so everything can come out and it can be a regular van again) in record time.
She’s received one pair of shoes from Saucony which she has worn almost constantly and a pair of La Sportiva Mutants from the Running Bear Shop. Her Ten pairs of Moggans UK socks have kept her feet in tip top condition to keep her going (once she wore them she wouldn’t wear anything else) and she had free expert guidance through the Cuillins by Mike Lates and Ben Hester from Skye Guides.
Jamie’s Munro Challenge has currently raised over £16,000 for World Bicycle Relief, a charity committed to helping individuals overcome the barrier of distance to education, healthcare and livelihood. Every hundred-and-twenty pounds raised for the charity buys a brand new Buffalo bicycle to mobilise a student, teacher or healthcare worker in a rural part of the world. Having smashed her initial target of £6000 she now hopes to raise over £30,000.
Jamie Aarons, 43, female
26th JUNE 2023
All 282 Munros in one continuous, self-propelled challenge
World Record beaten by over 12 hours
Female world record almost halved from 76 days to 31 days 10 hours 27 minutes Over £16000 for World Bicycle Relief raised
Photo credit: Nic Crossley
SPONSORS LIST:
- ● ACL Hire
- ● Appin Sports
- ● Beta Outdoors
- ● Injinji
- ● Keep it Simple Timing
- ● La Sportiva
- ● Missing Link Coaching
- ● Moonlight Mountain Gear
- ● Moggans
- ● Skye Guides
- ● Saucony
- ● The Running Bear Shop
- ● Ultimate Direction
CONTACT INFORMATION:
- ● Jamie Aarons’ email: [email protected]
- ● Jamie’s website for full information
- ● Follow Jamie on Instagram
- ● Like Jamie Aarons on Facebook
- ● Jamie’s JustGiving Page
- ● Tracking information can be viewed and reviewed from GeoTracks
- ● Tracking and timing services were provided by Ben Finch from Keep it Simple Timing
If you liked this, you might like to read about Andy Berry’s Lake District 24 Hour Record
