I interviewed Jamie Aarons for the scottish magazine. I am a regular contributor to the outdoor section of the magazine.
a miracle munro
An ultra female runner has broken the record for the fastest round of the 282 Munros in Scotland by 13 hours and five minutes.
Jamie Aarons, 43, completed the self-propelled challenge in just 31 days, 10 hours, and 27 minutes on June 26.
It started at Ben More, Isle of Mull, on May 26 and finished at Ben Klibreck in Sutherland.
The social worker ran through the mountains, which are at least 3,000 feet (914 m) high, and then biked or kayaked in between.
He has broken the record of 31 days and 23 hours set in 2020 by Donnie Campbell, then 35 years old.
Jamie, originally from California and now living in Stirlingshire, said: “It’s hands down the hardest challenge I’ve ever done.
“It was always going to be an ambitious program to reach all of the Munros non-stop and as fast as I could by foot, bike and kayak.
« I never set out to break a record, but it’s an advantage that I’ve set a new fastest time. »
A great feat of the Munro round
Jamie’s round saw her climb 135,366 meters, which is equivalent to more than 15 times the height of Mount Everest. In total, Jamie also ran 1,315km, biked 1,249km and kayaked 11.5km.
He faced extreme weather conditions, including very high temperatures at the start of the challenge, thunderstorms, and the threat of lightning, as well as strong winds and rain later on.
He suffered knee, hamstring and foot injuries throughout the round. Two painful blisters on his heels and then a sore ball in his forefoot slowed him down over the past few days.
Jamie didn’t take any time off, however, and kept moving day and night. He didn’t sleep more than four hours at a time, preferring to take a nap when necessary.
She calls her ability to go long periods on very little sleep « my superpower. » She is a successful veteran of many long distance and multi-day races and has previously completed two other rounds of Munro.
Jamie said: “During an interview with Donnie Campbell after he set his record, I heard him say that he had slept eight hours each night, except for a final 48-hour push.
“While I knew I would never be as fast as Donnie on the hills or on the bike, I have other skills and one of them is the ability to keep going with just micro naps where and when I need them. Sometimes I just need 60 seconds to feel refreshed.
“This is where the idea of doing the round non-stop came from.”
He added: « I wanted to take on a challenge in the mountains of Scotland, the place I love to be, and do something I didn’t know if I could. »
Set a route and achieve a daring challenge
Jamie and a group of friends planned a route that they thought would be the most efficient possible among all the Munros.
Throughout the round, he was supported by a team of over 100 people, including his partner Andy Taylor.
She said: “I am indebted to so many people and I am grateful for all the support in the mountains and in between.
“I really couldn’t have succeeded without everyone’s help. We were successful in this challenge, not just me.”
Joining Jamie on a Munro on the 30th, Donnie described Jamie’s new record an « absolutely amazing achievement ».
He said: « I’m very impressed, especially how he managed to keep up with so little sleep.
“It sounds like it’s been a great team performance from planning to execution. Kudos to her and hers team.”
Munro’s round has raised over £21,000 for World Bicycle Relief. to donate see just giving.
See also Jamie’s Munro Challenge.
