A Grasmere Sports 50-year record will come under the spotlight on August 24, as the outstanding achievement of Sedbergh’s Graham Moffat in the Under-17s fell race of 1975 celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Thanks to Graham’s efforts as a 16-year-old back in 1975, the winning time to beat in this race, in which the athletes run up Butter Crag to a height of 208.78 metres, before turning and making their descent, is 9 minutes and 3.6 seconds.
Significance of this Grasmere Sports 50-year record
His Grasmere Sports 50-year fell-racing record is actually even older than that of the prestigious Senior Guides race, in which the ascent is to over 294 metres. That record was set by Fred Reeves, in 1978, at a time when Reeves had an annual battle with fellow athlete Tommy Sedgwick, now Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show’s Bellman.
Those two more senior fell racers were a true inspiration for Graham, who remembers relatively little about his day in the sun when setting his historic record. When asked why nobody has since broken his winning time, he says the huge rivalry between Fred and Tommy was a huge factor in his running times back in the 1970s.
Graham's recollections
“Everyone needs heroes to look up to and I had Fred and Tommy”, says Graham. “Unless there are role models like that, it’s hard for athletes to get the right motivation. I practised hard and took it seriously because I wanted to emulate their achievements.”
Graham had only just left school when he set the now Grasmere Sports 50-year record. It was his last year as an Under-17 runner and he progressed to the seniors race at Grasmere, in which he started to compete against his heroes. He placed third behind Fred and Tommy and also second behind another icon of the sport, Kenny Stuart.
Although Graham does not recall his iconic record-setting 1975 Under 17s race, there is a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/RhcJH3blgT0?si=uBOrVMP4pDYFYY6U) that includes footage of him setting off in the race and crossing the finish line. It was clearly a hot day and Graham is shown collapsing after winning and being revived with a wet sponge. The video really encapsulates the spirit of Grasmere Sports in the 1970s.
The year Blue Peter's John Noakes competed
Graham is also shown wearing the number nine on his vest. One thing he does recall is how that number was given to a TV celebrity taking part in the 1975 event. “I remember John Noakes from Blue Peter competing in the wrestling and the Senior Guides race. When I’d finished my race, the organisers took my number and gave it to Noakes, ” says Graham.
Unfortunately, it did not bring the much-loved TV presenter much luck. He was still making his way up the fell when the Senior Guides race winner, Fred Reeves, was coming back down.
Will Grasmere Sports 50-year record be beaten?
The question, come Sunday August 24, is whether one of the Under-17 athletes can find around 42 seconds of extra speed up and down the fell. Graham Moffat’s record stands at 9 minutes and 3.6 seconds, whereas the closest times, over the past 20 years, have been around 09:44 to 09:46.
The closest that anyone is believed to have come was back in 1989, when Johnny Bland set a time around 09:15. Runners may need to find their own motivation nowadays and pay more attention to their strategy and route up and down the fell. Perhaps gunning for Graham’s record will be the inspiration they need.
The Under 17s race 2025
The men’s winner of the 2025 Under 17s fell race, sponsored by Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, will be presented, on the winner’s podium, with the J & ME Batchelor Cup. They will also take home prize money of £60 and a medal. For the fastest girl home, the trophy will be the Tom Sedgwick Challenge Cup. Of course, either a boy or a girl could set the new record.
Whilst Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show would have loved to have Graham Moffat at the event, he is unfortunately on holiday. Having people recall his fantastic long-standing achievement will be a source of pride, however.
“I don’t remember much about the day but am very proud to think my record has stood for 50 years,” he says. “I hope some youngster will one day get the right motivation and determination to beat the record.”
“It’s a Grasmere Sports 50-year record, celebrating its golden anniversary, and we probably need to witness the gold standard of fell running, if we are to see a new name in the record books,” says Grasmere Lakeland Sports and Show’s Chairman, John Hibbert.
“We’ve long talked about wanting to see someone break Fred Reeves’ record, but Graham Moffat’s record is even older. It’s incredible that nobody has beaten it over the past five decades, but perhaps this is the year that we will see it finally tumble. Athletes in that age category should have glory in their sights, as they could make a real name for themselves, if they can become a Grasmere Sports record-breaker.”
Anyone wishing to see if the record can be broken in 2025, can buy tickets for the August 24, Bank Holiday weekend show online, at the best available price.
