The 2019 Wainwright Memorial Lecture with Nicky Spinks

Nicky Spinks at the 2019 Wainwright Memorial Lecture: Saturday 5th October

The speaker at the 17th Wainwright Memorial Lecture was fellrunner, Nicky Spinks. In her 45-minute lecture she wowed the audience with her tales of record-breaking runs over three of the toughest mountain routes in the UK: the Bob Graham Round in the Lake District, the Charlie Ramsey Round in the Scottish Highlands and the Paddy Buckley Round in Snowdonia.

Strange to recount then that Nicky was not a serious runner from childhood. Her early years spent in Africa and then in Derbyshire on the family farm, gave her a love of the outdoors but it was not until she moved south to live with her grandfather that she began running, but not competitively at this stage.

Her sedentary job in London as a computer programmer made her realise how much she missed the outdoor life. She applied for a course at an agricultural college, where she met her husband, Steve. They became the tenants of Liley Farm in West Yorkshire, where they still live and work.
A significant moment occurred at Easter 2001 when Nicky and Steve climbed Ben Nevis in snowy conditions. A photograph showed Nicky at the summit not looking at her happiest and she admitted it had been a hard climb. But, on the descent, she realised how good it felt to be out in the mountains – and also how unfit she was. It reminded me of Wainwright’s words in Fellwanderer: ‘[Fellwalking] is a wonderful exercise, the best of all. It strengthens the legs, clears the mind, and tones up the body to a state of exhilaration.’ This experience was a seminal moment in her life.

She joined a running club and began competing in short fell-races. Then she heard about the Bob Graham Round and decided she would like to run a longer, more demanding distance. In 2005 she completed the round, in 23 ½ hours. This was followed the next year with the Paddy Buckley Round in 25 ¾ hours.

Nicky’s life took a dramatic turn in 2006 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but
she had good treatment and recovered after surgery. She resumed her running career in 2007, completing the Paddy Buckley Round and shaving nearly two hours off her previous time. In 2011, Nicky decided to attempt the Ladies Lake District Round – a run that has to be completed in under twenty-four hours. She planned the route, her favourite section being the Northern Fells, which she loved as they afforded easy-going on the grassy tops and are often very quiet. She ran over 64 peaks in 23 hours 15 minutes, a time that has, to date, never been bettered. Between 2011 and 2016 she ran the three great rounds in record time.

Having survived cancer for ten years, Nicky decided in 2016 that she wanted to celebrate. She explained that when she was at her lowest point in 2006, she searched the Internet for stories of other cancer survivors. There were stories of hope and they helped in her recovery. She wanted to give other people undergoing similar treatment hope for the future. Her idea was to run a double Bob Graham Round. It seemed almost certain that this was the hardest challenge she had ever undertaken. She recalled that the low point of the run was on the first return to Keswick, knowing that she had to run the same distance again. But she was persuaded to sleep for a few minutes and dreamed of eating ice cream. On waking, she had recovered her positivity and completed the run. Double runs of the Charlie Ramsay and Paddy Buckley followed.

Two moments stood out for me during her lecture. It wasn’t the historic record-breaking runs I will remember, but Nicky’s realisation of the joy and wonder and sense of well-being that anyone can experience from a day in the mountains. And secondly, her wish to inspire and give hope to people in desperate situations such as she had experienced. No wonder that she was given such a warm round of applause by an appreciative audience at the end of her talk.

Derek Cockell
Secretary