Bill Smith (fell runner)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Smith |
| Nationality | English |
| Born | c. 1936 |
| Died | c. September 2011 (aged 74–75) Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, England |
| Residence | Liverpool, England |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
| Event(s) | Fell running |
Bill Smith (May 1936 – September 2011) was a fell runner and author on the sport. His achievements in breaking records for the number of peaks scaled within 24 hours, contributions to fell-running events, plus documenting its history, earned him the accolade of "legend" within the sport upon his accidental death in 2011. His body was discovered on 7 October in a peat bog in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, England, after a three-week disappearance.
A lifelong resident of Liverpool who left school at age 15, Bill Smith earned his livelihood by working as a porter at a Liverpool department store for most of his adult life. Smith took up fell running in 1971 and quickly became one of the sport's best-known competitors. Peter Booth, chairman of Clayton-le-Moors Harriers, said that Smith "did so much for fell running ... and will be greatly missed by all."
In 1969, 1970 and 1971 he put in respectable performances in the Fellsman Hike, a race that is said to be the "ultimate fell running challenge." Second place finishes were attained in 1973, 1976 and 1977 and he "quickly became a member of the prizewinning team" at the Clayton Harriers. The 1970s saw him train 80 to 100 miles (130 to 160 km) per week.
In 1973, Smith became the twelfth person to complete the Bob Graham Round, considered "one of the most demanding challenges in the country", and breaking its record (with Boyd Millen) by scaling 42 Lake District peaks in under 24 hours. He built on the feat by traversing 55 peaks in 24 hours, and in 1975, 63 peaks in 23 hours and 55 minutes. The latter established a new benchmark in fell running, second only to the record of 72 peaks set by Joss Naylor. His conquest of Marilyns, tors and peak bagging was renowned. He successfully competed in long distance fell races, e.g., the Lake District Mountain Trial and the Wasdale "Horseshoe" Fell Race.
Smith lived alone in Everton, and was said to enjoy "Cajun ... [and] gypsy music." He eschewed telephones and cars, often walked rather than rode, and was a devotee of public transportation. He constantly acted as a mentor at events, took photographs that he would share for free, and when not running, he acted as a marshal.
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