Steve Birkinshaw Knackered outside the shop 83 miles into the Lakeland 100. Steve finished 2nd, completely spent!	THE SHOP Our Shop is located in Ambleside, in the Heart of the Lake District, behind Barclays Bank and the White Lion Hotel. There are some sneaky 1hr disc parking spaces directly outside the shop which are worth checking out. Address: 3/4 Cheapside Ambleside Cumbria LA22 0AB Tel: 015394 33660 Email: info@lakesrunner.com We are open 7 days a week from 9 till 5:30 apart from Sunday which is 10am till 5pm Please call in if you are in the area, to check out our latest offerings our just fancy a brew and food at Bilbo's which is a runners Cafe upstairs!
THE STAFF Lakes Runner is a small independent running shop owned and staffed by local runners.  It is important that everyone working here gets out and has first hand experience of the kit we sell.  This sounds like a bit of a cliche, but we make our decisions on what we are going to stock based on what we all think works best for the desired end use.  Over 90% of the items in the shop will have been tested by at least one member of staff before we decide whether or not to sell them.  This is because good, informed, friendly advice is what we pride our shop on. (that and a good Crack!)
Approaching the summit of Scafell Pike during the Old Counties Tops 2009	Name: Ian Barnes Job Description: Shop Manager Styles Of Running Enjoyed? Fell Running, Ultra Running and Mountain Marathons Running Highlights? Arriving at the Moot hall in Keswick after completing an unsupported Bob Graham round in 23h20mins.  It had been a baking hot day and finding water, especially on Leg 4 (clockwise) had been tricky.  Trying not to throw up going up Yewbarrow, after cooking and eating a freeze dry Spaghetti Bolognese meal at Wasdale, was a particularly taxing moment, as I knew I needed to keep the calories in my Belly! Favourite Run? Old Counties Tops.  It is the quintessential long day out in the Lakes, with a mate, and has everything thrown in there for good measure.  Helvellyn feels like an out lying peak, and its great to get to Angle Tarn knowing you are back in the central Scafell Massif.  Notable Results/achievments: 8th in the Elite Class - RAB Mountain Marathon 2008 on the Back 'O' Skiddaw with Steve Hebblethwaite Unsupported Bob Graham - Summer 2009 - 23h20mins - carrying everything from the start 37th at Langdale in 2009 in 2h26mins when it was a British and English Champs Counter (still not fast enough to be 5th counter for Ambleside!) 5th at the Old Counties Tops 2009 with Ian Almond (AKA Mike Wilson!) in 8h3mins - almost under the magic 8hrs....... but not quite!  Favourite Piece of Kit? A difficult question!  The piece of kit that has saved me most was my Nuun Hydration Tabs on the Bob Graham mentioned above.  I honestly believe I wouldn't have done it without them.  I used 8 on the day (making 4 litres), and they are so easy to carry and use on the go.  I knew they were working as my body was craving them from Leg 3 onwards.  The piece of Kit I use most is my Odlo Evolution Warm Base Layers.  Nothing comes close to it in terms of the range of temperature it keeps you comfortable at.  Everyone should use these as their cold weather base layer, they are just incredible.  I regularly pull it out of the washing basket dirty, instead of putting anything else on.  Working hard you stay cool, out all day going steady you stay warm. Soap Box: I do believe the school of thought that humans have evolved as endurance hunters, which is why the groove of Ultra Running feels so natural if you can hit it.  Even if its a long walk, there is something inherently satisfying about covering the ground.
Thats the effort it takes to break a Lakedistrict Fell Race Record! Ben putting down the Hammer on the Coniston Country Fair 2009	Name: Ben Abdelnoor   Job Description: Bilbo's Cafe Manager Styles Of Running Enjoyed? Fell running, particularly competitive racing over the longer distances: Borrowdale, Ennerdale, Wasdale and the like... Running Highlights? Winning Langdale Horseshoe in 2007; albeit in a very slow winning time and with little competition, but it still felt like a dream!   In 2009 I finished 3rd in the Lakeland Classics Trophy having completed all six of the long (Langdale, Three Shires & Borrowdale) and super-long (Duddon, Wasdale and Ennerdale) category races. It's a tough competition not just in doing the races, but staying focused, fit and injury-free throughout a long season of racing.   In 2009 in Italy I completed my first ironman distance event. It took just over 12 hours to complete the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile (marathon) run.   Favourite Run? Up onto Loughrigg; in just 20 minutes you can be standing on the summit, looking up the Langdale valley, out over Windermere and down at Ambleside. A cracking little race as well in early April is the Loughrigg Fell Race!   At the other end of the spectrum, you simply can't beat 21 miles of the toughest racing in England - the Wasdale Horseshoe; taking in Seatallen, Pillar, Great Gable and Scafell Pike. At some point in this race you will suffer pain like you never thought possible! Fantastic. Notable Results/achievments: Best performances: 6th at Borrowdale 2009: sub 3-hours. 3rd at Wasdale 2008: sub 4-hours.   Noticeable achievements: 1st at Langdale 2007. Setting course records at the Saltwell Harriers fell race 2009 & Lakeland Country Fair race 2009. Favourite Piece of Kit? My old EDZ balaclava. I've had it years and love the fact it's so small and light yet can provide such warmth.   In terms of posterity, with the memory still fresh of buying my first pair of PB Walsh fell shoes still hold the crown for favourite kit. I still wear them on occasion to visit the pub - they're as comfy as a pair of slippers!   Soap Box: Why walk if you can run? Ever since I broke my back in 2004 in a paragliding accident and was told I should have ended up in a wheelchair and would certainly not get back to running like I have, I decided this would be my mantra. I love running and it's rare you'll ever see me out for a walk.
Sue Wood Malcolm Rudge Charlie Stead Martin Bagness	Info Coming Soon