Joss Naylor, one of many pioneers of British fell operating, died on June 28, 2024, at age 88. We provide this quick tribute to a exceptional runner who impressed many along with his accomplishments within the fells, in addition to his involvement with the fell operating neighborhood.
Joss Naylor — fell operating legend — February 10, 1936 to June 28, 2024 Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Rising Up on the Farm
Joss (Joseph) Naylor was born on February 10, 1936, and lived most of his life within the tiny hamlet of Wasdale Head, a small settlement of some homes nestled on the head of a distant valley deep within the English Lake District surrounded by a few of the nation’s highest mountains. It’s a wild, pure atmosphere.
His father was a shepherd, and Joss grew up serving to on the farm. Working lengthy hours was a part of the lifestyle, and the time on his toes and work ethic of the farm moulded Joss’s character for later challenges in life. The valley was solely related to the primary electrical grid in 1977.
Joss left faculty at age 15 to work full-time on the farm, and two separate accidents within the succeeding years left Joss with no cartilage in his proper knee and two discs faraway from his again. He was not deemed match sufficient for Nationwide Service and was suggested to keep away from any exercise that was too arduous.
Working within the Fells
The Lakeland fells are steeped within the British fell operating custom. Lots of Joss’s friends additionally labored on the land and developed the pure means to cowl native terrain at pace. Joss ran his first race in 1960, the Lake District Mountain Trial, sporting a pair of trainers, as he didn’t possess trainers.
Not naturally quick at shorter occasions, Joss realised he had the power to remain on his toes for a number of hours and nonetheless transfer at a superb tempo. Within the Sixties and ’70s, in addition to recording 10 victories within the basic Lake District Mountain Trial, he was a multiple-time winner of lots of the basic British lengthy fell races like Ennerdale Horseshoe, the Welsh 1,000 Metres Peaks Race, in addition to two-day mountain marathons.
Joss Naylor throughout Ennerdale Horseshoe Race in 1972. Photograph: Tommy Ore
This realisation led him to start out enterprise lengthy particular person challenges, which we like to name quickest identified occasions (FKTs) lately. Joss’s entire mindset appears to have been pushed by pushing his personal boundaries of what was attainable ever additional.
The Bob Graham Spherical and Different Information
In 1971, Joss grew to become solely the sixth particular person to finish the basic Bob Graham Spherical, a 66-mile circuit together with 42 peaks.
Since then, each Kilian Jornet and Jack Kuenzle have pushed the Bob Graham report all the way down to a lot sooner occasions in well-publicised makes an attempt which have attracted a lot curiosity. Each acknowledged that the lengthy historical past of those challenges attracted them to the Lakes District within the first place.
Joss and plenty of who try “The Bob” annually do it underneath the radar of operating media and others, removed from the gaze of publicity, attracted by the simplicity of difficult oneself towards the fells.
Additionally in 1971, Joss set a report for the British Three Peaks Problem, which concerned operating up and down the three highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales. Transport between the three peaks concerned nicely over 400 miles of driving. On this little journey, Joss was pushed by Frank Davies in a rally-specification Ford Capri Vita 6. For sure, it’s exhausting to assume common pace limits have been noticed as all the journey took 11 hours and 56 minutes.
Joss Naylor taking a drink throughout his Three Peaks Problem in 1971. Photograph: Tommy Ore
Subsequent, Joss twice bettered the Lake District 24-Hour File, the place the easy intention is to cowl as many Lakeland peaks over 2,000 toes in 24 hours. Joss coated 63 peaks in 24 hours in 1972, and three years later, after meticulous planning, ran a route extending this to 72 peaks!
In current occasions, Kim Collison and Andy Berry have pushed this report out to 78 peaks in 24 hours, with Berry having the sooner time of 23 hours and 23 minutes.
Different Basic Routes
Different basic routes Joss set information on have been the 268-mile Pennine Manner, a path which is now higher often known as the route of the Backbone race. He ran the route in 1974 in 3 days, 4 hours, and 36 minutes. For Joss and his contemporaries, it was merely a private problem and an amazing few days on the hills and trails. The times of individuals paying cash to pin a quantity on for the privilege of racing the route have been nonetheless far sooner or later.
In 1986, aged 50, he ran a route protecting the Wainwrights that included all 214 Lakeland summits meticulously chronicled in Alfred Wainwrights’s seven-volume information to the world. It took Joss 7 days, 1 hour, and 25 minutes, and he’s on report as saying it was in all probability the toughest problem he undertook. The report stood till 2014.
In 1997, at age 60, he undertook a steady problem of protecting 60 Lakeland peaks. At 70, he accomplished a 70-peak problem. On each events, he raised cash for native charities.
The Fell Working Neighborhood
The mere point out of the title Joss Naylor, for a lot of mountain lovers, evokes recollections of journey.
In addition to his personal ardour for pushing himself, he very a lot adopted within the native Lakeland traditions of turning out, in all weathers, to accompany or assist crew different runners of all skills in their very own challenges or Bob Graham Spherical makes an attempt. He was all the time keen to supply recommendation to fellow runners, regardless of their age or means. He was a pacer for an additional Lakeland shepherd and operating legend, Billy Bland, whose Bob Graham report stood for a few years and survived many makes an attempt earlier than Jornet lastly went sooner in 2018.
Joss was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1976 for companies to fell operating.
Worldwide Working
Though very a lot at house in his beloved Lakeland hills, Joss sometimes traveled to races.
In 1974, he competed in Europe’s basic Sierre-Zinal and completed a creditable sixth place. The next yr, he positioned sixth within the Pikes Peak Marathon within the U.S. Information present he ran 4:07:22 on what’s a barely totally different course to immediately’s race, with an ascent of two:41:05 and descent of 1:26:17.
Joss Naylor getting a leg therapeutic massage on his Pennine Manner report in 1974. Photograph: Tommy Ore
Foray into 24-Hour Racing
In 1977, Joss tried one other kind of racing that was far out of his consolation zone.
Ron Bentley, from the well-known Tipton Harriers Membership, had set a brand new 24-hour world report in 1973 by operating 259.603 kilometers (161.310 miles) in a Highway Runners Membership-organized monitor race in London.
It created lots of curiosity within the endurance neighborhood and Joss, whose means to remain on his toes on the fells for twenty-four hours was with out query, was inspired to see how he fared in a barely totally different endurance problem. He and Boyd Millen, one other Lakeland runner, have been invited to participate in an identical race in October 1977.
Martin Stone, who was to carve out his personal creditable operating achievements sooner or later, was a younger scholar in London on the time, however by a quirk of destiny, acquired concerned within the 24-hour occasion. He recollects,
“I believe Joss and Boyd have been invited to participate within the 24-hour occasion to attempt to open up the game to runners from different areas of long-distance operating. Joss ran very quick, however about each 4 hours, he would disappear right into a family-size tent pitched on the grass by the trackside. Every time, he emerged a brand new man, setting off at breakneck pace across the monitor, virtually matching the pace of Don Ritchie, who was additionally operating. Boyd was trundling across the monitor significantly extra slowly and step by step tying up.
“I used to be only a younger, inexperienced, 19-year-old uni[versity] scholar and had ran into Boyd for the primary time the earlier weekend as Boyd was operating the well-known 54-mile London to Brighton Race. He had nowhere to remain and crashed on my ground in my hovel in Bethnal Inexperienced for the week earlier than the 24-hour race.
“Anyway, I had by no means been launched to Joss, and he didn’t know me from Adam. He was already a legend. At about 20 hours, I went over to the Naylor tent and peered in. All was revealed. Joss had introduced his personal medicinal masseur down from Workington in Cumbria. Harry Boult, who was in his late 70s at the least, was offering exceptional help to Joss, who was coming into the tent a damaged man and rising a Superman.”
Joss was to complete fourth, protecting 221.320 kilometers (137.521 miles). He discovered operating on a tartan monitor very exhausting.
The race was received by Tom Roden with 251.459 kilometers, falling wanting the then-world 24-hour report. All of the 24-hour runners have been overshadowed by the beforehand talked about extremely legend Don Ritchie, who used the occasion to focus on and break the then-world 100-mile report. His time of 11:30:51 was to face till 2002 and continues to be one of many high 10 100-mile occasions on report.
Below the Radar Adventures
Unquestionably, Joss was happiest in his yard of the Lake District fells, the place he might merely head out of the entrance door, surrounded by a few of the highest peaks in England, and climb excessive inside minutes.
Joss did what he liked, becoming in coaching in between lengthy, arduous days as a farmer — a far cry from the trendy world {of professional} full-time path and mountain runners.
Joss Naylor being interviwed by CBS throughout his 1972 24-hour report run of 63 peaks. Photograph: Tommy Ore
Though lots of his best achievements are nicely documented, one other story illustrates his innate sense of journey.
Duncan Watson, a Scottish hill runner and one of many first two runners to finish Scotland’s well-known 95-mile West Highland Manner path in a single outing, recollects bumping into Joss and two different runners by Loch Lomond whereas out on a coaching run on the path. In a subsequent dialog with the proprietor of the Inverarnan Inn, a small distant resort and bar about midway up the path, they discovered that Joss as soon as known as in for a drink when on the return leg of an out-and-back on the West Highland Manner, a 190-mile journey from Glasgow to Fort William and again once more.
No additional particulars can be found. Nevertheless, one wonders simply what number of undocumented adventures Joss undertook in his life that transcend a standard weekend coaching run!
Joss existed within the territory the place fantasy meets actuality.
Then, as now, away from the limelight or present social media highlight, there are individuals of all requirements discovering their wonderful adventures and life-enhancing experiences. Joss possibly did extra adventures than most, and did them rapidly. Unquestionably, he was a pioneer in lots of respects, and his inspiration will reside on.
A Celebration of Life
Joss was lively nicely into his eighties however was much less so since struggling a stroke in 2021.
His funeral will happen this Friday, July 19. Fittingly, it is going to be held within the tiny St Olaf’s Church within the hamlet of Wasdale the place Joss spent most of his life. It’s reported to be the smallest church in England, seating simply 35 individuals.
Fell operating legends Joss Naylor and Steve Cliff atop a fell. Photograph: Ian Charters
In a submit on social media, the Fell Runners Affiliation mentioned Joss’s household requested any attendees who might to put on membership colors and arrive by operating over any of the passes into the village. “It was Joss’s want that his funeral ought to be a vibrant celebration of his life,” the submit mentioned.
“The Naylor household invite all fell runners to affix them at Wasdale Head on Friday 19 July and to kind a vibrant guard of honour as Joss takes the quick journey to his last resting place.”
Preparations have been made to relay the service exterior to allow his many buddies and admirers to listen to the ceremony and celebration of a life nicely lived.
This quick tribute can solely provide a glimpse into Joss. For a extra in-depth learn, “Joss: The Life and Instances of the Legendary Lake District Fell Runner and Shepherd Joss Naylor” by Keith Richardson is advisable.
For additional studying on the historical past and characters of British fell operating, readers could want to learn “It’s a Hill, Get Over It!” by Steve Chilton or Richard Askwith’s, “Ft within the Clouds.”
For anybody visiting the Lakes quickly, there’s an exhibition on the historical past of fell operating within the Lake District, together with a lot memorabilia from Joss and others on the Armitt Museum in Ambleside till December 2024.
Name for Feedback
- Do you may have any Joss Naylor tales you’d prefer to share?
- How have you ever been influenced by Joss’s presence on the planet?
