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The Extraordinary Life and Achievements of Joss Naylor, Fell Running Legend

Discover the incredible journey of Joss Naylor, a fell running legend whose extraordinary life is marked by remarkable achievements and inspiring feats. Explore his passion for the mountains and the impact he’s had on the world of athletics.

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The Extraordinary Life of Joss Naylor

The legendary figure in the world of fell running, often dubbed the “Iron Man,” was none other than Joss Naylor, an incredible sheep farmer renowned for his remarkable feats in the challenging sport of off-trail mountain racing. Naylor’s adventures took him across some of the most rugged and unforgiving terrains, where he famously endured the loss of all ten toenails, experienced the painful skinning of his soles, and even suffered a kick from a particularly irritable cow.

In competitions that sometimes stretched over several days, Naylor sustained his grueling endurance with a unique diet consisting of scone-like cakes and a peculiar concoction of black currant juice, enhanced with a touch of salt and a splash of cod liver oil, which he would consume straight from the bottle—“like whiskey,” he once amusingly remarked.

Sadly, Joss Naylor passed away on June 28 in a care home located in the picturesque village of Gosforth, nestled in the heart of Cumbria, northwest England. He was 88 years old at the time of his death. His daughter, Gillian Naylor, revealed that the cause was complications arising from several recent illnesses, including a stroke.

Naylor’s extraordinary achievements in fell running, the term used in Northern England to describe the hills and mountains, often defied the limits of human endurance and earned him a plethora of affectionate nicknames, notably “Iron Man” and “King of the Fells.”

In 1971, Naylor became the sixth individual to complete the Bob Graham Round, a daunting 24-hour challenge that involves traversing a spectacular 66-mile route over 42 peaks in the stunning Lake District of Cumbria. Surpassing all expectations, he managed to summit an astonishing 61 peaks in just 23 hours and 37 minutes. The following year, he outdid himself by crossing 63 peaks within the same timeframe, and in 1975, he achieved the remarkable feat of reaching 72 peaks, both times within the 24-hour limit.

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