Fellrunner Eileen Jones discovered a new challenge in parkrun after finishing last in the Loughrigg fell race. She’s since taken part in more than 400 events at over 160 different locations, and written two books about parkrun.

But she retained a love for Loughrigg, and ran up or round or over the fell every week for more than a dozen years. This summer her third book was published: Loughrigg: Tales of a Small Mountain and was launched at the summit on a blustery June day.

Eileen’s books are full of stories about people who love running, about the parkrun community, the fell-running community, as well as the people who walk over Loughrigg, live on the lower slopes, have painted it, and written poems about it.

She’s here at The Armitt to share those stories, to reminisce about days on the Lakeland fells, to talk about her very modest success as a fellrunner (she once won a teapot in an ultra race, and captained the winning Clayton le Moors Harriers ladies team at the first Hodgson Brothers Relay, when only two women’s teams took part), and her passion for the way that parkrun has changed so many lives.

Her books will be on sale; they’ll make excellent Christmas presents.

About the speaker

Eileen Jones is a writer and journalist who set up Cumbria PR when she moved to Ambleside 14 years ago. She’s done publicity for many leading tourism, cultural and hospitality businesses in the Lakes, and is proud that The Armitt museum was her very first client. She’s now living in York to be near her grandson, Jacques, but says her heart will be forever in the Lakes. She helped set up parkruns at Fell Foot (where she remains a member of the core volunteer team) and in Rothay Park, inspired by a nine year old neighbour