By any standard, the Keswick to Barrow is a brute of a challenge: 39.5 miles, 3,000 feet of climbing, and one hell of a mental mountain to summit. But this year, local runner and physiotherapist Sarah Jones didn’t just beat the odds—she rewrote the history books.
In a jaw-dropping display of grit and stamina, Jones became the first woman in the event’s 58-year history to break the five-hour barrier, setting a new Women’s Keswick to Barrow record of 4 hours, 57 minutes, and 43 seconds.
Let’s be clear—this wasn’t just some glorified jog through the Lake District. It’s a test of body and soul that reduces most participants to stiff-legged wanderers or blister-riddled limpers by the time they reach Barrow’s Hawcoat Park.
Yet on May 10, Jones ran like she had a tailwind from the gods, finishing second overall behind Josh Crowther, who clocked 4:42:08.
And how did she warm up for this? By cruising the London Marathon just two weeks earlier in a blistering 3:08. “I used the London Marathon as a training run,” said Jones, as casually as someone mentioning they popped to the shops.
Her K2B journey started years ago. At 15, inspired by her older sisters, she tackled the event as a schoolgirl and finished in just under 7.5 hours.
Fast forward to 2024, aged 29 and running 10 times a week, she returned with a vengeance—and a training schedule that would make most athletes weep.
Twice a day Monday to Thursday. Long runs up to 42km on Sundays. And all of it fuelled by porridge, pasta, rice, and sheer bloody-minded determination.
The Women’s Keswick to Barrow record wasn’t handed to her. It was earned, kilometre by kilometre, through lonely training runs on the coast and grinds through Furness’ winding hills.
Even her family played support crew—sister Laura and friend Amy cycled alongside her to tackle mental blocks on the lakeside and moorland stretches. Her nan Jill came along too, apparently hoping for tea and cake rather than an endurance epic.
Still, by 9:40am on race day, Jones was so far ahead of the crowd that Dalton’s shoppers didn’t even realise a record-breaker was blitzing past.
“It was only 9.40am so people were just out doing their Saturday morning shopping!” she said. But she already knew. “From about 13k out I knew in my head I could break the record from the pace I was going at.”
Jones isn’t just a runner. She’s also a passionate fundraiser, this year running in memory of Jake Ellis, a young boy who passed away in 2008 from rhabdomyosarcoma.
“I have been a part of Team Jake for the past two years after meeting Jake’s mum… through the running club,” she explained. “The money raised helps research into this disease.”
And when the finish line moment came? No tears. No theatrics. Just calm relief. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I did it,” she said. “I thought I might get emotional, but I didn’t. There were no tears. Just relief to be at the finish!”
After receiving the JM Redshaw Cup from former BAE Systems chief nuclear engineer Paul Rowland, Jones did what any true Cumbrian would: she stayed behind to support her fellow Walney Wind Cheetahs and made full use of the free pint vouchers handed out to finishers.
As for what’s next? Don’t expect her to retire her running shoes just yet. “When I first finished, I was thinking I will take a break from the K2B. But you get a tankard if you finish it seven times. I am only two away. And it’s the event’s 60th anniversary in two years’ time.”
With nearly 1,600 taking part this year and more than £500,000 raised for charity in 2023 alone, the K2B remains one of Britain’s great unsung endurance events. And Sarah Jones? She’s now etched into its folklore, not just as a winner but as a record-smasher.
“Whether you run and can finish in under five hours or you walk and it takes you over 12 hours, it’s an amazing challenge,” she said. “The feeling you get at all the checkpoints along the way with all the support is amazing. I would encourage anyone to give it a go.”
Next year’s Keswick to Barrow event is set for Saturday, May 9. Full details and entry information can be found at www.Keswick2Barrow.co.uk.
