Böcker av Steve Chilton

The history and characters of the Marathon with Mountains, published to coincide with the 70th anniversary of this internationally famous endurance race that attracts up to 1,000 entrants each year.

All or Nothing At All is the life story of Billy Bland, fellrunner extrordinaire and holder of many records including that of the Bob Graham Round. Filled with stories of competition and rich in northern humour, All or Nothing At All is testimony to the life spent in the fells by one of their greatest champions, Billy Bland.

TEN stories that with tongue firmly in cheek romp along the border of fact and fantasy dipping into crime, romance, wistful adventure, celebrity spookery and hospital spoofery. Each tale is self contained but inhabits the same half-woken dreamscape. Where a Tudor Queen with a fatal attraction brings slaughter to a country wedding; Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison raise spirits in a Paris cemetery with a storming duet; Keef's pet puppy brings chaos to a Stones' concert during an escapade of sex, drugs and rock 'n' stroll; and a pill designed to perk up giant pandas is doing wonders for the love lives of folk festival fans. The trail continues with a stop off in London for a tour of Shakespeare's old haunts. Alas poor guide, they have been hijacked by musical hall turns. Then it's off to France to join in Reynard's retirement dream of busking, armed with a squeezebox and just one tune. An a la carte menu with a generous portion of humour and a sprinkling of parody. Those with a distaste for vain politicians, town planners, and profiteering hospital are also catered for. Ardent royalists, poetry purists, folkies with a finger in their ear, and local politicians who own white dinner jackets may find it unpalatable. Written by journalist Steve Chilton, the stories feature several locations in his native Midlands, including Coventry Cathedral and Kenilworth Castle.

The Round is not only a history of the Bob Graham Round, but also an exploration of the what, why and how of this classic fell endurance challenge. After covering the genesis of the BGR in detail, it documents its development from a more-or-less idle challenge to its present status as a rite of passage for endurance runners. Interspersed with this detail of the round are extensive profiles of many of the event's most significant individuals: innovators, record setters, recorders and supporters. Some links to resources for potential BGR completers are be included. The Round is emphatically NOT a 'how to' guide, but it IS a terrific follow up to Steve Chilton's hugely popular first book, It's a Hill, Get Over It.

For one brilliant season in 1983 the sport of fell running was dominated by the two huge talents of John Wild and Kenny Stuart. Together they destroyed the record book, only determining who was top by a few seconds in the last race of the season.

This book offers a detailed history of the sport of fell running. It also tells the stories of some of the great exponents of the sport through the ages. Many of them achieved greatness whilst still working full time in traditional jobs, a million miles away from the professionalism of other branches of athletics nowadays. The book covers the early days of the sport, right through to it going global with World Championships. Along the way it profiles influential athletes such as Fred Reeves, Bill Teasdale, Kenny Stuart, Joss Naylor, and Billy and Gavin Bland. It gives background to the athletes including their upbringing, introduction to the sport, training, working life, records and achievements. It also includes in-depth conversations with some of the greats, such as Jeff Norman and Rob Jebb. The author is a committed runner and qualified athletics coach. He has considerable experience of fell running, competing in the World Vets Champs when it was held in Keswick in 2005. He is a long-time member of the Fell Runners Association (FRA). Using a mixture of personal experience, material from extensive interviews, and that provided by an extensive range of published and unpublished sources, a comprehensive history of the sport and its characters and values is revealed.