Joss Naylor: A sheep farmer and King of the Fells

A sheep farmer from the Lake District became the king of fell running as he continuously set world records.

Joss Naylor passes away at 88 years old

Joss Naylor MBE recently passed away, but not without leaving his mark firmly on the ground. 

Originally born in Leads, Yorkshire, then spending most of his life farming in the Lake District, Joss Naylor became a world champion at fell running.

King of the Fells

Fell Running, also known as hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off-road, over upland country where the terrain plays a significant role in the difficulty of the race.

Mr Naylor was so good at fell running that he became known as the King of the Fells, or just simply the Iron Man.

Joss was so good, he broke the Lake District 24-hour record three times and ran the fastest known times of the Three Peaks, Welsh 3,000ers and Pennine Way; a very accomplished athlete. 

Mr Naylor passed away on June 28

Unfortunately, although he seemed it, Joss Naylor was not invincible and passed away on June 28 at 88 years of age. 

Hearing the news, the Fell Runners Association said it was “hugely saddened” by his death, adding that he “inspired so many”. 

Stuart Ferguson, chairman of The Fell Runners Association, said “We are hugely saddened by the news that the legend that is Joss Naylor has passed away”.

The sheep farmer lived his life to the fullest and pushed his body to the limits. 

Joss Naylor MBE’s achievements

In competitions that could last up to seven days, he would survive on only scone-like cakes, black current juice with a dash of salt, and cod liver oil that he would swill straight from the bottle “like whiskey,” he would say. 

In 1971, Joss Naylor became the sixth person to conquer the Bob Graham Round; a 24-hour challenge in Cumbria’s Lake District to finish 66 miles over 42 peaks.

Mr Naylor didn’t just finish the race, he topped 61 peaks in 23 hours and 37 minutes, 19 more peaks than he needed to with 23 minutes to spare. 

The next year, in the same challenge, he crossed 63 peaks in under 24 hours; three years later he crossed 72 peaks, once again under 24 hours. 

In 1986, still running at the ripe age of 50, he finished the Wainwright Round which consists of 214 summits taking just over seven days. 

The sheep farmer once again set a record, breaking one that stood until 2014. 

Charitable cause

Joss Naylor was not just a farmer or a runner, he was a man of the people, becoming a patron for the Brathay Trust, a youth charity Naylor raised roughly £40,000 between 2007 and 2019.

Scott Umpleby, the fundraising manager, stated “He’s known for his incredible running achievements, but he used his running to support local charities, including disadvantaged children and young people”