Ben Nevis 24-hour record broken by Inverness hill runner
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AN Inverness man has reached new heights after setting a new time for the Ben Nevis 24-hour record.
The incredible feat was completed by Javi Cabrera Valdes, a member of the Highland Hill Runners club in Inverness, who ran up and down the Ben a total of seven times in just 21 hours 9 minutes.
40 year old Javi, originally from Navalcarnero, Madrid, has been mountain running since his twenties, taking inspiration from his father who was also a keen runner. No stranger to record breaking, Javi notes amongst his achievements the record for the fastest ascent and descent of the Pico Almanzor summit in his native Spain.
After moving to Scotland in 2014, he and his partner Irene made their home in the Highlands where they now live with their 3-year old daughter, Alba.
Since living in the area, Javi's life-long passion for running, hiking and climbing has led to him becoming very familiar with the route and terrain of Ben Nevis – and after becoming aware of the 24-hour record, he set his sights on "giving it a go".
Javi said: "My fastest Ben Revis Race time is 1 hour 50 minutes, and I have run down the Ben in a horrible state in about one hour, limping and very sore. With this in mind I reckoned that roughly speaking I could, on average, climb up in two hours and get down in one hour – three hours in total – so 24 hours divided by three equalled eight times up and down. It's amazing how we can persuade ourselves of something when simplifying it!"
The feat was made all the more remarkable in that Javi completed the challenge solo and self-supported, using his car boot at Ben Nevis car park to resupply.
He said: "I am sure many people from Highland Hill Runners and other clubs would have gladly helped me, and of course my family. But I never told anyone about the attempt itself. Only my partner, Irene, knew about it. I like the simplicity of doing things solo and I tend to change things last minute, so involving people would undoubtedly constrain that freedom."
Tackling the Ben required a great deal of physical and mental discipline, as Javi explains.
"I felt very strong climbing up, but on the first descent my legs felt heavier than they should. I had been sore most of that week after the Beinn Bhan Horseshoe, only six days before. In terms of physical tiredness, it always manifests itself to me as a feeling of boredom and wanting to be at home. Now I know that I only have to put some calories in and it will pass.
"During this challenge, I felt like that once, when starting my fifth rep. I had already stopped eating solids after only two cereal bars and was lacking calories so I forced myself to eat an extra chocolate bar and half of a cereal bar and it passed. There are usually lows but I always remind myself that nothing lasts, everything good or bad, always passes sooner or later, just keep moving and time will do the rest."
Fort William native and railway worker Charlie Anderson first set the Ben Nevis 24-hour record in 2006, ascending and descending the 1345m summit six times inside 24 hours.
Anderson's achievement was surpassed in October 2021 when charity runner Pawel Cymbalista (from Mallaig) managed to do it seven times in 22 hours 43 minutes.
Javi's new record shaves over an hour and a half off the time set in 2021.
One member of Highland Hill Runners commented on the achievement, saying: "If someone asked me who I thought would break this record, I'd have said Javi without hesitation. Fantastic!"
Another added: "Doing it once sounds like torture but seven times within 24 hours is amazing, well done!"
The runner's short-term goals for the future include the Trotternish Ridge and Two Mamores hill races and a trip to Spain to tackle an ultra race across the Pyrenees.
But closer to home, Javi aims to bring much needed support to children.
In his role as a pupil support assistant at Dalneigh Primary School in Inverness, he explains that he sees the real challenges that children with additional and special needs and their families face on a daily basis – and he is keen to use his record achievement to raise funds to provide them with more resources and outdoor opportunities.
He added: "I never thought my record attempt would attract much attention but on seeing the interest from people, I have decided to set up a fundraising appeal to raise funds to help the children in my school."
The link to donate is justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bennevis24record.
