All or Nothing at All

The Life of Billy Bland

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Pub Date 20 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 7 Aug 2020

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Description

Billy Bland set fellrunning records in the ’80s and ’90s  while working at quarrying, building and stonewalling in his native Borrowdale. His 1982 Bob Graham Round stood until 2018 when it was, at last, excelled by the phenomenal Catalan, Kilian Jornet. All Or Nothing At All, as well as describing Billy’s unparalleled career as a runner, includes his telling reflections on Cumbrian life and the changes he has seen.

Billy Bland set fellrunning records in the ’80s and ’90s while working at quarrying, building and stonewalling in his native Borrowdale. His 1982 Bob Graham Round stood until 2018 when it was, at...


A Note From the Publisher

With a foreword by Bob Graham Round record holder Kilian Jornet

With a foreword by Bob Graham Round record holder Kilian Jornet


Advance Praise

‘Anyone with a love of running will find this an  engrossing and enjoyable read.’ Adharanand Finn, author of Rise of the Ultra Runners 

‘Born in the Lake District and moulded by its hills,  Billy Bland is a truly fascinating character’. Jasmin Paris, record breaking ultra-runner

‘Anyone with a love of running will find this an  engrossing and enjoyable read.’ Adharanand Finn, author of Rise of the Ultra Runners 

‘Born in the Lake District and moulded by its hills, Billy...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781913207229
PRICE £19.99 (GBP)

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 4 members


Featured Reviews

A truly fascinating life story of the fell runner Billy Bland.
As a runner myself I was interested in the achievements talked about in this book but what I liked most was how the author showed examples of Billy's personality. It takes a certain character, mind set & discipline to do the amount of training Billy did daily after a days work & the freedom to do so which Billy was given by his supportive Wife. I also found it quite humorous how he wasn't one to run with other people or a club but if runners asked he let them but said " I won't be waiting for you" because I suppose every run for him was important and he wouldn't want to be performing at a slower pace.
A lot of the focus of the book is on Billy's extended family as many are/were runners who also competed at the same time as him and we learn a lot about Borrowdale the valley where he lives in the Lake District and the hills that moulded him growing up so he that he learnt them inside out.
It was a refreshing change to learn of the simplicity of his running in the 80's and 90's such as night training just following the white lines, normal diet, running snacks (Mars Bars) & drink (just water and tea) & trainers used what were given to him twice a year and plenty of sleep compared to now and the head torches/ luminous clothing, focus on nutrition ( carb/protein), energy drinks/foods and gels and expensive kit and trainers marketed to us runners all the time.
It just showed how raw running can be, strip it back to the basics and it is often about the ability, or like Billy believed the amount of training and preparation you have done to better yourself .
It was interesting to see him reflecting on times in competition when he knew he could of/should of done better but he was always humble if beaten, even when his Bob Graham Round record got beat, meeting the athlete for pictures. He came across as a very headstrong man who wouldn't be pushed in to doing things he didn't want to do ( well, apart from a road Marathon which was never repeated!ha!).
He was determined, analytical, focused, and punctual.
This book is the perfect testimony and it is of no surprise now that even in his 70's he is now cycling daily and still has that competitive edge.
Anyone that runs must read this!
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.

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All or Nothing at All tells the amazing story of Billy Bland an athlete that you may not have heard about but is someone who you should definitely read about.

Billy Bland is fell running royalty and in this book Steve Chilton tells Bland’s story and how he one day started running and then went on to win all the major fell races some numerous times. Bland’s record breaking attempt of the Bob Graham Round is also covered in depth.

This is an excellent book and one that deserves a wide audience. Definitely recommended

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I thought this book was brilliant, really informative on Billy's success and his records. Gave you. a real insight into Billy Bland's life then and now. I'm a runner myself and this book just made me want to head out the door and run up the nearest fell

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