Ricky Lightfoot
Ricky William Lightfoot (born 31 March 1985[1]) is a British runner who has been a world champion in trail running and a medallist in the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge.
Lightfoot began competing in fell races at the age of fourteen after being inspired by his school caretaker Brian Taylor[2] and was encouraged by his parents Robert and Kathleen.[3] He has been sponsored by Salomon since 2008.[4]
He has won several of the most prestigious fell races, including the Three Peaks Race,[5] Wasdale,[6] Borrowdale,[7] Ennerdale,[8] the Three Shires[9] and Skiddaw.[10] He won the Lakeland Classics Trophy series in 2007[11] and 2015.[12]
He has also competed domestically on other surfaces, winning the Brampton to Carlisle and Derwentwater 10 road races and the Cumbria Cross Country Championships.[13]
Internationally, Lightfoot won the Zegama-Aizkorri race in 2009[14] and finished third in that season’s Skyrunner World Series.[15] He was also third in the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge that year when the event was incorporated into the Kaisermarathon in Söll.[16]
He won the Hammer Trail in Denmark, his first ultramarathon, in 2012.[17] In 2013, he won the IAU Trail World Championships when the competition was held in Llanrwst.[18] Also that year, he won the Trail du Colorado in Réunion[19] and the Otter Trail Run in South Africa.[20]
In 2014, he was victorious at the Dodo Trail in Mauritius[21] and the following year he won the Ultra Skymarathon Madeira.[22]
Lightfoot works as a firefighter, based at Workington Fire Station.[23]
References
- ^ Association of Road Racing Statisticians: Ricky Lightfoot.
- ^ iRunFar: The Fells Favourite Son: An Interview with Ricky Lightfoot.
- ^ Times & Star: Fell Running Lightfoot Lives up to his Name.
- ^ Cotswold Outdoor: An Interview with Trail Running World Champion Ricky Lightfoot.
- ^ Grough: Ricky Lightfoot Squeezes Three Peaks Race Win Between Firefighting Night Shifts.
- ^ Cumberland & Westmorland Herald: Bell and Collison in Impressive Form at Wasdale Horseshoe Race.
- ^ Times & Star: Lightfoot Storms to Borrowdale Win.
- ^ Lakeland Classics Trophy: Ennerdale 2007 Results.
- ^ The Westmorland Gazette: Lightfoot is King of Three Shires.
- ^ Keswick AC: Skiddaw Fell Race 2009.
- ^ Graham Breeze, "Broken Records: 6th (2007) Lakeland Classics Trophy", The Fellrunner, Spring 2008, 44-46.
- ^ Lakeland Classics Trophy: 2015 Results.
- ^ Power of 10: Ricky Lightfoot.
- ^ Zegama-Aizkorri: Classifications.
- ^ Skyrunner World Series: 2009 Ranking.
- ^ IAAF: Lauenstein and Pichrtova win Kaisermarathon Titles in Söll.
- ^ Salomon Trail Tour: Hammertime: Ricky Lightfoot Relives his Danish 50 Miler at the Hammer Trail.
- ^ IAAF: Lightfoot and Mauclair triumph at IAU Trail World Championships.
- ^ Trail du Colorado: Winners.
- ^ Otter Trail Run: Records Fall as the Best Chase the Grail.
- ^ Eruption Studio on YouTube: The Dodo Trail 2014.
- ^ iancorless.com: Ultra Skymarathon Madeira 2015.
- ^ News & Star: The Light Feet of Ricky Lightfoot.