A record-breaking attempt at running across 78 Lake District peaks has failed, leaving Mark Hartell’s 13-year-old achievement intact.

Steve Birkinshaw was trying to smash the aforementioned sportsman’s accomplishment of 77 fells in 24 hours but, after falling behind schedule, was forced to abandon the project, Grough magazine reports.

At approximately 22:00 BST, he pulled up 23 peaks from his target after topping Pillar above Ennerdale.

“Once I knew the record was out of reach I lost all motivation, I started to feel all dizzy,” Mr Birkinshaw remarked in response to comments on the Fellrunners’ Association Forum.

He went on to note that the weather was as good as he could have asked for, but “I got my eating and drinking wrong again”.

This comes after four walkers on Lad Hows in the Lake District were caught in bad conditions and had to be airlifted to hospital, with one suffering a dislocated shoulder and another being hit by lightning, the news source reported.