Last updated at 15:08, Monday, 26 November 2012

HAVING completed the Keswick to Barrow walk 20 times, Mike Grain has the distinction of being a knight of The Fellowship of the Ancient Order of Barking Dogs, but he can also claim to have travelled from Britain’s northernmost mainland town to take part.

GOING STRONG: Mike Grain CHRIS WARNER REF: 50027226B003

Every year he makes the journey from Thurso, in Scotland, to Keswick, before the walk to Barrow.

As a principal engineer with Rolls Royce, he first entered the event in 1979 when a product his company was working on was built in the shipyard.

He returned to the K2B in 1990 and has missed one year since.

When asked if he’ll be entering next year, Mike replies: “Try and stop me!”

Mike’s fastest time was 6hrs 25mins, which helped his team secure the title of fastest team in 1982.

He said: “There’s also a number of people I’ve met over many years who I tend to meet up with. I just enjoy the event.”

And he has the utmost respect for the young participants and the volunteers who marshal on the day.

“The real heroes are the younger kids who start before the crack of dawn and are still coming into Barrow quite late on in the evening,” he says. “They’re very young to do such a huge distance.

“And there’s so much shared enthusiasm across the whole event.”

First published at 16:51, Friday, 23 November 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk