<Tr> <Th> Course records </Th> <Td> 1: 25: 34 (M), 1: 43: 25 (F) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Official site </Th> <Td> www.bennevisrace.co.uk </Td> </Tr> <P> The Ben Nevis Race is a mountain race that takes place annually, from the foot of Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in the British Isles) to the top, then back again . The course is 14 km long and includes around 1,340 metres of ascent . Up to six hundred people may compete in the event . </P> <P> The first timed event on Ben Nevis was in 1895 . William Swan, a barber from Fort William, made the first recorded timed ascent up the mountain on or around 27 September of that year, when he ran from the old post office in Fort William to the summit and back in 2 hours 41 minutes . The following years saw several improvements on Swan's record, but the first competitive race was held on 3 June 1898 under Scottish Amateur Athletic Association rules . Ten competitors ran the course, which started at the Lochiel Arms Hotel in Banavie and was thus longer than the route from Fort William; the winner was 21 - year - old Hugh Kennedy, a gamekeeper at Tor Castle, who finished (coincidentally with Swan's original run) in 2 hours 41 minutes . </P>

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