You’ve been running through the night, scaling dozens of England's highest peaks while most of the world sleeps. As the sun rises, it casts a golden glow over the hilltops and for a moment, you feel privileged to witness this quiet beauty, but the peace is fleeting - there are still 30 miles to go.

This is what fell-runners experience on the legendary Bob Graham Round: 42 mountains, 66 miles and 8,229m of ascent. It’s a test of endurance that is not for the faint-hearted and our incredible team from the KE office certainly aren’t. Tackling the challenge across five legs, they are raising money for our amazing charity partner, Mind Over Mountains, with founder Alex Staniforth even joining them for one leg. We would be truly grateful for any contribution you can make to this worthy cause, and you can do so here.

We caught up with the team to find out why this race is so special, how they’re preparing and what it means to take on one of the UK’s most iconic endurance challenges.

Tom: It will be really cool to spend some time with Alex. He has put such a huge part of himself into a truly worthy cause and it will be really interesting to learn more about how special he finds the outdoors as a tool for wellness.

Tom: Most likely how well can I remember the good line off Halls Fell and I wish I felt a little fitter!

Kerrie: I’m expecting it to be physically challenging, especially as fatigue sets in and the temperatures drop through the night. The darkness and limited visibility will make the terrain feel even tougher and we’ll need to be extra focused on navigation.

Alasdair: The night adds an extra element of toughness. Plus when it’s dark you can’t see the vertical height you are about to run up.

Kerrie: It’ll be great to support each other through the long hours and keep each other motivated when things get tough. Being in the fells at night will be a bit surreal and I’m looking forward to the shared experience, knowing we’ll push through together. It’s going to be a test of both physical endurance and teamwork.

Kerrie: This was Zoe’s brainchild – so blame her. In all seriousness, it was just an idea we had one day in a café. The BG is iconic and deep rooted in Cumbrian fell running history, starting and ending in Keswick, not far from the KE office!

Alasdair: To be a local fell runner you have to have at least made a decent attempt at it.

Kerrie: Doing it as a relay means more people can get involved but it also means that we need more help with things like logistics. It really is a huge team effort, and that’s why we chose to support Mind Over Mountains at the same time. It is an individual challenge for all involved, but we can’t do it alone and rely on the help and support of others - just like the work they do at MoM.

Tim: Hopefully, we’ll get to see some sun – it’s not always guaranteed in the Lake District!

David: Sunrise in the mountains is always amazing – the mountain tops start to properly come into view and the view extends for miles once you get up high. It’s always a peaceful time of day running around dawn as not many people are up in the fells at that time – I’d fully expect to tick off the first few summits without seeing anyone else out and about!

David: Lots of base-building early in the year and now that the days have got longer, the focus has been on hitting the fells as much as possible. March is all about elevation gain.

Tim: I run in the hills regularly, so haven’t been doing any specific training. Hopefully walking in Patagonia with a backpack the last couple of weeks will translate into running fitness! We’ll also be reccying our leg, to make sure we take the most efficient lines on the day.

Aaron: Traversing around the head of the Wasdale Valley and climbing Pillar and Great Gable.

Aaron: For me, it’s being able to cover some of the best hills in the UK all in a single outing.

Zoe: I think seeing the team gathered under Moot Hall will be a full circle moment, as this has been a long time in the making and everybody has put such a massive effort into getting it off the ground. It is a lot of pressure if we are on a time crunch to bring it home under the 24 hour mark, but I am confident the other runners will put in a huge shift to get us over the line in time!

Zoe: Give everybody a nice big sweaty hug! Then it is off to celebrate with the team!

If you would like to follow the challenge as it happens, then you can do so on our social media channels. If you would like to make a donation to this incredible charity (we'd be so grateful if you could spare anything) the button below will take you to our Just Giving fundraising page for Mind over Mountains. Everyone in the office is so excited for our incredible team and we have our fingers crossed for some sunshine in the Lakes!