By David Siddall

Last updated 16:05, Wednesday, 27 August 2008

FELL-RUNNING legend Joss Naylor is urging the organisers of the Olympics to include the tough mountain racing sport in the 2012 London Olympics.

• View more pictures...

Joss Naylor: The legendary fellrunner has made a plea for the sport to be included in the Olympics

Joss, 72, made his comments after he joined Sir Chris Bonington in climbing to the top of Scafell Pike on Sunday to raise the Olympic flag.

It was raised on England’s highest mountain and at one of the country’s oldest sporting fixtures: Grasmere Sports.

Sir Chris joined with Joss and raised the flag on Scafell Pike to mark the end of the Olympics in China and the start of the countdown to the London 2012 Olympics. And at Grasmere Sports, the flag was flown in by Paragliders and raised at the showground.

Joss told The Whitehaven News: “Fell-running is now an international event and enjoyed in many parts of the world. It would be a great bonus to make it an Olympic event. We have some fantastic talent in the sport now, such as young Laura Park. Making it an Olympic sport would be such a boost to those young runners.

“The Polaris event, for example, attracted 500 entries, and there is already a world fell-running organisation and lads from as far away as New Zealand compete.. Let’s make it a new Olympic event.”

Joss said the summit of Scafell Pike was busy with Bank Holiday hikers as the flag was raised at 2.30pm to coincide with events in China. The flag-raising was also supported by Lakeland mountain rescue teams.

Richard Warren, Chairman of the Lake District Mountain Rescue Association said: “Although not a sport, the sheer drive and determination required by volunteer mountain rescuers to keep going when the body is saying stop and rest is not dissimilar to that of an athlete. As a charity, we were very pleased to be involved in the planning of this event.”

Laura Park (16), the Maryport-based distance running sensation who has already won six national titles and hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympics, joined Joss and Sir Chris on Scafell Pike. She said: “It’s an exciting prospect to be flying the Olympic flag and certainly gives me a clear goal to aim for in four years time. It’s a great honour to be asked to accompany two sporting legends to the highest point in England to mark this occasion.”

Medal-winning members of the British Olympic swimming squad are heading for the Lake District next month to take part in the first Great North Swim.