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Pauline Stuart (maiden name Cushnie) was born in Northampton on 1 August 1956, but raised in Southport. She left school at eighteen and began training as a nurse, but moved on to go to work for the YHA. She was one of the pioneer female fell runners, being the first lady to win many of the classic fell races in the late 1970s and early 1980s, some as soon as they allowed women to enter. She had been inspired by seeing Joss Naylor out running on the fells when she worked at the YHA at Wasdale.

In 1979 a female Fell Runner of the Year contest was instigated, and Pauline was the winner of the second title in 1980. Pauline then had a couple of years of injuries and operations, including issues with a bunion and a heel spur.

She came back in 1984 to have another go at the British Fell championships (as it was now called), managing to win it that year and again in 1985, giving her three titles in total. In 1984 she won 10 out of 10 of her championship counters, sealing it with her win at the Ben Nevis race.

Pauline married fellow fell running icon Kenny Stuart at the end of 1985. They swept all before them in 1984/85, winning many doubles at races, and uniquely it is the only occasion that male and female British championships were BOTH retained in successive seasons.

She won the Snowdon race three times (in 1980, 1984, 1985), setting records each time. The 1985 Snowdon time (which has subsequently been beaten) was 1-20-29. Pauline had also set the course record for the Ben Nevis race on 1 September 1984, with a time of 1-43-25, which stood for 34 years before being broken by 24 seconds by Victoria Wilkinson in 2018.

As well as these notable course records Pauline set new marks in the 1984 season at the fell races at: Fairfield, Borrowdale, Latrigg (which lasted 21 years), Three Shires and Dunnerdale.

Pauline competed in the first World Cup of Mountain Running, in San Viglio in 1985, finishing a creditable 9th, despite feeling sick (not knowing that she was pregnant).