What's the difference between the Wainwrights and the Birketts?

The Wainwrights are the 214 fells given individual chapters in Alfred Wainwright's seven Pictorial Guides. The Birketts are the 541 fell tops over 1,000 feet described in Bill Birkett's Complete Lakeland Fells; there is no formal minimum prominence rule.

How long does it take to complete all 541 Birketts?

There is no standard completion time. The Long Distance Walkers Association keeps a public register of completers, but it does not maintain an official speed record for the round.

Are the Birkett peaks harder to walk than the Wainwrights?

It varies. Many are subsidiary tops reached during longer days, while others involve rough or pathless ground. Pillar Rock is an exposed rock climb, so the LDWA accepts completion claims for the other 540 tops.