Anthony Gay

Anthony Gay is host of the Run The Business podcast, a weekly show that explores the place where running and leadership come together. With a different guest each week, Ant finds out how running can help us with leading, connecting with people, and generally being better in business.

Ant has a keen interest in both spaces having co-founded Reel2Media, an award-winning creative audio business specialising in sonic branding. He is also Managing Director of ReelWorld, a global leader in radio branding responsible for shaping the sound of the world’s biggest radio stations includes Capital, Heart, and BBC Radio 1.

Running has been in his blood since those cold winter morning cross country runs at school. A regular park runner, he gets involved at all distances and particularly enjoys trail runs in the Lake District. Last year he was a top ten finisher in the 135-mile Ring o’ Fire in Anglesey. He includes the New York Marathon as one of his favourite days out.

Jordan Foster

Jordan is an inspiration to many and when it comes to running, not many have been on a journey like Jordan.  From running her first half marathon in over 2 hours to now regularly achieving sub 90’s, Jordan knows what it takes to improve at every distance within running.

Some of her key achievements include winning the Ultra X Jordan 250km race and getting a sub 3 after having her daughter Grace meaning she had to start on a couch to 5k plan which quickly turned into a couch to sub 3 hour marathon plan.

When it comes to getting results, Jordan knows how to help people of all abilities get them.  One of the many reasons why Coopah provides a PB guarantee or your money back!

James Thie

James is one of our head Coopah coaches, as well as a senior lecturer and Performance advisor for Athletics at Cardiff Metropolitan University. A former International middle-distance runner, who was a finalist at World, European and Commonwealth championships. To add to this, a multiple British champion and sub 4 minute miler both indoors and outdoors. Not done with running into his 40’s, he’s a 4  World masters champion & recent World masters record breaker.

In 2008, James started coaching through his first athlete, David Bishop, who would go on in 2014 to run for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games and run a 3:56 Mile and 3:37 for 1500m. Since then successes have ranged from distances at and between 800m to 50km, with 15 Great British Internationals and taking various National titles and records.

With recent successes including Hannah Iriwn’s 71:03 Northern Ireland Half marathon record. These performances led to being named 2017 BMC coach of year and Welsh Athletics awards in 2018 and 2020. A Great Britain team staff for 2020 Olympics, 2022 World championships, 2022 Commonwealth Games, World and European indoors, World Juniors, European U20’s and European U23’s Championships. As well as currently completing his Doctorate in Sport Coaching.

Anya Culling

Anya is a Lululemon sponsored runner and has represented England over the marathon distance. She only took up running properly in lockdown which saw her go from a marathon time of 4hrs 34 mins in 2019 to a current PB of 2hrs 34 mins, knocking off 2hrs.

She has her sights set on the 2026 Commonwealth Games. She is a qualified LIRF coach and loves coaching, living to show anything is possible and it’s never too late to start! She is a lover of all sports particularly hockey and cricket which she has also competed in at a county level.

Beth Potter

Beth competed at the Rio 2016 Olympics in the 10,000m before relocating to Leeds to pursue a career in Triathlon. Beth went on to win Gold at the European Championships and Bronze in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022. More recently, she set an unofficial road 5km World Record and has multiple World Triathlon Championship Series Medals. She is aiming to compete in the Paris Olympic Games 2024.

Beth is also a fully qualified Physics Teacher and taught in London for 3 years before going full time with sport. She has a degree in Physics from Loughborough University. As well as sport, Beth enjoys cooking and long walks with her very energetic cocker spaniel, Charlie.

Nicky Spinks

Nicky started running in 2001 and quickly moved from road to trails, then the fells. Joining Penistone Footpath Runners & AC in 2002 opened up all the possibilities for her. In 2005 she completed the Bob Graham, a 24 hour challenge in the Lake District of 66 miles and 42 tops, with 28,000’ ascent. Nicky progressed onto the Paddy Buckley Round and the Charlie Ramsay round. Then Nicky looked at 100 mile races and found she could excel at these winning the Grand Raid Pyrenees twice, the Ultra Tour Monta Rosa and coming 11^th in UTMB twice. Realising she was getting faster Nicky turned her eye back to the rounds and broke the Ladies Lake District record (an extended BG) adding two peaks and completing 64 Peaks in 23.15 hours. And then went on to break the records on all three British 24 hours rounds with BG 18.06, Paddy 19.02 and Ramsay 19.39 hours. Nicky also got an entry in to the formidable Barkley Marathons and has achieved one loop in 2019 and two loops in 2023. One of her favourite races is the Tor des Geants where she was placed 10^th in 2019 and 3^rd in 2021.

Nicky retired from farming in Yorkshire in 2022 and now lives in South Ayrshire with her husband and three dogs.

David Birtwistle

David Birtwistle is a personal trainer & fitness Entrepreneur with over 12 years’ experience helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Based in London, David is a keen traveller, and inspires, motivates and educates his audience to live a full and active lifestyle through daily Instagram and TikTok content.

Alongside his social presence, Entrepreneur David runs his personal online coaching company, Endeavour Life with a team of elite Personal Trainers, helping clients all around the globe through a combination of bespoke food, movement and mindset coaching.

A self-taught business man, David also helps other PT’s start and grow their online businesses through his business mentorship program.

Priya Gopaldas

Dr Priya Gopaldas is an NHS doctor and ultramarathon runner. Priya, a former Love Islander, graduated as a doctor this year and works on many NHS health campaigns.

Dr Priya is passionate about fitness and running and loves to take part in endurance and ultra marathons – recently completing a 250km ultra-marathon in Sri Lanka raising money for the NHS.

In early 2022 Priya revealed she suffers with a chronic lung condition “Bronchiectasis” but says that running helps her combat symptoms. Priya is now an ambassador of Lung and Asthma UK to spread awareness about lung illnesses such as hers.

Emma Campbell

Emma Campbell is an author, speaker and host of the podcast, Open. 

She’s known on social media as @limitless_em  –  a handle she adopted after her third cancer diagnosis in 2019 to serve as a daily reminder to herself and others that we all have limitless potential, despite the challenges we may face.

It was around this time that Emma found a new love for running and it very quickly became an incredible way of her emotionally managing yet another challenging time and also, a positive way of seeing her body work for her, despite needing new cancer treatment and two major operations. 

She ran the London Marathon in 2020 and 2021 –  fundraising on both occasions for the Royal Marsden Hospital where she continues to have her treatment. She’s also run the Vitality 10K in her underwear as part of the Celebrate You wave, the Great South Run and Race For Life.

Emma is happiest when she’s out on her regular early morning 5 and 10K’s around her local park and along the river –  that’s when the gratitude dial is high and she really does feel limitless and very lucky to be alive. 

Richard Whitehead MBE

Richard Whitehead MBE won his first world title at the World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand – and that title was quickly followed by European and Paralympic gold in 2012.

He went on to retain his T42 200m world title in 2013 before embarking on a charity expedition, which saw him run 40 marathons in 40 days. In doing so, Richard became the first double leg amputee to run the length of the country.

He broke the world record on his way to another world title at Doha 2015 and in 2016 he claimed double sprint gold at the European Championships before heading to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games where he defended his 200m title and tied for 100m silver. At the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games he claimed silver in the T61 200m.

At the 2017 World Championships in London, he won 200m gold and 100m bronze. Further success came his way in 2018 with T61 200m gold at the European Championships in Berlin, Germany, followed by silver at the 2019 World Championships.

Richard recently launched The Richard Whitehead Foundation, which aims to inspire and tackle the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing sport and being engaged in their community.

He completed his 77th marathon recently following this year’s London Marathon.

He was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List.

Shane Ohly

Shane Ohly is a former professional climber and elite mountain runner who has turned his lifelong passion for adventures in the mountains into a career through his business Ourea Events. Ourea Events are widely acknowledged as the gold standard operator, and they organise some of the UK’s most famous off road events including Salomon Skyline Scotland® and the Montane Dragon’s Back Race®. His fusion of mountain running, and free solo climbing have led to extraordinary personal achievements such as the recent Lake District Classic Rock record.

Robbie Britton

Robbie Britton is an ultra-endurance coach and athlete who holds the British record for 24hr running with 277.4km (or 172.3 miles).

With an MSc in Performance Coaching and a PgDip in Sports Nutrition, Robbie has supported some of the best road and trail athletes at races across the world. Author of 1001 Running Tips: the essential running guide.

Arj Thiruchelvam

Arj Thiruchelvam studied at Loughborough and trained as a Decathlete before becoming a top running and performance coach. He applies his own scientific model to help novices up to Team GB Olympians across all distances to keep smashing their personal bests.

A qualified UK Athletics Sprint & Jumps Coach who has co-designed Degree programmes, Arj provides clear fitness & nutrition guidance utilising the latest scientific research.

Arj is the founder of Performance Physique, a Solihull based coaching company. He can regularly be found talking about running, training and nutrition on the radio, TV and in national magazines and newspapers.

Adrienne Herbert

Adrienne is a performance wellbeing coach, podcast host & author. Her weekly podcast ‘Power Hour’ has reached more than 3.5 million downloads.

Adrienne delivers workshops and keynotes for brands such as Google, Barclays & Uber, to educate and motivate their employees to perform at their best in work and life. She is also a brand advisor specialising in digital wellbeing, technology, and innovation.

Adrienne is an endurance runner and has completed more than 20 endurance races around the world.

Jamie Baulch

Esteemed sportsman Jamie Baulch is best known as an influential sprint athlete and sports speaker, who features at events up and down the country. Over the course of his career, Jamie has secured a number of prestigious awards, and developed strategies to achieve peak performance, mental resilience and sporting success. As a speaker, the athlete is likeable and passionate, easily engaging with audiences of all demographics. Upon making his debut in 1991, at the Spanish competition Junior International in Salamanca, Jamie won the 200 metres – in doing so, he broke the Welsh record.

From there he moved to 400 metre racing, positioning himself as a highly promising athlete due to his unflinching determination. In 1999, Jamie won the 400 metre gold medal at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Japan, despite his youth. As a speaker, Jamie explores the pressures of sporting success, discussing his experience as a gold-medal winning athlete and the expectations that came hand in hand.

Over the course of his career, Jamie has earned numerous high profile accolades, including 4 gold medals, 4 silver medals and 1 bronze. Whilst representing his country, Great Britain, he secured silver at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, as well as silver in the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002, representing Wales. Jamie earned gold medals in 1997, 1999, 1998 and 2002, at the World Athletics Championships, World Indoor Athletics Championships and the European Athletics Championships. After moving away from athletics, Jamie turned to media. Between 1999 and 2003, he appeared in Energize!, A Question of Sport, and Superstars. Jamie retired from professional athletics in 2005, he used his experience of sport to set up a business in sports management. Additionally, he founded a sports memorabilia company, and a business that connected sports personalities with school events.

With just over a decade of sporting experience, it is no surprise that Jamie has coached a number of teams, including Bradford Bulls Rugby League Club as their sprint expert. Jamie is the perfect event host for fundraisers and charity evenings, as he is personally committed to a number of charities – the two main charities being Ty Hafan and Barnardos. Both charities for children and young adults, Jamie even ran the 2011 London Marathon for Barnardos. As a speaker, he is dedicated to raising money for charity and offering strategies to maximise sporting success. As an expert in self belief, Jamie can discuss his journey to sporting prowess thanks to his resilience and determination.

Elsey Davis

I am a professional trail runner for The North Face. My career began in road running with a marathon PB of 2.33 marathon. I’m currently living in Cornwall with my wife working as a GP trainee.

David Weir

David Weir is one of the most successful and celebrated Para athletes in the history of the sport having made his Paralympic debut at Atlanta 1996.

He has since gone on to win ten Paralympic medals – including six golds – although he missed out on the podium at Rio 2016.

The Arsenal fan’s crowning moment came on home soil at London 2012, where he conquered a gruelling schedule of seven races in 10 days totalling 35.3 miles to win four gold medals – the T54 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon.

The British capital is a happy hunting ground for the ‘Weirwolf’, who has won a record-breaking eight London Marathon titles from 21 races.

Pete Cooper

Pete Cooper is the Co-Founder of Coopah – a coaching app on a mission to make run coaching affordable and accessible. After the lost of Pete’s Mum and close friend, Pete turned to running which saved his life. Frustrated with the cost of personal coaching and old school PDF’s, Pete set out to make running accessible for everyone. Coopah has helped over 3,000 runners hit their PBs in 2022. Coopah mean it when they say they want to make running accessible to everyone which is why they launched their refugee run club. A run club to help refugees integrate with society whilst getting access to a lifetime of coaching from Coopah. A recent graduate went from never running before to running a 1:18 half marathon and 3:02 marathon in just 5 months.

When it comes to running, Pete was the first runner globally to set the trend of running a marathon in lockdown. When having to quarantine for 14 days, he decided to run 5250 laps of his Hong Kong flat which went viral and inspired 100s of others to find ways to run a marathon in lockdown. Pete did this to talk about his mental health journey and let others know that they weren’t alone.

Kirk Bowyer

Prior to founding Mini Athletics, Kirk worked with elite athletes in various different sports as a strength and conditioning coach. He worked with many professional teams and athletes from football to tennis, formula one racing drivers to Olympians. His role was to improve performance through physical training and prevent injury.

When Kirk and Clare’s son reached 2 years old (in 2016), they wanted to take him to a sporting class but noticed there were very limited options. There were countless soccer and rugby classes but nothing that really tapped into the concept of what children enjoyed the most i.e running, jumping and throwing. In addition, they wanted children to have a magical and imaginative experience of sport. They knew that the first experience of sport should be something they remember for the rest of their life and go onto lead active, healthy lives. As a result, Kirk gave up his job as a strength and conditioning coach and co-founded (alongside Clare), Mini Athletics.

They completed a pilot year in their home city of Cambridge to prove the model. They then sold their first franchise in 2017. Since then, the infrastructure of head-quarters has grown and the franchise network has expanded to 33 franchisees across the UK and 2 master franchises in Ireland and the UAE. They have thousands of children in their program every week and are about to expand into the USA in 2023.

Colin Jackson CBE

Great Britain’s Legendary Hurdler, Multiple Gold Medallist & World Record Holder, Broadcaster

Records / Achievements

• 1988 Olympic Silver Medallist – Seoul Olympic Games in 110m Hurdles
• 1993 & 1999 Gold Medallist – World Championships in 110m Hurdles
• Set 7 European, 8 Commonwealth, 9 UK records for 110m Hurdles
• Former World Record Holder 12.91 seconds in Stuttgart 1993 for 13 years
• Current World Indoor Record Holder 7.30 seconds in Sindelfingen 1994
• 2005 Finalist on Strictly Come Dancing, ITV1’s Dancing on Ice Goes Gold
• 2013 Founded ‘Go Dad Run’ campaign in aid of Prostate Cancer, hosted at venues nationwide

2014 Race Director for ‘Red Bull: Wings for Life’ events worldwide

Following his retirement in 2003, Colin was a natural choice to become one of the key members of the BBC’s sports production team and he continues to cover all of their Athletics output. Covering the Athens Olympics was obviously a highlight early in his broadcasting career and since then he has been an integral part of the BBC programming for all major athletic events, including the London Olympic Games in 2012 and the Rio Games in 2016.

Colin co-hosted the BBC One live morning show Sunday Life for its duration during 2008 and also filmed The Truth About You for BBC One, a documentary looking at the science behind his body, brain and success. Colin traced his roots in a moving episode of BBC One’s highly acclaimed, Who Do You Think You Are and dazzled us all with his dancing skills on Strictly Come Dancing and was thrilled to make it, by public vote, into the final. More recently Colin has honed is ice-skating skills for ITV1’s Dancing on Ice Goes Gold and appeared in the BBC’s 24 Hours in the Past.

Colin works closely with Sport Relief, where he is a member of the steering panel and is also an International Inspiration Ambassador for UNICEF as well as founding and fronting the Go Dad Run campaign for Prostate Cancer. 2014 also saw him take over the role of Race Director for the Red Bull: Wings for Life events worldwide.

Colin’s personable, yet professional approach, combined with his high profile, means that he is in demand from the commercial sector and like his on-screen presentation and commentary Colin is a confident and charismatic conference/awards host and a high level motivational speaker. With an incredible competitive career behind him, he has been extremely well received by numerous audiences including IT Conventions and Business Forums.

Holly Taylor

Holly Taylor is the digital editor of Women’s Running and co-host of the Women’s Running podcast, where she shares her running journey as well as the inspiring stories of women runners all over the country. She’s never been the sporty type, but running is the first time she’s felt real joy in getting active. She loves talking about running as well as all the tough questions that come with it, like whether you can watch reality TV while you cross train and how many packets of crisps can fuel a training run. She’s always up for new challenges and for learning new things, and she’s documenting all of it on the podcast.

Joshua Patterson

Josh is a 4 x World Record holder, who has established himself over the past 6 years as an ultra-athlete, completing world firsts, and breaking several records. Most recently, he was the first person to complete a marathon in all 4 UK countries within 24 hours, and the first to run a marathon in all 76 UK cities consecutively.

He is a trusted broadcaster appearing across all the UK, leading networks in both sport and entertainment and a philanthropist, passionately trying to improve the worlds mental welfare.

David Hellard

David Hellard is an adventurer, obstacle race enthusiast, ultra marathon runner, running journalist, founder of Caffeine Bullet and presenter on The Bad Boy Running Podcast. … In 2016 he finished as the first Brit in the Marathon Des Sables, one of the hardest ultra marathons in the world.

Clare Rafferty

Clare Rafferty is a Strength & Conditioning Coach and Group Exercise Coach Trainer and Coach. She is the Co-Founder of Bulletproof Athletic – the Running Community that specialises in combining strength training with running to help runners of all backgrounds and abilities run stronger and longer. 

Sarah Hartley

I started running at University in 2018, after talking to a friend and us both wondering if we could run 5k in one go. It turned out we could (just about), but we then set ourselves the challenge of getting our time down from 45 minutes to 25, which we did! 4 years later and I’ve stepped up from 5k to 10 and beyond, completing my first marathon in October 2021, and then going on to complete my first ultra at Thailand by UTMB in December 2021. I’ve definitely caught the ultra bug now and have lots more races on my bucket list for the future! I love running because no matter how hard it feels or how long or short the run is, it is guaranteed to put me in a better mood and clear my head. Running has given me the escape I need when life gets hectic and it somehow never gets boring, even after 11 hours out on the mountains, there is fun to be had!

Andy Baddeley

Andy is a two-time Olympian over 1500m and was ranked number one in the world over the mile distance in 2008. He also holds the parkrun world record over 5km at 13:48 and has broken four minutes for the mile in ten different calendar years. In late 2018, Andy co-founded The Running Channel with the goal of supporting and entertaining runners all over the world.

Esther Newman

Esther is the editor of Women’s Running magazine, and the host of the Women’s Running podcast. She is passionate about promoting running as just about the best thing there is, and empowering women to take ownership of their physical and mental wellbeing. Under her guidance, Women’s Running has won numerous awards, including most recently, the IPA PPA Podcast of the year Award, and the IPA PPA Inclusion and Diversity award in recognition of the brand’s commitment to encouraging all people who identify as women, everywhere, to run.

Anna Harding

Anna’s a familiar face amongst the running community, as she heads up The Running Channel on YouTube – an online space for runners of all abilities to learn about running and be entertained by running-related challenges, as well as hear about all the latest gear launches. She’s no stranger to races from 5ks right up to multi-stage ultras. Basically, once an idea has been put into her head to do with running, she does it. Like the time her colleagues suggested she run a marathon in her mum’s 20 metre long back garden. That was a LOT of laps!

Vassos Alexander

Vassos Alexander is one of the best known sports presenters in the UK. He’s heard by over a million people every morning as part of the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio. He’s covered seven Olympic Games and commentated on everything from tennis to triathlon, diving to darts. A seasoned endurance runner with a sub-3hr marathon PB, he has completed some of the longest and most gruelling races on earth. And he’s the author of two bestselling books on running, Don’t Stop Me Now and Running Up That Hill

Emma Kirk-Odunubi

Emma Kirk-Odunubi is a Sports Science graduate, Strength and Conditioning coach, and a group-exercise instructor specialising in running.

She has performed advanced gait analysis consultations on thousands of runners over the years; helping them with strengthening post injury, selecting the correct footwear, and running form.

Her mission is to empower runners with her knowledge to harness their optimal inner athlete.

Jenni Falconer

TV and radio presenter Jenni Falconer ran her first marathon in 2009 and was clearly bitten by the running bug as she is now training for her 9th marathon.

Running is a true passion, which is why she created the “run club of the podcast world”, RunPod, where runners unite and chat about that feel-good effect. Guests vary weekly, from Olympians to actors and fellow presenters (and many more),  all with incredible stories to tell and a passion for all things running related.

(Marathon PB: 3:31, half marathon PB: 1:35)

Jody Raynsford

Jody Raynsford is co-host of the Bad Boy Running podcast. A former running journalist, his work has appeared in publications including Men’s Running, The Telegraph and The Independent. He has run over 50 marathons and 30 ultramarathons, including the Marathon des Sables and Transalpine Run. He has temporarily retired from ultrarunning to focus on 5k running.

Anita Bean

Anita Bean is an award-winning registered nutritionist, internationally published author, freelance health writer and former British bodybuilding champion. She specialises in sport and exercise nutrition and is passionate about helping runners improve their performance in training and competition. Her books include The Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition, The Runner’s Cookbook and The Vegan Athlete’s Cookbook. Anita is the nutritionist for the London Marathon.

Iwan Thomas MBE

Iwan Thomas is an Olympic silver medallist and a former European and Commonwealth 400m Champion. He became the fastest  400m British runner after breaking the British Record twenty years ago.

Since retiring from athletics, he is a regular presenter on The One Show and an accomplished live-events presenter, having hosted the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

Susie Chan

Susie Chan is an Endurance Runner, who takes on races of all distances from 1 mile to 100 miles. She is a veteran of several Marathon des Sables, runs 100 mile non-stop races, and through jungles. She has also finished all of the World Marathon Majors.

As well as running, Susie can be found talking about running in interviews, on the radio and in magazines, as well as commentating at races. You can follow Susie Chan,  the “number 1 runner to follow on Instagram” according to Runners World, and her running adventures on social media.

Susie is a Peloton Instructor who is all about helping you be the best version of yourself today.

Keri Wallace

I have been an active fell runner and mountain marathon competitor for over a decade, winning several event categories over the years. I am now the Director and a running guide for Girls on Hills Ltd in Glencoe, Scotland. We offer guided trail/fell running in the Scottish Highlands, and navigation courses – specifically for women,

I am a Summer ML, Rock Climbing Instructor and Fell Running Association trail running guide (FlirF accredited). This year I was part of the UK Skyrunning Team (VK) for the World Championships in Glencoe. I came 6th in the Scafell Skyrace and 12th in the Goretex Transalpine Run (260km/16,000m mountain race across the Alps from Germany to Italy (mixed category). Last year I competed in the Salomon Ring of Steall Skyrace just 10months after the birth of my second child (I am mother two two toddlers). In this respect i’m probably not your ‘average’ female brand ambassador. Through girls on Hills I support and encourage women of all ages, stages of life and levels of ability to embrace explore the hills, equipping them with the confidence and skills necessary to become independent in the mountain environment.

I am also an experienced rock-climber, mountaineer and skier, and have been a serving mountain rescue team member for over 5 years. In my ‘spare time’ I am a freelance outdoor/adventure writer.

Allie Bailey

Allie Bailey is an ultrarunning coach, writer, presenter and ultrarunner. Since 2016 she has run almost 200 marathons and ultra-distance events and has a number of world firsts to her name including coast to coast crossings of Panama, Scotland and Dominica and a 100 mile run across the frozen Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia. She is the only woman to have run across the 138 mile Namib-Nukluft desert in Nambia twice, and was support crew on 2020’s Sport Relief event in the same desert.  In 2019 Allie headed up the first and only all women team to run the entire length of the Outer Hebrides island chain and in 2022 she was named one of the top ten most inspiring female adventure runners in the UK by The Guardian.

A fierce advocate for mental health awareness and inclusivity, Allie is one of the most authentic voices in ultrarunning – her MO is to tell it like it is. “I am just a relatively normal person that goes running loads and likes and adventure” she says. “I spent so many years being completely lost and not knowing what I was really for, suffering from depression, anxiety and feeling completely hopeless. I spent years self-medicating with alcohol and had a number of pretty epic and at times life threatening mental health crises – even when I was running. The ultrarunning community is like no other – find the right crew and you will find your family. If I can inspire just one person to give this stuff a go my job is done. Everyone has this in them, I truly believe that. “

In June 2022 Allie will head up a small team running 1000 miles in just 35 days from Land End to John O’Groats. This world first route will take in some of the UK’s best known trails including the South West Coast Path, The Great Glen Way and The West Highland Way and form the blueprint for Run Britannia, a new race in the Rat Race catalogue of endurance events.  In September 2022 she hopes to complete the Dragons Back race and is currently finishing her first book.

Chris Ford

Hi I am the founder of FORDY RUNS! We represent the everyday runner with an ethos of ultra inclusivity and we pride ourselves on supporting and encouraging runners of all abilities no matter how fast or slow and bringing them all together!

Apart from being a UKA qualified Athletics and Running Coach I am a content creator producing impartial reviews and creating running vlogs on our YouTube Channel. I am also co-host of our popular running podcast The Long Run.

FORDY RUNS is one of the largest affiliated running clubs in England and along with our thriving online communities, we are the home of the everyday runner.

James Dunn

I started running in 2015 when I weighed 20 stone. Running has become not only an avenue for weight loss, a way of mediating my mental health but a fantastic excuse to meet brilliant people and travel the world. Since that day I’ve run 14 marathons in 10 countries and logged a fair few miles along the way and in 2019 I will be running the Marathon des Sables!!

Dame Kelly Holmes

Double Olympic Champion Col. Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (mil) is one of the UK’s most popular athletes, respected throughout the world as a role model and an inspiration. Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes is a role model and an inspiration.

She joined the British Army at 17, serving for over 10 years as a qualified HGV driver and Physical Training Instructor. In 1988 she was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to the armed forces.

During a 12 year international career, Kelly won medals at Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic level, culminating in two Gold Medals at Athens Olympics in 2004 for the 800m and 1500m which cemented her place in history as the first women ever in Great Britain to win two gold medals at the same games. She was honoured with a Damehood in 2005 for services to sport.

Today Kelly is a Global Inspirational Speaker, an award-winning author, an entrepreneur as well as a fitness, wellness, and mental health champion. Kelly is passionate about raising awareness of mental health. Her own experience led her to learn more and to help others. A trained Mental Health First Aider she continues to be President of the charity she founded in 2008, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust – a charity which supports disadvantaged young people using the unique skills of world-class athletes to engage, enable and empower for which she won a Beacon award for philanthropy in 2017.

In 2018 she was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment. Dame Kelly became the first person to be attached to a regular regiment as an Honorary Colonel which was signed off by the Queen.

In 2020 Kelly was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of York to add to 12 others she has received since retiring.