Here for the Long Run

This week we're joined by fell running historian and author Steve Chilton for a really interesting conversation about the history, quirks and community behind one of the UK's most unique forms of running. We start by breaking down the difference between fell running, mountain races, mountain ultras and FKTs, and what makes fell running so different - from route choice and navigation to the community feel and low-key nature of the events. We also chat about some of the unusual places you can find fell races taking place. Steve shares his own journey into running, the training lesson that shaped his coaching philosophy, and why he believes training needs to be individual rather than following a one-size-fits-all plan. We also get into the history of women in fell running, navigation skills and tips for getting better at running technical descents. Find Steve's books: https://itsahill.wordpress.com/ Find fell races: https://www.fellrunner.org.uk/races Introductory sessions for women: https://www.girlsonhills.com/ Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week we're joined by Kallum Pritchard to chat about his recent win at Runaway Racing's R86 along the Ridgeway, where he overcame the heat to take the win. We talk through the race, how he adapted his pacing as the day unfolded, and the cooling strategies that worked for him. Kallum also talks honestly about the challenges of balances training around a full-time job, two young children and a part-time master's degree, and the creative ways he squeezes training into everyday life. We look ahead, covering his build towards UTMB's Nice Côte d’Azur event, training for big mountain races while living in London, fuelling for long days out, and the challenges he's expecting on the day. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week we're joined for the second time by the mighty talented (yet incredibly humble) Chris Cope to look back on his impressive win at the Montane Spine Challenger South, before turning our attention to his exciting upcoming challenge – an attempt at the Double Bob Graham Round. A successful attempt would see Chris become the first person with Type 1 diabetes to complete the double. Chris talks us through his Spine race strategy, training, nutrition and diabetes management, including why he's moved away from traditional carb loading and how he's refined his fuelling to support long days in the mountains. We also discuss recovering quickly from big races, preparing for 48 hours on the fells, and the huge logistical challenge of organising a Double Bob Graham attempt with a team of pacers and supporters. To sponsor Chris' double Bob Graham attempt in aid of Diabetes UK click here with many thanks from Chris, Amie and I in advance for any donations. Code 'CHRIS10' for 10% off at V oom nutrition Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week Jon and Amie, Neil and Hannah, sit down to debrief Jon's South Downs Way 100, taking a look at the planning, crewing and pacing strategies that helped make the day a success. We review what worked, what didn't, and the lessons learned from managing nutrition, hydration, heat, diabetes, chafing, and the inevitable highs and lows of a 24-hour effort. We discuss the role played by Jon's crew and pacers, why good communication can be one of the most powerful performance tools in an ultra, and how small logistical details can make a big difference over 100 miles. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

We can't tell you how much we *loved* speaking to Jan and Rob this week. Inspiring, genuine, warm and full of love for the trails; we hear how Jan and Rob prepare for and complete ultramarathons on a near weekly basis. Jan recently become the first V70 woman to finish the Thames Path 100, and went on to complete the Ridgeway R86 in under 25 hours a few weeks later, also coming out on top as the first FV70 finisher. We hear how Jan battled heat, blisters, GI issues and cut offs in both races. Jan and Rob share their approach to strength training, recovery, nutrition and pacing, during a busy summer of ultras. There's no excuse not to get after it when listening to these two! Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

In this week's episode, Kevin Brady joins us to tell us about his latest adventure, Wantage2Westminster, 80 miles along the Ridgeway, Thames Path and through the sights of London. Six months in the planning, Kevin tells us about where the idea came from, the logistics of creating his own epic adventure, training, and how a super crew and pacing team came together to help Kevin complete the journey in hot conditions. All donations welcome in support of MS Trust: https://www.justgiving.com/page/wantage2westminster Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week Jon and Amie cover their recent adventure in the Lake District, the George Fisher Tea Round. A bucket list challenge! Hear how Jon and Amie, and George the dog, approached the ~32 mile, 12,000ft adventure over two days. What they packed? How they accessed water? The scary bits! What a reverse round meant? and whether they made it! Get the full experience of adventuring in the Lakes with Jon and Amie recording live from the campsite with the atmospheric rain falling. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week we’re joined again by Joe Turner to talk about his build towards the South Downs Way 100, and the lessons he learned during a recent DNF at the Anglo-Celtic Plate 100k. Joe reflects honestly on what went wrong during a brutally hot day that ended at 85k, how he’s changed his approach heading into SDW100, and why patience will be the key theme of his race strategy this time around. We chat about training around life with a new baby, adapting to hill training while living in flat Cambridge, back-to-basics strength work for ultras, crew planning, cooling strategies, and using continuous glucose monitoring to better understand fueling and performance. Alongside his own racing, Joe also talks about launching his new running coaching venture, supporting runners with a practical, long-term approach shaped by his own experiences in endurance sport. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week we’re joined by Nat Taylor to talk about her recent experience setting the new Dragon's Back Race FKT. Nat completed the 380km route from Conwy Castle to Cardiff Castle in an incredible 75 hours and 39 minutes — taking more than 26 hours off the previous supported FKT record. We chat through the attempt from start to finish, including the huge team effort behind the scenes, pacing through the Welsh mountains, night navigation in the Rhinogs, sleep strategy, fuelling challenges, kit failures, and the mental battle of the final miles into Cardiff. Nat also shares lessons from years of adventure racing and ultra running, why consistency matters more than huge training volume, and how running with friends can completely change an experience like this. A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at an extraordinary performance. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

In this episode Jon and Amie take a practical deep dive into the Chimp Paradox model and how it can be used to create a plan for high-pressure situations, in the context of big races. Using the model’s three systems — the Chimp, Human and Computer — Jon works through a real example based on his build towards the South Downs Way 100 in June, creating a five-step mental preparation plan for race day. The plan includes anticipating difficult thoughts and emotions before they happen, understanding what your brain is trying to protect you from, reconnecting with your values and intentions, and building practical strategies to stay present when things get tough. Although the conversation is centred around ultra running, the ideas are designed to be applied to any high-pressure situation, whether that’s racing, work, public speaking, or everyday challenges. We hope you find this a really practical approach to doing the mental preparation which is so important for your race or big challenge. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week Graham returns to the podcast to talk through his experience at the Centurion Thames Path 100, his first attempt at the 100 mile distance. From a fast start and early confidence, to stomach issues, snapped poles, pizza-fuelled revivals, torrential rain, cold night miles and the mental battle that comes deep into an ultra, we follow the race from start to finish. Although the day ended in a DNF after 80 miles, this episode is an honest reflection on what it really feels like to push yourself to the limit in a first 100 miler - and the role friends, crew and support play in getting you through the hardest moments. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week's episode explores highs, lows and lessons from a new runner. We’re joined by Michelle Sinclair, who started running only 13 months ago. We chat about her “why” for getting started, the benefits she's found from it and how she’s approached training — from 5K and 10K plans through to training for her first half marathon — and what’s worked along the way. We also get into the story of a friendly (but very real) rivalry with her husband, Kevin, which led to a bold bet at the White Horse Half Marathon… complete with a 30-minute head start. Did she beat him? You’ll have to listen to find out. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week Jon and Amie catch up on Jon’s training as he builds towards his A-race for the year — the South Downs Way 100. They chat about managing niggles, improving balance, and making more sustainable shoe choices, as well as their new treadmill set-up to help build endurance, add climbing, and better replicate race conditions. There’s also a conversation around the mindset work they’ve both been exploring, learning how to understand themselves better and respond more effectively to the inevitable challenges and setbacks that come with training for big races. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week we’re joined by good friends and seasoned runners Kathryn and Paul to chat about their journeys into long distance running. For Paul, that journey led all the way to the Dragon 100 Mile Ultra, a tough race across South Wales from Worm’s Head to Cardiff Bay, and he shares some honest reflections on the highs, lows, and lessons from the experience. We also talk about the value of local races, supporting smaller event organisers, and their long-standing involvement in parkrun, where Kathryn has volunteered (and race directed) over 250 times. They give lots of practical advice — from Paul’s tips for training towards long distance events, to Kathryn’s insights on crewing ultras — and we explore what keeps them coming back for more. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This week Jon and Amie are joined by Master Mindset and Resilience Coach Lucy Wooldridge to explore the mental side of endurance sport. They talk about creating an “ultra-ego”, a powerful running identity you can tap into when things get tough, and how this can help you access confidence, resilience and belief during big races. The conversation dives into what resilience really means (spoiler: it’s not just pushing through), practical ways to reset your nervous system when things start to spiral mid-race, and why your “why” can be both a powerful motivator and a potential source of pressure. If you’ve ever wondered how to stay calm, adaptable and mentally strong when races get tough, this episode is full of practical ideas you can try, both in training and on race day. You can find out more about Lucy's work or get in touch here: https://www.resiliencewithlucy.co.uk lucywcoaching@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

Jon and Amie are rejoined on the podcast by Graham, to talk about his experience running Centurion's Hundred Hills 50k last weekend, as part of his build towards the Thames Path 100 – his first attempt at the 100 mile distance. As part of the training block, Graham used Hundred Hills as a key race rehearsal, deliberately running it on tired legs to simulate the later miles of a hundred, and carrying equivalent race kit. The event turned into a perfect testing ground for pacing, poles, nutrition and mindset. Graham and Jon - who was also participated in the race - chat through what worked, what didn’t (including a liquid-fuel experiment that didn’t quite go to plan), and the small tweaks that can make a big difference later in a race. We also chat about what the rest of Graham's training block looks like, and how he's feeling about the prospect of his longest race to date. If you're curious about how runners prepare for their first 100-miler, this conversation gives a behind the scenes look at the process. We hope you enjoy it! Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

With marathon season just around the corner, Amie and Jon sit down to chat all about preparing for your first marathon or ultra. We pull together some of the best tips and lessons we've picked up from recent conversations with guests on the pod (along with a few things we've learned the hard way ourselves!). From race day logistics and fuelling strategies, to thinking about event nerves and atmosphere, this episode is all about the small things that can make a big difference on the day. We also talk about the mental side of long races, like preparing simple mantras for different stages of the run and how to stay calm when things get tough. Whether you're lining up for your first marathon or tackling an ultra, we hope this episode will provide some practical advice to help you feel more prepared. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

In this episode, we chat with Lizzie Gatherer about her recent 'ballsy' 70-mile fundraising challenge for Prostate Cancer UK, following her father-in-law's recent recovery. We also talk about another powerful “why” during her fundraising run — carrying a stone for a dying patient, which provided an emotional anchor that instantly refocused her during a dark, cold patch. Lizzie shares how she stumbled into ultras in 2019, some of her highlight races, and why her golden rule is simple: if it’s not fun, she’s not doing it. We dip into mindset tactics, including creative reframing; transforming annoying noises as cheering crowds, something Lizzie says is at the heart of her successes. Lizzie opens up about her recovery strategy too — strength training, collagen, magnesium, physio and yoga. And we couldn't leave the conversation without finding out more about some of Lizzie's Backyard Ultra experiences, including an amazing 50 yards at Sherwood Pines, battling extreme sleep deprivation. We also look ahead to her huge goal at this year's Backyard Ultra: 100 yards. More below on how to enjoy Lizzie's discounts: 🧡 Strava Pro - get 20% off premium subscription 💪 Protein Rebel 15% off first order with LizzieG15 🕶 Kyloe in the Wild - 15% off with LizzieG15 Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

In this episode, we chat with Chris Cope about ultrarunning at the sharp end, all while managing Type 1 Diabetes. Chris shares the challenges of stress-induced insulin resistance in multi-day racing, and how moving to a closed-loop system has been a total game-changer for his glucose control, performance and recovery. We get into Chris' fuelling strategy: separating carbs from fluids to avoid gut issues. We also talk about how being forced to be methodical with nutrition can provide some competitive advantage. Chris walks us through some of his race highlights, including his 2024 Summer Spine win, and reflects honestly on his recent Winter Spine DNF following a heavy fall on his knee near Hebden Bridge. He reflects on going out hot in the snow, and provides a useful reminder that in ultras, starting “embarrassingly easy” is usually the right call. Easy to say...harder to do. We run through his strength training approach and philosophy, and take a look at what’s next in the race calendar - UTS 100, a 24-hour track race, and a return to the Winter Spine for redemption. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show

This episode covers everything Comrades Marathon 🇿🇦 We were lucky to sit down with Jan, four times finisher of the event, which is the world's oldest ultramarathon. Jan painted an amazing picture of the race for us, its history and traditions, the friendship and community that surrounds it, and what drew her back again and again. She also shares tips from her experience, for anyone thinking about taking on the race. Send us Fan Mail This episode is sponsored by Empowered2. Most businesses significantly underinvest in leadership development. Leadership development should be bespoke and appropriate for the needs of your business, adding value by improving the performance of everyone involved with immediately deployable tools and techniques. Jon helps organisations serious about creating high performing leaders and organisations to create meaningful, memorable and lasting leadership legacy. Support the show