UKRunChat

WIN a copy of @PaulTonkinson’s new book Running Through Sand along with a Beginner Trail Bundle from Harrier Trail Running worth £85. Join Paul as he takes on the toughest footrace on Earth, the Marathon des Sables. While training for the event, calves explode, tendons pop, knees disintegrate. Years come and go, time seems to be running out as the race seems an impossible dream and then, in 2024 when fitness is finally achieved, a freak accident. Paul is run over by dogs, hospitalised, all hope is lost… Spring 2025, the planets align. Tonkinson snags entry to MDS, two months till race time. It’s on – the last hurrah. Get the gear down from the attic, apply the toe jelly and find that mandatory whistle. With such little time to train, he can’t compete any more that’s for sure. So the question is more basic: can he possibly finish? Along with the book, kickstart your own trail running journey with the Beginner Trail Bundle from Harrier Trail Running. Equipped with essential gear like a race vest, soft bottles, and a mini first aid kit, this bundle has everything you need to take on the trails. By entering you agree that your email address will be added to both the UKRunChat and Bloomsbury databases. We will have one winner who will be chosen at random on Sunday June 28th. Enter now: ukrunchat.co.uk/competition100/ @BloomsburySport

Sunday long run workout 5 x 2 miles @ half marathon pace 1 mile recoveries 15 miles in total #ukrunchat @UKRunChat @Muslim_Runners

Morning miles, sunshine and good vibes. 11k block run complete ☀️✨ #sundayrunday #ukrunchat #runningmotivation

A challenging, very warm, very hilly (hills, hills and big long epic hills) Run the Blades HM at whitelee wind farm. My first RTB HM, possibly last 😄. 🥵🌞🏃🏻‍♂️🙂 #Running #HalfMarathon #HillsHillsHills #WarmRun #Midges #Strava #Runna @UKRunChat

30k practice run yesterday covering the middle section of September's Salmon Run ultra. Soaked my hat in the River Exe at every opportunity to cool down 🔥 and had a VERY welcome 5 minute beer and crisps stop at the Exeter Inn, Thorverton. #Devon #UKRUNCHAT #Running @UKRunChat

Fab weekend in Greenwich with running buddies, taking in Greenwich Peninsula @parkrunUK. Managed a run/walk which felt good 💚🏃‍♀️ 4 walks, 3.1 runs, YTD 720.3 #NHS1000miles @UKRunChat

1000 miles YTD! Made it to the 1K for the 8th time. After a disappointing 2025 it's great to get the consistency back. @UKRunChat @runningpunks

The Royal Parks Half Marathon has a new headline sponsor. Sportswear brand Oysho will partner with one of the UK's most popular half marathons, providing this year's finisher T-shirts and supporting community events and training runs in the build-up to race day. With more than 18,000 runners taking part each year and over £80 million raised for charity since the event began, the Royal Parks Half remains one of the highlights of the autumn racing calendar. 💬 Are you running Royal Parks this year? We'd love to hear who you're fundraising for, or whether you're chasing a PB! 👇

⛰️ Under 30 hours. On one of Europe's toughest trails. François D'Haene has reclaimed the fastest known time on the legendary GR20 in Corsica, covering around 180km with nearly 13,000m of climbing in an astonishing 29 hours, 46 minutes. The four-time UTMB champion is the first person ever to complete the GR20 in under 30 hours, ten years after first setting the record on the route. The GR20 is widely considered one of the hardest long-distance trails in Europe, with technical mountain terrain, relentless climbing and little room for error. 💬 Would you ever take on the GR20, or is this one best left to the pros?

The stars are coming to London! Olympic champions, world record holders and Britain's biggest athletics names will all be in action at the Novuna London Athletics Meet this Saturday. Watch out for: ⭐ Keely Hodgkinson ⭐ Josh Kerr (going after the mile world record 👀) ⭐Dina Asher-Smith ⭐Zharnel Hughes ⭐ Mondo Duplantis ⭐ Julien Alfred ⭐ Letsile Tebogo Add in a fantastic para athletics programme and one of the best atmospheres on the Diamond League circuit, and it's shaping up to be one of the athletics highlights of the summer. 💬 Which event are you most excited to watch?

A wee taper 2 miles (3.7 mile total) in King's Lynn. Easy week before Run The Blades Half Marathon on Sunday. 🏃🏻‍♂️🙂 #Running #KingsLynn #England #Run #Strava #Runna @UKRunChat

"I will walk with my hands bound I will walk with my face blood I will walk with my shadow flag Into your garden Garden of stone" #reasonstorun @UKRunChat @runningpunks

Monday Miles in the bag, absolutely loving my legs right now feeling very consistent & strong 😀😀😀 @UKRunChat #eveningrun #cousins

🎙️ This week on the UKRunChat Podcast we're joined by Alex Feechan founder of @FINDRAclothing to chat about how women's outdoor clothing has changed over the last decade, why so much kit has historically been designed around men, and why listening to women is the key to creating better products. We talk about confidence, representation, the barriers that stop women getting outdoors, and why something as simple as comfortable leggings can make the difference between heading out for a run, or staying at home. 🎧 Links to listen: Spotify: shorturl.at/Pmtre Apple: apple.co/3fiJ0mJ Web: zencastr.com/z/Pg8L6QBb 👇 We'd love to know. What's the biggest frustration you've had with women's running kit? #ukrunchat

Still mainly gym bike and leg strength for me - plantar fasciitis is a bit of a bugger 😬🤦‍♀️ I will definitely have stronger legs when I do get back to running though! A 5km walk in the sunshine perked me up a bit this afternoon 😎 5.3 walks, YTD 713.1 #NHS1000miles @UKRunChat

This is my view of Saturday's #GravesParkparkrun 2 very leg draining hilly laps around the park, all on tarmac paths with views of the peak district and alpacas @Gravesparkrun #runner #running #5k #parkrun @parkrun @UKRunChat youtu.be/vOTOLTl8QB4

@UKRunChat Absolutely gutted ( ignore the smile.) Went for a check up on my dislocated/ fractured shoulder, this morning. I’m booked in for an operation on Wednesday to realign joint and reposition muscles etc. No wonder I’m in such pain. No running for me for a while.🙁

Trail running in the UK continues to grow, and the Altra 13 Valleys Ultra is reporting a significant increase in entries ahead of this September’s race. Taking place in the Lake District on 27 September, the event has seen registrations rise by more than 60% compared with last year, with overall participation expected to increase by 67%. Several of the longer-distance events have also already sold out for 2026, highlighting the continued demand for trail and ultra-running events in the UK. Based in Keswick, the event offers four distances ranging from 22km to 180km, taking runners through some of the Lake District National Park’s most recognisable landscapes. While the headline ultra distances attract experienced endurance runners, organisers say the shortest option—the 2 Valleys 22km—has become increasingly popular with runners looking to make the transition from road running to trails. Unlike many fell races, the route combines roads, tracks and trails, making it a more accessible introduction to off-road running. An eight-hour cut-off also means walkers are welcome alongside runners. For more experienced athletes, the 22km route offers the opportunity to race over a shorter distance while still experiencing the atmosphere of a major trail running event. The continued growth of events such as the Altra 13 Valleys Ultra reflects the wider boom in trail and ultra running across the UK, with more runners looking beyond traditional road races for new challenges in the mountains and countryside. This year’s event takes place on 27 September, with the longer distances already proving particularly popular. Entries for the 22km event remain available.

TV presenter, author and charity founder Katie Piper OBE will be taking part in a significant fundraising challenge this year, joining fellow burns survivors. Piper will take part in this year’s Thames Bridges Trek in London, returning after completing the challenge in 2025, alongside a survivor group from the Katie Piper Foundation. Piper, who founded the Katie Piper Foundation following her own recovery from life-changing burns injuries, will be taking on the challenge with members of the Foundation’s survivor community as they raise funds and awareness for people living with burns and traumatic scarring. Taking place on Saturday 12 September, the Thames Bridges Trek will see thousands of walkers cross the capital on a 25km journey from Putney Bridge to Southwark Park, weaving across 16 of London’s historic bridges and taking in some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The challenge holds particular significance for the charity, which works to ensure that no survivor faces life after burns and trauma alone. Founded in 2009, the Katie Piper Foundation is the UK’s only charity providing a complete rehabilitation pathway that extends beyond NHS acute care, offering specialist physiotherapy, psychological support and personalised rehabilitation programmes for people living with burns and scarring injuries. Speaking ahead of the event, Katie Piper said: “I loved taking part in the Thames Bridges Trek last year. There’s something really special about seeing London from a different perspective, alongside an incredible community of people supporting causes close to their hearts. “I can’t wait to be back this year, especially to walk alongside our amazing survivor group and cheer everyone on along the way.” The Thames Bridges Trek will bring together more than 1,500 participants for a journey across London, beginning at Putney Bridge before heading east across 16 historic crossings of the River Thames. Walkers will stop at The Oval Cricket Ground before completing the final section of the route and crossing Tower Bridge en route to a festival-style finish and picnic celebration in Southwark Park. As well as the 25km challenge, there will be a 10km option, starting from Oval Cricket Ground and ending at Southwark Park. For many members of the Katie Piper Foundation community, taking part represents far more than a physical challenge. Survivors often face long-term physical and emotional recovery after burns and trauma, with confidence, mobility and wellbeing all impacted long after hospital treatment ends. The Foundation supports people at every stage of that journey, whether their injury occurred recently or decades ago, helping them rebuild strength, independence and self-belief through clinically led, trauma-informed rehabilitation. Katie’s participation also forms part of a wider weekend of fundraising challenges across the capital organised by Ultra Challenge, including the Thames Moonlight 10 Walk on the evening of Friday 11 September and the Thames Path Ultra Challenge across 12-13 September, which features distances of up to 100km. As the Thames Bridges Trek returns this autumn, Piper hopes to inspire others to take on the challenge, enjoy a unique view of London and support causes that matter to them.

The Newman Hilly 5 - Elvis race #5 🥵 and a 7 second PB! 👌🏾@ukrunchat @nike @thebhf

Light and (much needed) shade throughout this morning’s early #run 🏃‍♀️ … #Ealing #Hanwell #London #Heatwave @UKRunChat #naturephotography