Table of contents for October - November 2022 in Trail Running

This dish balances a decent hit of protein with a fresh medley of fruit and veg. Ideal for summer evenings. Time: 30 min Servings: 4 Nutrition: 513kcal; 47.7g carbs; 33.3gprotein; 22.6g fat INGREDIENTS ■ 560g sliced roast beef ■ 600g potatoes ■ 4 apples ■ 200g radishes ■ 80g mixed salad ■ 3tbsp cooking oil ■ 1tbsp Dijon mustard ■ 4tbsp lemon juice ■ 1tsp salt ■ 1/4tsp ground black pepper METHOD 1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until done, about 20 minutes. 2. Cut the potatoes in half. 3. Cut the apples and radishes into smaller pieces. 4. Mix olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 5. Toss the salad, potatoes, apples, radish and the dressing in a bowl and serve with roast beef.…

Kristian Morgan set the second fastest-ever time for the Appalachian Trail. His 44d 4hr 54min run of the world’s longest hiking trail was fewer than three days adrift of Karel Sabbe’s 2018 best. Imagine your first 100-miler is the famous Western States endurance race… Now imagine winning said race… That’s exactly what Adam Peterman did! The women’s winner was Ruth Croft, a regular of the world’s biggest ultras. 85 miles of the England Coast Path opened in Essex this summer. The trail, between historic Tilbury and Wallasea Island is the latest addition to the planned 2700 miles of coastal path. Record temperatures through July saw many outdoor spaces, including areas of the Peak District, closed due to wildfire fears. A stark reminder of the climate crisis… A recent review of…

COLUMN Inspiration comes in all forms, but few runners can claim to be quite as influential as Trina Dawkins. Of course, she’s modest about her achievements, but Merrell has recognised everything she has done in just a few short years and wasted no time in inviting her to become part of their ‘Going Out Out’ series that shines a spotlight on three inspirational women who are harnessing the outdoors to help and inspire others. The series draws on themes including mental health, creativity, education, community, and loss, to showcase the power of the outdoors and the long-lasting positive effects of time spent outside. Merrell headed out with Dr Jade Adams White, Trina and Lauren Cook to uncover their stories and find out how they draw strength, inspiration, and a sense…

1 SIGN UP ONLINE Visit run1000miles.co.uk to register. We have special 2022 #Run1000Mile ruffs for you to wear while you complete your challenge. They’re on sale now for £9.99 – so make sure you order yours today. Stock is extremely limited! 2 DO A PLEDGE Visit the website, download the #Run1000Miles pledge, sign it, take a picture of it and post it on social media to commit to the challenge. 3 JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Sign up at facebook.com/groups/run1000miles. You’ll be part of a buzzing community sharing the joys and toils of the experience, boosting you to achieve your aims. 4 FILL IN THE TRACKER Download the mileage tracker from run1000miles.co.uk to record how you’re progressing towards the big 1000. 5 GET SOCIAL Tag your social media posts with #Run1000Miles…

HOLY ISLAND Lindisfarne (also known as Holy Island) is a tidal Island located off the majestic Northumberland coastline in the United Kingdom. This means, if you don’t take note of that day’s tide times, you will find yourself isolated there for six hours until the tide recedes. This may not be such a bad thing if you have a penchant for quirky Island destinations, rich in folklore and complete with medieval castles, historic landscapes and near empty trails. Whilst you’re unlikely to find yourself lost on Lindisafarne (It measures 3 miles (4.8 km) from east to west and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from north to south), there are some trail gems to be experienced, which many of the 650,000 visitors each year fail to discover. SARK Inhabited at various points…

GARDEN OF ENGLAND I can't claim credit for this: my mate from school, Barry is brilliant at discovering new routes – hidden trails, cliff paths, incredible scenery. I love running with him in and round Canterbury as it turns out (where he still lives and where we went to school). What it does show you that even though you've run in one area for more than 40 years there are still trails out there that need discovering. Last time I visited him, we even discovered a whole new forest and that was just 30 minutes into the run. Superb. So stick with those old favourites, but every now and then prepare to be surprised. Turn left instead of right and see what it brings you. You'll be amazed! Paul Larkins…

ASK THE EXPERTS Email tr@bauermedia.co.uk, post on our wall at facebook.com/trailrunningmag or tweet your question to @trailrunningmag MATT BUCK Running coach and founder of Running Adventures. runningadventures.uk STEVE MILLWARD Masters cross country international, owner of Gloucester Sports. gloucestersports.com IAN SHARMAN Four-times Leadville 100 winner and ultra-running coach. sharmanultra.com SIGNE SVANFELDT Nutritionist at Lifesum. lifesum.com COLIN DUFFIELD Coach and run leader with interest in off-road conditioning/technique. togethertrail.co.uk Q How do I find the best running club for me? Tony Anderson, Leighton Buzzard A “Running clubs, like runners come in all shapes and sizes and it’s important to find the right one for you,” says running coach Colin Duffield. “I’d suggest you initially think about what you want from a club. Is it access to coaching? Or a good social scene? Support…

EQUIPMENT On Burbage Moor on the edge of the Peak District, Stuart Hale of running store Accelerate UK is trying to teach me how to use poles for running. He has his work cut out. I don’t do moving and learning at the same time. Ever since getting an F in GCSE PE, I’ve realised I have a real problem following any ‘drills’ that involve trying to act out new motion skills. Running poles are a common sight in ultra races, particularly on the continent, but they do far more than make you look the part. They can make you faster, more efficient and improve your balance. Using poles provided by Black Diamond, Stuart takes a few of us through the basics. The first thing to get right is setting…

It's so exciting planning a trip abroad, especially when it's in Switzerland... although the purse strings might not always agree. One of the best ways to overcome that, of course, is by simply running through Switzerland, but sleeping in Italy! That’s why we chose to run the route of the UTMR – the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa – and what an epic time we had. Choosing what we wear in the Alps is like a lucky dip, but living in Scotland prepares you for all kinds of weathers. The difference with this trip was that, rather than packing our running watches, we decided to try out the Garmin inReach Mini 2. In a nutshell, this gadget is a satphone which works by using satellites, rather than relying on aerials and…

The original Oregon Trail was the route taken by around 500,000 settlers in the middle of the 18th century in what is described as the biggest human migration in history. Starting at Independence Missouri – pretty much the most easterly point of the governed United States in the 1830 - the pioneers travelled 2100 miles, mostly on the promise of free land and a new life in the far west. Others moved to escape religious persecution, while the California gold rush diverted yet thousands more further south. The journey, sometimes in huge trains of scores of wagons, took around six months and was stupendously difficult for man, beast and cart. The route (there were several shortcuts and work-arounds introduced over the years) featured hundreds of miles of parched desert and…

LILY CANTER Can science really help you and is it freely available to mere mortals? p24 TRINA DAWKINS How and why it’s so important to discover the beauty of trail running, p26 JULIEN GILLERON French flair and passion meets the wilds of the Welsh mountains, p36 LYNNE MAXWELL Yes, Geoffrey Chaucer knew a thing or two about trail running, p52 DAMIAN HALL With a bit of thought you too can join in the sustainability movement, p58 JON ALBON Great advice on training for the UTMB by a man who has won it, p70 TRAILRUNNINGMAG.CO.UK /trailrunningmag @trailrunningmag tr@bauermedia.co.uk…

Can’t beet it Apologies for another beetroot juice story, but there is no denying its powerful effects. A recent review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition , which looked at data from 118 studies involving 1872 participants, reported performance-boosting effects were also found in other polyphenol-rich foods such as grapes, French maritime pine, Montmorency cherry and pomegranate. Higher ground The benefits of altitude training are well documented, with some elite athletes training on higher ground for a few weeks to gain an edge before a big race. However, a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise this year hinted that those born at altitude may have an advantage over those who train there for a short period. The Spanish scientists…

the edit Trail running inspiration can take many forms, but few are more portable than the podcast. As one of the quickest growing forms of media, both educating and entertaining millions of listeners worldwide each day, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to tales of the trails. These are the top eight trail running podcasts from every corner of our passionate off-road community... The Checkpoint The Checkpoint is hosted by Black Trail Runners, a group driven to increase both participation and representation of Black people in trail running. The inspirational group welcomes listeners of all backgrounds, inviting a range of guests to ultimately deliver a first-class analysis of recent events. The group has a huge social media presence (which actually featured in the previous issue’s The Edit), so make…

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When Julien Gilleron suggested he’d like to run the UTS Snowdonia by UTMB and almost in the same second Simon James suggested he return to the world of ultras after a seven-year absence with a run in the Verbier St-Bernard by UTMB, a plan started to hatch. Let’s send an Englishman abroad but at the same time let’s invite a Frenchman to Wales. Now that would be fun. We all know about Brits abroad and how we enjoy traditional English fry-ups wherever we are, but do the French insist on croissants et café? There’s only one way to find out! It was an interesting experiment for sure. Let’s say Simon was, as you’d expect, rather reserved about his amazing experience in the mountains. As you’ll read, he politely praised all…

The sun shone through a blue sky on to the small Swiss hamlet of Liddes. Around 500 runners excitedly took their place on the start line of the Verbier Marathon, part of the UTMB World Series. Ahead of us was 4000 metres of climbing and descending over 45km on the most beautiful trails. Everyone knew that from the start it would be up, unrelenting until we reached the summit of Mont Rogneux standing at 3084m high, a 1700m climb from where I was standing. It’s hard to comprehend how the winners would do this route in 5.5 hours. What would that mean for us mere mortals? It’s why distance on mountain trails is intangible; it’s about terrain and vert, and this had a lot of vert! I felt calm, I…

CENTURY CHALLENGE Whether you do it for charity, to celebrate a special birthday, to give yourself a memorable moment or even just to boost your social media status, taking on a challenge is a great way to liven up your training. But you would be surprised what you might find on your doorstep, without having to travel around the country or run ultra-long distances. You probably have lesser-known officially named trails, whether short or long. Or perhaps there is a lake to run around or a canal to traverse. How about running to the next town? Or running to the highest point in your city or county? Paul Halford…

FOOTWEAR: Given the variety of terrain, I wore the Inov-8 X-Talon Ultra 260 V2 for grip on the mountain sections, switching to the Inov-8 TrailFly Ultra G 300 Max for comfort on the flatter sections and roads of legs three, five and six. I I didn’t fall over once! PACK: The Inov-8 Race Ultra Pro 2-in-1 pack allowed me to keep a few snacks and water within easy reach, whilst my support runners carried spare items to save weight. POD DRYBAGS: I separated food and kit into two different drybags, making it easy for support runners to pass around and re-fill them at the road support. TIGHTS: I was glad to layer up with the Inov-8 Race Elite Men's Tights which kept my legs warm through the night. WATCH: I…

The International Trail Running Association recently commissioned a study into the habits of trail runners and it makes for some fascinating reading. More than 9000 runners from more than 100 countries answered all sorts of questions providing deep insight into what makes a trail runner. Some numbers will be controversial – respondents were 82% men, 18% women apparently (whether that’s true for Britain, we’re not so sure), some less so – 56% of us took to the trails to feel in harmony with nature. Most of us will spend between £200-400 on our sport, and almost nobody has a coach. Interesting. In fact, the replies revealed a huge range of numbers that may surprise you. ROAD TRAINING ISN’T SO POPULAR This is great news although probably not too surprising. The…

UTMB races present runners with a dilemma. On the one hand, loads of us would love to run one; they represent the ultimate trail running challenge. But, on the other hand, they are not exactly beginner-friendly! So, when Fatima Painda announced she’s running the UTMB Wildstrubel race with more than 1km of ascent and asked us for help, alarm bells rang. Fatima lives in the East of England, where there are no hills. None. She’s a good road runner and has represented her county at cross country, but really, deep down, she’s a sprinter who loves strength work in the gym and track sessions that last just a few seconds! And she is recovering from ‘long Covid’. This would be a tall order, but one certainly worth pursuing. There’s no…

SEE YOUR FAVOURITE RUN IN PRINT... Do you have a favourite run that you’d like to share with other Trail Running readers? We’d love to hear all about it! Send your route suggestions along to: tr@bauermedia.co.uk Right to roam This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Kinder Mass Trespass. In April 1932, more than 400 people trespassed at Kinder Scout, the highest point in the Peak District, then out-of-bounds to the public. The local press attended, along with the Derbyshire Constabulary. Five men were jailed, but their point had been made. In 1951, the Peak District was designated the UK’s first national park. Nine more followed by the end of the decade, and today there are 15 in total. However, the UK’s national parks are…

Training is always about making individual decisions and creating a routine that works best for you. So, it was easy to understand Damian Hall’s argument about sustainability and how it can form a key part of your own training. As you’ll see (p58) it’s not a massively radical concept, it’s more about fine-tuning your own running life to make that all-important difference. We’ve been looking at this a little deeper this issue and have discovered some positive examples as to how we can all make this work from a running point of view. Buff, the headgear company we all know and love, recently looked at how important the running community can be in this. The Do More Now programme Buff created saw a community of runners come together. From London…

What was the inspiration behind this particular route and attempt? My friend Mo was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago, and has been receiving palliative care from Macmillan. I’ve always wanted to do a running challenge that had some significance, especially given that I’m now 40! We’d talked about it and suggested that raising money for Macmillan was a fantastic reason to do a challenge. I’d researched Macmillan and in doing so, stumbled across a route called the Macmillan Way. It runs from Boston in Lincolnshire to Abbotsbury in Dorset, and I figured, why not run it? How did you prepare? Being the first person to run the route must present a unique challenge! I’d done the obvious prep, like putting in the mileage, and fine-tuning my fuelling, but I…

COLUMN Like many runners I have a tendency to sign up for races without thinking about how I’m actually going to complete them. A multi-day 100km in Romania sounded like too good an experience to miss, so in early 2020 I found myself entering the Ultrabug. I was actually training for a half IronMan at the time, and hating every minute of it. But my eyes lit up when I spotted the chance to run through the Carpathian mountains. I promptly cancelled my IM place and decided ultra running was my new passion. I had accidentally run 30 miles at my first ultra loop event in 2019, having only ever run half marathons before. The realisation that my body had the capacity to go further than I ever thought possible…

TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE#RUN 1000 MILES How close are you getting to the 1000 miles target? It’s been a blisteringly hot summer and, whether that’s good thing or not, our #Run1000Miles community certainly appears to have made the most of it. We scanned the #Run1000Miles Facebook group one Monday morning and found the below plethora of mini-adventures. Summer seems to be the time for exploring the trails and, with just a few weeks of it to go, now is a good time to capitalise and make sure you get into four figures. IT’S A CELEBRATION! In the Lakes for our 30th wedding anniversary. I didn’t run then when we lived here but am gradually making up for that.Kate and Mark Brown UNEXPECTED JOY I entered what I thought would be…

UTMB WORLD SERIES It was Damian Hall who got us all really thinking about the differences we could make. We’d met up in Snowdonia to take a look at the Welsh UTMB World Series course. I'd driven there. Damian, on the other hand, had taken the train and then car-shared with Nicky Spinks. “It’s not much,” he happily concedes. “But imagine if we all started to do that.” Races like the UTMB have a massive role to play and are doing good things. Always an organisation that has care for the environment uppermost on its agenda, it continues – like Damian – to make a difference. Let’s join them! Paul Larkins…

UTMB WORLD SERIES It's Sunday morning, and despite the 27km race being due to start in less than 30 minutes, the vibe in the town of Verbier is chilled. I’m typically a nervous racer, and the less something feels like a high-pressure race, the better for me. This was my first ever mountain race, and I should have put more thought into a strategy. By my estimate over half the runners are already walking by the time we're on the first hill. I push past in a slow but steady run, which is a mental place I’m happy in. This initial climb is gradual, but after 1.5 miles the road turns to trail, and 100m later the first climb proper starts. Empty. That’s the only word to describe how I…

Becoming familiar with the route was key to preparation and peace of mind. Wrong turns are easily made once the darkness and fatigue sets in – and you’ll likely resent every extra metre in the latter stages. I ran about 90% of the route beforehand. Some of the remote sections can provide a logistical challenge but can also be adapted into circular routes for training in their own right. STAGE 1 LOWESWATER TO WASDALE – APPROX. 16 MILES From the summit of Red Pike, you could head west towards Scale Force and return to Loweswater over the summit of Mellbreak or rejoin the trails alongside Crummock Water. STAGE 2 WASDALE TO CONISTON – APPROX. 23.6 MILES Park in Coniston and get the bus to Borrowdale, then run over…

PAUL LARKINS I recently visited La Palma in the Canary Islands for work, which involved six flights in total. To be honest, I didn’t think much about it, but chatting with the British team at the event, they told me some had taken the ferry to the island rather than that final short hop which in turn had partly reduced their carbon footprint. There you go, a bit of thought and we can all make a small, yet significant difference. PAUL HALFORD Being green suits tightfisted people like me. Let’s be honest, running kit can be expensive and sometimes be rather flimsy. I spent last winter wearing two partially ripped jackets because it seemed such a waste to throw away otherwise fully functioning garments. However, I recently learned that some…

A good number of Europeans – and I guess we still include ourselves in that continent – go the track once a week for a workout, according to the stats. It actually makes huge sense and even the greatest off-roader ever, Kilian Jornet, admits to track work when needs must. We met him a few years ago when he was in London and he admitted to including it in his training regularly. It helps with form, stride length and of course, strength and speed – all massively important when it comes to competing in off-road races. But it does take time. “If I wanted to do something good, I would have to train for at least six months, to change my body’s muscle composition and biomechanics. And I don’t know…

WE TEST MORE GEAR THAN ANY OTHER RUNNING MAGAZINE OUR EXPERTS We use in-house and independent experts with sports and exercise backgrounds and many years of trail-kit testing under their belts so you can trust our kit reviews. PAUL LARKINS TR editor Paul has selected the best new running swag, from inspirational books to jazzy legwear! MARC ABBOTT Marc has been testing lightweight summer kit (p74) and the latest trail running shoes, p82. PAUL HALFORD Discover how Andy’s Adidas Terrex Agravic Tech Pro shoes are faring before he takes them to the Alps, p83. LIAM DEE We spent a day in the company of Hannah – and new brand Dryad – on the trails around Abergavenny, p86 Trail Shoe of the year Along with the usual factors: fit, performance, grip,…