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Being part of the change

Being part of the change

Times are changing and I wish to be part of this change. I can now say that I have the pleasure of being one of the Re-Action Collectives’ and Preloved Sports’ first (un)sponsored athletes.

In this role, I hope to inspire and support others to chase their dreams whilst respecting the world that we live in. I’m incredibly grateful to Re-Action and Preloved Sports for helping me to do this. There is no monetary transaction involved here, simply collaboration and community action to help mobilise change.

But hang on, what made me arrive here and how do I hope to contribute to a better future as part of this partnership? To understand this, I’d like to wind back the clock right back to the start of my running journey.

The early days

I’d always been into the outdoors as a child and had the privilege of living close to the mountains and the sea in North Wales. When I was younger, I simply loved being outside, surrounded by nature, away from the hustle and bustle of everything. Throughout my teenage years, I vividly remember the moments when I felt free in the mountains. This sense of freedom perhaps felt like an antidote to the lack of freedom in the modern school system, or maybe to the declining expression of creativity in the younger generation. I continued to love being outside as I grew older, but started to gain a deeper appreciation for what was closest to me - the wildlife and nature that was right outside my door. However, it wasn’t until I started running that I realised the true power of being outside.

I discovered running during the first COVID lockdown during a time where I struggled with my mental health for the first time in my life. Since then, running has been a big part of my life. I had run a little when I was younger, training with my local triathlon club for a few years, but no more than a couple of miles. It started as a little hobby, going out for the odd 3 km run a couple of times a week, but I soon realised that it was something I really enjoyed. A 3 km became a 10 km, which became a half marathon. After a couple of months of running, I was hooked.

Me being me, I was keen for a challenge, and as the pandemic restricted socialising, I decided to undertake my first challenge. The plan was simple, run a mile extra a day for 30 days. 1 mile on day 1, 30 miles on day 30. Unfortunately, I was only able to reach day 15, however, I was very happy. From running 3km in March to running 5 back-to-back half marathons in May, little did I know, this would be the start of my quest to run far.

Going to university, I was keen to keep up my running, but found it hard to be part of any clubs as my reasons for running meant that I wanted more than running laps around a field. As many students do, I started to go out and drink a lot and, for a while, I was delighted that I could seemingly juggle being both a party animal and a ‘runner’. However, after a couple of months, I decided that I wanted a bigger goal to work towards. I decided to sign up for my first running race, the Race to The Castle. A 100km race, how hard could it be?

Over the next few months training and preparing for the race became my priority. I managed to make the start line in pretty good shape but, unfortunately, I DNFd the race after 80km. Although slightly disappointed, I had learned a lot during my training and the race, and I was looking forward to giving the distance another shot. I knew that there is no shame in a DNF and that it was the process of getting to the start line that counted, not the outcome on the day.

Kit won’t make you fit

After this race, I reflected back on my running journey up to that point and realised that something didn’t sit quite right with me. Big companies were telling me that I needed to have their newest, fanciest piece of kit; that these material things would be the solution to not finishing a race. But I stepped back and realised that this is just a whole load of waffle. Not only does it sap your pockets, but it also contributes to a whole load of issues related to overconsumption. This is when I started to wake up and realise the true cost of some of the running industry’s actions.

For me, the true joy that I get from running does not come from wearing the newest flashiest kit. It comes from moving my body, being in nature, showing up when you perhaps don’t feel like doing so, and inspiring others to take on challenges and to reach their full potential. In a past blog post, I wrote a ‘poem’ about why I run, and it went like this:

I run to feel free.

I run to explore.

I run to be in nature.

I run to climb mountains.

I run to get stronger.

I run to be healthy.

I run to be with friends.

I run to move my body.

I run to clear my mind.

I run to inspire.

I run to feel connected with the earth.

I run because it’s simple.

I run because of the amazing community.

I run because it provides a constant positive in my life.

I run because the suffering makes me grow.

I run because I want to find and push my limits.

I run because I love adventure.

I run for those peaceful moments.

I run for beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

I run for solitude.

I run for happiness.

I run because I can run.

I run for me.

These are still the reasons as to why I run, and what do you notice? None of them involve material possessions or being a consumer. I started running because it made me feel free, but now I feel as if I am also running for a greater purpose - to help free myself from the consumer trap that I’ve fallen into.

Over the years, my running has become more and more a way for me to spread important messages or complete a challenge for a cause greater than myself. During my final year studying at Durham, I set up the Durham University Ultrarunning Club. The purpose of the club? To introduce people to the beautiful sport of running and to inspire people to reach their potential. Not striving to be better than anyone else. Instead, to realise that they are capable of far more than they think. This is why I love ultrarunning - it is about much more than the pace or the elegance with which you run. It’s about the community, finding your limits, and becoming a better person along the way.

Sometime around 2023 I came across The Green Runners - a running community making changes for a fitter planet. Before this, I felt a slight sense of hopelessness about how I felt regarding the environmental impact of running as a sport. Damian Hall, one of the founders of The Green Runners had kindly taken the time to give a talk to the Durham Ultrarunning Club. After the talk, I think I did some more digging into Damian and this is how I came across The Green Runners. I was really inspired by Damian’s actions and his story and was eager to be part of a community of like-minded runners. All of a sudden, I felt like my running had a greater purpose - to educate myself and others about climate change as well as the effect that the sport of running is having on our planet to make running a greener community.

Feeling more empowered, I went to the drawing board to think of ways that I could use my running as a force for good. Even from the early days, I always liked to undertake challenges for a greater cause than myself - running my first 100 km race for Alzheimer’s Research UK. Having focused on the 50 km distance for a little bit, last year, I undertook my biggest challenge yet - running 135 km non-stop from Cambridge to Oxford. Why? Because for me, it served the dual purpose of honoring myself and also raising money for a cause that is very close to my heart. What started off as a bit of a joke sat around a table with my friends ended up turning into reality. By blocking out the noise of marketing and focusing on the basics, I had my most enjoyable and best period of training yet. For me, the run felt like a statement against consumerism - showing people that, at its core, running is simple. After finishing this run, I realised once again that the best parts about it were not the kit or the fancy nutrition products (that I wasn’t consuming), but instead they were being in nature, feeling free and, perhaps most importantly, being connected to other people along the way.

Thinking ahead into the rest of the year, I decided that I would finish the year off with a race - something that I rarely do for environmental reasons. I trained for a few months and managed to win the race, running better than I ever thought I could. The secret? Making your running fun and appreciating being in nature with every step you take. Although I think that there is a fine balance between pushing yourself and being content with where you are right now, at this point in my life I am eager to explore my love for running and racing. This race made me realise that perhaps I can use my running as a platform to drive for positive change. I ran the race representing the Green Runners and Preloved Sports, and it felt great. But as I crossed the finish line, I still couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated with the free buffs and race medals that were being handed out (at least the medals were also slate coasters!)

I was left feeling the desire to take things further, to be able to work collaboratively with organisations who are also trying to change the narrative. At the start of 2024, having been passionate about increasing accessibility to the outdoors and reducing the waste generated by the running industry, I came across the Re-Action Collective - a collective of people and organisations who are re-imagining the outdoors and trying to create a more accessible, circular, and community-based outdoor industry. After lots of back and forth discussions about how I could use my running to help spread their message, they agreed to form a partnership with me as of February 2025. What’s even cooler is that Preloved Sports - a member of Re-Action Collective working to create a sustainable model that uses preloved sportswear to provide inspiration, opportunities, and support to others - will also be supporting me. This is how my sponsorship with Re-Action and Preloved Sports started.

The future is bright

So what are my future plans? Firstly, I wish to be more vocal in spreading the important messages that need to be urgently shared. I will try to educate myself in the hope that I can then educate others to make their running greener whilst also removing current barriers to entry to the sport. I am here to set an example and to show that it is possible to run thousands of miles in the same pair of shoes and tens of thousands of miles in the same plastic T-shirt. And, just maybe, I will be able to compete with other top runners in all of their shiny kit along the way. Secondly, I hope to document my experiences in the hope that I can inspire others to start their running journey to get outside.

More specifically, this year I have two main goals. The first is to run and try to compete at the top in a 50 km running race sometime in the early summer. The second, most important goal, will be to attempt to run around the Isle of Anglesey non-stop. Being close to where I grew up, this 215 km coastal route will be my toughest challenge yet. But I am hopeful that I can give it my best shot and show that it can be done in a way that is also kinder to the planet. I hope to document my journey this year, maybe in the form of a film, with the purpose of raising awareness for important environmental issues that we are facing and the great work that organisations such as Re-Action and Preloved Sports are doing to help address these issues. I want to show that we can find adventures right on our door steps.

If any film or documentary makers would be interested in this then please reach out to me - I would be extremely grateful and would love to work with you!

I’m by no means claiming that I am the best, fastest, strongest runner out there. Instead, I am just trying my best. Not comparing myself to others - simply comparing myself to my yesterday self. Uniting my passions for running and the environment and being part of a wonderful community of people striving towards collective change. I do, however, believe that with some dedication and a whole lot of fun along the way, that I have a lot more to give to this community. I love the running community, but I think that the running industry needs to take a big look at itself and re-consider the way that they are doing things. Instead of exploiting the human psyche and using ‘clever’ marketing techniques to sell us a whole load of rubbish that we don’t need, they should focus their efforts on creating sustainable and circular frameworks whose sole motive is not profit maximisation. OK, maybe in a capitalist society this will be hard to do, however, I also believe that keeping gear in the loop and selling preloved kit can also be a profitable business. We, as runners, just need to start speaking out and normalising wearing patched up, second-hand gear. The first step is to realise that we are enough just as we are.

I’m also by no means claiming that I am perfect. I am a hypocrite. We all are. In this current climate crisis, it’s impossible not to be. But what we can do is try to be just that little bit better every day, creating small ripples that will eventually catalyse greater change. Despite what might sometimes be portrayed on social media, we all have our flaws. Instead of demonising such flaws, we should embrace them and speak about them and focus on how we can use our strengths to mobilise change.

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.