In this episode of the UKRunChat podcast, we’re joined by Meryl Cooper, who has represented Britain on the international ultra stage.

Hailing from Aberdeenshire, Meryl shares her journey from a background in football to discovering trail and ultra running in 2017, and how quickly the sport became a defining part of her life. We explore her progression from early races to earning selection for Great Britain & Northern Ireland, and what it’s really like stepping onto the international stage in mountain and trail running.

Meryl reflects on racing at home and abroad, adapting to different terrains and conditions, and the lessons she’s learned through both strong performances and tougher race days. She talks openly about the mental and physical demands of ultra running, how her approach to racing has evolved over time, and what keeps her motivated to take on long, mountainous challenges.

In this episode, we discuss:

 * Growing up in Aberdeenshire and early involvement in sport
 * Moving from football into trail and ultra running
 * Discovering ultras in 2017 and progressing through the sport
 * Being selected to represent Great Britain internationally
 * Racing abroad and adapting to different courses and conditions
 * The physical and mental challenges of long-distance trail racing
 * Learning from both successful races and difficult days
 * How her mindset and racing approach have evolved
 * What continues to motivate her in trail and ultra running

About Meryl Cooper

 * British Ultra-Trail Champion (2021)
 * Represented Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the World Trail Running Championships (2019)
 * Represented GB at the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships (2022, 2023)
 * Competed at the European Off-Road Running Championships (2024)
 * Winner of the Swiss Alps 100k (2025)

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the UKRunChat podcast and share it with a fellow runner.

Follow Meryl [https://www.instagram.com/meryl_runsultras/] 

Website [https://www.merylcoopercoaching.com]

Photo credit: Stuart Ross Media

From First Ultra to Team GB | Meryl Cooper

In this episode of UKRunChat, we’re joined by endurance runner James Lewis, whose challenges sit far outside the usual rulebook of endurance sport. With a willingness to learn the hard way, James has taken on a series of unconventional endurance projects that test resilience, adaptability, and mental toughness more than finish times.

From running 92 miles in his first-ever 24-hour event on a 400m track, to repeatedly attempting a Guinness World Record blindfolded run, James shares what happens when ambition outruns preparation, and why failure has become a defining part of his journey.

We also dive deep into one of his most demanding challenges to date: running from Paris back home to Rugeley over thirteen consecutive days, sleeping rough in France and pushing through injury. We also look ahead to his boldest project yet, dribbling a football from Morocco to Birmingham during the World Cup.

Follow James on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/xjameslewis/]

Please note: This episode includes discussion of extreme endurance challenges, physical suffering, injury, and past training mistakes. These experiences are shared as personal reflections and should not be taken as advice.

James Lewis | Running Challenges Without a Rulebook

In this episode of the UKRunChat Podcast, we catch up with adventurer and world-record holder Mitch Hutchcraft following the completion of his extraordinary Great British Dog Walk Challenge.

Just weeks after we last spoke, Mitch ran 16 back-to-back ultra marathons, covering 720 kilometres from the UK’s lowest point at Holme Fen to the summit of Ben Nevis, battling freezing rain, snow and exhaustion across 16 consecutive days. In doing so, he set a new world record, all while raising awareness for overcrowded dog rescue centres and the illegal puppy trade in the UK.

Inspired by his rescue dog Teddy, who spent the first four years of his life confined to a concrete cage on a puppy farm, Mitch used the challenge to highlight the realities facing rescue charities, the growing number of dogs entering shelters, and the importance of choosing to adopt, not shop.

We talk about the physical and mental toll of the challenge, the unexpected power of community support, the dogs and rescue centres he met along the way, and why this mission was always about far more than breaking records.  

Follow Mitch on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/_mitchhutch/] 

Photo Credit: Oliver Frampton 

16 Ultra Marathons, One Mission | Mitch Hutchcraft on the Great British Dog Walk

In this episode of the UKRunChat podcast, Mike Seaman, the driving force behind The National Running Show joins us to chat about the show's roots and also his own endurance running, having recently completed the Winter Downs 200, Javelina Jundred (100 miles), a 50k ultra, and summited Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

We talk about Mike’s journey into running, his experience of running 200 miles, what goes on behind the scenes of major running events, and what he’s seeing across the running and outdoor industry right now.

Follow Mike [https://www.instagram.com/mikeseaman2709/]

Follow the National Running Show [https://www.instagram.com/nationalrunningshow/]

The 2026 National Running Show takes place on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February at the NEC Birmingham. 

Built for the Long Run: Mike Seaman on Running 200 Miles & Building the National Running Show

In this episode of the UKRunChat Podcast, we’re joined by ultrarunner, campaigner and community builder Sabrina Pace-Humphreys.

Sabrina came to running in her 40s while navigating postnatal depression, looking for something that might help her survive a difficult period in her life. What started as a lifeline became a path to purpose, and eventually led her to some of the toughest endurance events in the world, including the Marathon des Sables, UTMB and the Spine Race.

Sabrina is also the co-founder of Black Trail Runners, a community working to increase representation, access and belonging in the outdoors. In this conversation, she shares why visibility matters, what it really means to feel safe and welcome on the trails, and how community can change lives.

We also talk about Sabrina’s new book, written specifically for women who are starting running, or thinking about it. The book tackles everything from confidence, kit and nutrition to menopause, motherhood, and running later in life, offering reassurance, honesty and permission to begin.

In this episode we cover:

 * Starting running in your 40s
 * Running and postnatal depression
 * Finding identity and belonging through sport
 * The reality of ultra running
 * Why representation in the outdoors matters
 * Co-founding Black Trail Runners
 * Writing a beginner’s guide for women
 * Menopause, motherhood and running without comparison
 * Letting go of performance and finding purpose

Sabrina’s book Start Where You Are is published on 15 January

Follow Sabrina on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sabrunsmiles/]

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys: Running, Belonging & Starting Where You Are

This week, Michelle chats with Lisa Jackson, Runner’s World columnist, 100 Marathon Club member, and author of Running Made Easy, Your Pace or Mine?, and her brand new memoir Still Running After All These Tears: A Runner’s Journey Through Grief.

Lisa shares how running helped her rebuild her life after loss, what finishing last in 25 marathons has taught her about success, and how we can all rediscover our running mojo when motivation fades. With warmth and humour, she reminds us that running is about finishing lines, not finishing times.

We talk about:

 * Finding joy again through running after losing your mojo
 * How to cope when injury, illness or life pauses your running journey
 * What coming last in marathons has taught her about mindset
 * The role of community and connection in healing
 * How running and mental strategies from hypnotherapy can support grief recovery
 * The importance of friendship, laughter and showing up, one mile at a time

If you need support:

If you’re struggling with grief, loss, or feeling low, please reach out.

 * Samaritans [https://www.samaritans.org/] – Call 116 123 (UK, free and 24/7)
 * Cruse Bereavement Support [https://www.cruse.org.uk/] – Support for anyone grieving
 * Mind [https://www.mind.org.uk/] – Mental health support and information

Still Running After All These Tears: A Runner’s Journey Through Grief is available from 8 January 2026

Lisa Jackson: Finding Joy Again | A Runners Journey Through Grief

A year after her first appearance on the podcast, physiotherapist Nicky Edwards returns to update us on a life-changing year. Since we last spoke, Nicky has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but far from slowing down, Nicky has taken on some of the toughest challenges in UK ultra-running.

Nicky talks us through the emotional and chaotic lead-up to the Arc of Attrition, receiving her MRI results just days before the race, and how she battled reduced sensation, balance issues and overwhelming uncertainty to make the St Ives cutoff with minutes to spare. Nicky opens up about the identity shift that comes with chronic illness and the mixed reactions online.

We dig deep into how Nicky has adapted her training, from prioritising strength work to restructuring work and family life, and how she uses mindset, stubbornness and gratitude to fuel her racing. Nicky also shares highlights from her recent 8th-place finish at Wendover Woods 50, talks about managing symptoms under stress, and looks ahead to a huge 2026 including Tokyo, Boston, a possible London, Race to the Stones, and her dream: the UTMB 100-miler.

Nicky closes with a message for anyone facing obstacles: “Only you know your body. Don’t let others’ expectations manage your dreams.”

Follow Nicky on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nickyedwardsphysio/] 

Running With MS: Nicky Edwards on Diagnosis, Ultras, Resilience & Big 2026 Goals

In this episode of the UKRunChat Podcast, Michelle speaks with Priya, co-founder of Phoenix Manchester, the first Indian-born woman in the 100 Marathon Club, and one of only two South Asian women race directors in the UK.

Priya shares her journey from cheering at the London Marathon to completing 100 marathons, discovering the power of Jeffing, and creating Phoenix Manchester with her partner Paula to offer inclusive, low-pressure running events for all abilities.

Links mentioned:
➡️ Phoenix Running website: phoenixrunning.co.uk [http://phoenixrunning.co.uk/]
➡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoenixrunningmanchester/

➡️ Instagram Manchester Galloway Run Walk Run: https://www.instagram.com/manchester.runwalkrun/

➡️ 100 Marathon Club info: 100marathonclub.org.uk [http://100marathonclub.org.uk/]
➡️ Jeff Galloway Jeffing info: jeffgalloway.com [http://jeffgalloway.com/]
➡️ LDWA (for long-distance walking events): ldwa.org.uk [http://ldwa.org.uk/]

Priya | Co-Founder of Phoenix Manchester

In this episode, Michelle speaks with Neil Thubron, founder of XNRG and an athlete who has spent decades pushing the limits of endurance. From his early days in the British Army Reserves to multi-day ultras across deserts, mountains and frozen wilderness, Neil has built a life around resilience, purpose and helping others do the same.

Neil shares the story behind his most extreme challenge yet, the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 300-mile race through –50°C temperatures. He explains how he trained by pulling tyres for hours before dawn, what it was like to run alone through the frozen Canadian wilderness, and the moment he realised he was being followed by wolves.

But the Yukon was about more than the finish line. Neil dedicated the race to raising £3,000 for Grace, a young girl in Uganda who needed complex ear surgery through Humanity Direct — and her video message afterwards remains one of the most emotional moments of his life.

Michelle and Neil also talk about:

 * How the Army shaped his mindset and discipline
 * Why purpose is the key to getting through the darkest moments
 * XNRG’s multi-day events and their fundraising with Humanity Direct and local charities
 * The annual Santa Virtual Ultra and how listeners can get involved
 * His next big challenge — the Jungle Ultra in Peru
 * Advice for anyone preparing for their first multi-day race

Links mentioned:

 * XNRG events & Santa Virtual Ultra — xnrgevents.co.uk [http://xnrgevents.co.uk/]
 * Humanity Direct — humanitydirect.org [http://humanitydirect.org/]
 * Neil’s book YUCAN — neilthubron.com [http://neilthubron.com/]

Neil Thubron: Founder of XNRG • Endurance athlete

In this episode, we speak with former-Royal Marine and world-record–breaking adventurer Mitch Hutchcraft, who completed the longest climb of Everest in historyearlier this year. Now, just six months later, he’s taking on a new mission — and this time, it’s all for the dogs.

Starting 3rd December, Mitch will run 700km / 16 back-to-back marathons from the UK’s lowest point in his hometown of Ramsey in Cambridgeshire, to the summit of Ben Nevis. Along the way he’ll visit multiple dog rescue centres, meet hundreds of owners, and highlight the urgent need to adopt, not shop as shelters across the UK reach breaking point.

The challenge was inspired by Teddy, Mitch’s new rescue dog who spent four years in a concrete cage on a puppy farm before being saved. Mitch hopes to shine a light on overcrowded sanctuaries, illegal breeding, and the thousands of dogs still waiting for a home.

In this episode:

 * Mitch’s world-first 237-day Everest expedition
 * Teddy’s rescue story
 * Why UK dog shelters are overwhelmed
 * What 700km in December will look like
 * How people can join Mitch on the route
 * Plans for a documentary + special guests
 * How you can support the adopt-don't-shop message

Follow & support Mitch:
Instagram: @_mitchhutch [https://www.instagram.com/_mitchhutch/]
Live tracker + route: via link in his bio
Petition for improved dog breeding laws coming soon

Photo credit: Mitch Hutchcraft

Mitch Hutchcraft, The Great British Dog Walk. 700km for Rescue Dogs: “Adopt, Don’t Shop”

Listen for Interviews from all involved in the world of running.

The UKRunChat podcast.