In this episode of the UKRunChat Podcast, Michelle is joined by Catherine and Pippa, co-founders of Trail & Bloom, a trail running retreat designed to support women navigating midlife.

Both share deeply personal journeys of how their relationships with movement evolved. From early experiences of feeling “not good enough” in sport, to running as punishment for eating, to rediscovering joy and confidence on the trails, this is an honest conversation about identity, body image, performance and self-worth.

Catherine talks about how perimenopause, injury and life pressures left her questioning her place in running, and how trail running helped her reconnect with movement in a way that felt freeing rather than pressured.

Pippa shares her path from disordered eating and overwhelm to becoming a GB age-group triathlete, and explains why midlife women need to understand their physiology — particularly the importance of maintaining muscle mass for long-term health, strength and confidence.

Together, they discuss:

 * Why so many women carry “baggage” into midlife running
 * How trails can remove pressure and reintroduce joy
 * The myths around weight loss, BMI and body composition
 * Why strength training is essential (and how to approach it safely)
 * How to rebuild confidence when performance plateaus
 * What women really need in midlife: community, compassion and evidence-based guidance

This episode is a powerful reminder that midlife can be a breakthrough, not a breaking point, and that running can still be joyful, empowering and deeply restorative at any age.

You can find more about Trail & Bloom and their upcoming retreats at https://trailandbloom.co.uk/



Catherine & Pippa of Trail and Bloom: Reclaiming Running and Strength in Midlife

This week on the podcast, Fiona Horsfield takes us inside the Montane Winter Spine Race, Britain’s Most Brutal endurance event along the Pennine Way.

We talk about:

🥣 Eating when you don’t want to
😴 Sleeping when you can
🎒 Getting kit decisions right
🧠 Staying mentally steady when fatigue hits

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to move for days through winter conditions, this episode is an honest look at the physical and psychological reality of ultra-endurance racing.

“You can’t think about 268 miles. You just focus on the next section.”

Listen now 🎧

Follow Fiona [https://www.instagram.com/fionahorsfield.runs/]

#UKRunChat 

Photo Credit: @clorroe_cam [https://www.instagram.com/clorroe_cam/]

Fiona Horsfield | Montane Winter Spine Race

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

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

The UKRunChat podcast.