Chris Stirling was one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever known.

I don’t normally ascribe that ‘inspirational’ moniker to people as, like ‘legend’ and ‘hero’, it tends to get over-used and chucked about until all meaning has been wrung out of it.

Chris is one of the very (very) few people who was just that, a genuine inspiration. Chris died just over two years ago and I miss him a lot.

I’m blessed to have known him for the short time that I did, but I wish now that I could have known him even more. He was unfailingly generous and positive; the last a paradox given the internal, personal battles that he faced daily. To have met him in passing you would never have known that his happy demeanour was not the whole of the story, nor even half.

I met Chris at a house party in Ambleside back in 2011

He was a rock climber back then but had recognised an unhealthy obsession with the sport, which led to public, and loud, outbursts of animalistic rage when he failed on a move or a climb; I technically ‘met’ him a couple of weeks before that house party when hearing him shouting swear words at the top of his lungs after falling off a route at Raven Crag in Langdale.

I didn’t know back then of his issues, excusing his tee-total reserve at the party with his focus towards his then-sport. Skip forward a few weeks and I met him again at the Youth Hostel he was working at on Red Bank, just outside of Grasmere, when meeting a mate to go for a climb.

Chris had all but sacked off climbing and was channelling his prodigious energy into fell-running and, increasingly still, triathlons.

His transformation from rock climber into champion triathlete coincided with my own introduction to running and we shared some training runs around the Ambleside area. He was all or nothing in his dedication to his new love and the results soon showed; I could no longer keep with him after only a few short weeks. I moved away to join the Army and we sort of drifted apart.

Good legs on Bob Graham legs

Fast forward to 2016 and I was having a crack at the Bob Graham Round, a 60+ mile effort around 42 of the Lakes highest fells in a 24hr time limit.

Chris helped pace the first of the five ‘Legs’ from Moot Hall, Keswick through till Threlkeld before heading straight off to work at the Climber’s Shop in Ambleside. Generous with his time, generous with his energy and generous with his words after telling me ‘your legs are looking good’.

A weird thing to say to a married man but as bizarre as it sounds that was one of the nicest things someone has said to me!

From a role model such as Chris, a winner of the Celtman extreme triathlon, the Canadaman extreme triathlon and placing high in the famous Norseman, that simple – and, I can honestly admit – truth-stretching, affirmation of leg strength was rocket fuel to my ambitions as a runner; the catalyst to things that have come after.

Humility and positivity

He could be quiet and, at times, awkward when first meeting him, or when re-connecting after a while away, but he had time for everyone and never stood on ceremony, giving you praise and encouragement no matter whether you were a race winning record holder or a ‘fun’ runner making up the numbers.

I try to live my life now based on his example of humility and positivity, though like with all of his achievements he set that bar high and he is a tough act to follow. I wish I knew him even better and I wish he was still with us.

Chris died just over two years ago and I miss him a lot.

The post Humility and positivity to others appeared first on Fast Running.

The Northern Irish international ultra-runner details her own training and interviews a fantastic range of athletes on her own website, so we are delighted that Borland will be part of the Fast10 in 2021.

Stepping up from 100km to 100 miles is the yearly focus, as well as taking on one of the biggest challenges in UK ultra and off road running, the Dragon’s Back race in Wales in September.

Profile

Name: Karla Borland
Age: 34
Hometown: Originally from near Bushmills in Northern Ireland (where the whiskey is made) but I currently live in Winchester in the UK.
Club: Winchester and District AC, Springwell in Northern Ireland
Main discipline: Marathon, Ultras
Other disciplines: I’m happy to race over any distance although the steeplechase is probably my personal worst.
Work: I work full time as a veterinary anaesthetist in a referral veterinary hospital in Hampshire.

Goals for 2021 and past highlights

Goals or targets for 2021: Complete my first 100 mile race and enjoy it, hopefully make the Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km team for Northern Ireland and do the Dragon’s Back race in Wales in September.

Past Running highlights: I ran Comrades [iconic 56 mile ultra in South Africa] in 2019 – the entire experience was pretty crazy and cool.

Interesting or fun fact: I have an English Pointer called Goose. He was the ultimate running companion but now is too old and stiff – he still loves his walks but stays in bed when I’ve got my running shorts on.
I run because…it really helps with work stress, I love the feeling of being really fit and I really love races (2020 has been a hard year!).

Photo: Paul Hammond

Favourites

Favourite training session: Long runs with a friend and plenty to catch up on.
Least favourite training session: Anything short and fast.
Favourite pre-race food: Coffee and a mug of granola. I prefer morning races.
Favourite post-race food: Pizza and a beer. Ideally with an ice cream sundae to finish.
Favourite running shoes: This is a tough one – I was an Adidas girl through and through but the new Ultra Boost trainers feel terrible on my feet so I’ve been experimenting with New Balance, Nike and Asics – the search continues!
Brands or organisations that support me – no brands but I do interview runners on my blog here.

The post Fast10: Karla Borland appeared first on Fast Running.

The Armagh 5k regular from the North West of England last featured when making a break through back in 2019 when he surprised himself with a 13:54 at the super fast Northern Ireland event.

“I just didn’t think I had the natural talent to run that fast,” was his first reaction, but the hard working athlete has since gone on to prove he certainly does have the right mix of natural talent and dedication to post quick times.

After successfully stepping up to half marathon distance over the last couple of years, Martin is currently preparing for his marathon debut at the Olympic Marathon Trail in Kew Gardens in March.

Photo: Keith McClure

Profile

Name: Nigel Martin
Age: 33
Hometown: Lymm
Club: Sale Harriers
Main discipline: Currently the Marathon, though I haven’t done one yet!
Other disciplines: 5k/10k/Half Marathon/XC
Work: Full-time Mechanical Engineer
Goals or targets for 2021: Sub 2:15 Marathon (British Olympic Trials), Sub 29 10k, Sub 64 HM.

Past Running highlights:
Armagh 5k (every year)
11th at the National XC
Sub 14 at the Track 5000 Challenge (because it was on the track in regular spikes!)
64:10 at the Great North Run, finishing 3rd Brit
Northern XC Team Gold 2017,2018,2019,2020
Northern 12-stage Gold 2017 on a sunny day in Blackpool
Running holidays in Portugal and one in the Atlas Mountains

Normal view for Fast Running editor Robbie when training with Nigel, disappearing into the distance.

Interesting or fun facts

I’ve never dropped out of a race, though I came extremely close in the incredibly muddy Northern XC at Knowsley Safari Park in 2017, when my shoe came off twice within the first 5 minutes. I lost two full minutes sorting it out, but carried on and despite being sure I wasn’t in the scoring six as Sale had a strong contingent, I was told with 400m to go I was the sixth counter. I gained about five places from there to the finish and we won team gold by just two points!

I’ve been injury free for 5 years, but despite doing 80-90mpw fairly often I’ve always averaged less than 70mpw in a year. I also train much slower than I race. Two weeks before the Great North Run, I ran a 15k tempo over 30s/mile slower than I then raced at and not for lack of trying.

I run because…

I love it! I love racing and enjoy training and I’ve been lucky to see consistent and sometimes rapid progress.

Favourites

Favourite training session: Tempo in winter, 5x2k (off 60s) in summer
Least favourite training session: Any virtual race
Favourite pre-race food: Banana and coffee
Favourite post-race food: Chocolate and coffee
Favourite running shoes: Altra for Easy runs. Next% for racing.
Brands or organisations that support me: None.

The post Fast10: Nigel Martin appeared first on Fast Running.

Ally Beaven is a friend to Fast Running and has written for us before, on topics based around the fells, hills, mountains and fastest known times. Author of celebrated book Broken, about the summer of records last year, if you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, it’s highly recommended.

Normally found on the mountains of his base in Aviemore, Beaven also travels overseas to events like the super tough Tor 130, sister race o the iconic Tor des Geants in the Aosta valley, Italy and the Berlin marathon… on roller skates (hence the 2:12 marathon PB).

Hopefully he has some races and long, sunny uphill tempos to tell us about in 2021.

Profile

Name: Ally Beaven

Age: 32

Hometown: Speyside.

Club: Highland Hill Runners

Main discipline: When I run hill races I’m an ultrarunner, when I run ultras I’m a hill runner.

Other disciplines: I’d been really looking forward to the cross country season. Getting the legs run off me by a variety of vets last winter was a real joy.

Work: Part time barman, one time writer.

Goals or targets for 2021: Train better than I did last year (this pretty much means more). I’ve also recently become aware that it’s a few years since I did Something Interesting, I’m like to put that right. Exatly how I’m not yet sure, probably something really long and obscure.

Past Running highlights: I’m quite proud of being the most short-lived holder of the Cairngorm 4000s record.

This is a picture of Dan Lawson and James Stewart, but Ally ran on the section preceding with the Dan the night before so it could be Ally for all anyone else knows.  Photo: Dave MacFarlane

Interesting or fun fact: I’d mention my marathon PB but Robbie doesn’t like it when I bring that up. [Too late, I already did – Robbie]

I run because: There’s nowhere near my house that’s good for rollerblading. [Surely the A9 is perfect? – Robbie]

Favourites

Favourite training session: Staring out the window at the snow, ice and slush, I have a real yearning for a long, sunny uphill tempo.

Least favourite training session: Long, flat and fast. I’d claim that my training history and race goals put me at a disadvantage with these kinds of sessions but really I think I’m just a wimp.

Favourite pre-race food: Porridge.

Favourite post-race food: Pizza

Favourite running shoes: Altras. I don’t really have much choice, my feet are almost as wide as they are long.

Brands or organisations that support me: Haha.

Ally’s book Broken really is a good read, so if you’d like to support a young writer in our sport, please do consider buying a copy. Maybe as a belated Valentine’s present for that special someone?

The post Fast10: Ally Beaven appeared first on Fast Running.

As endurance athletes we love to see people who actually run with real, breathtaking speed and 200 & 400m runner Susanna Banjo fits the bill. With sessions that look like inverted endurance workouts, the rest multiple times the actual interval, we only dream of running that hard over a shorter distance.

Banjo will hopefully give an insight into the training and mindset of one lap specialist and there is something all of our readers will be able to learn.

Profile

Name: Susanna Banjo
Age: 31
Hometown: London
Club: Newham and Essex Beagles
Main discipline: 400m
Other disciplines: 200m
Full-time athlete
Goals or targets for 2021: Qualify and compete in the 400m at the Olympic Games.

Past Running highlights

2019 4x400m relay England International Champion (Loughborough International)
3 x County Champion
3 x Inter-County Championship Medalist
2x England Championship Finalist
2x South of England Championship Medalist

Photo: Provided by athlete

Interesting or fun fact: I love musical theatre!

I run because… I love the feeling of improving every day. I’m obsessed with time, every second counts.

Favourites

Favourite training session: 3x250m with full recovery. I feel confident in competitions having completed this training session well.
Least favourite training session 5x500m
Favourite pre-race food: Granola Bars
Favourite post-race food: Nandos
Favourite running shoes: I usually wear really lightweight running shoe.

Brands or organisations that support me:

Performance Plus Sport
GLL Sport Foundation
Everyone Active Sporting Champions

Follow Susanna on Instagram @susannabanjo and throughout the year in the Fast10. 

The post Fast10: Susanna Banjo appeared first on Fast Running.

In the short and unusual summer season of 2020, McCormack was making good on all the training from the first half of her year. Even as early as February the Irish athlete took the win at the Montserrat Sky race and then in the summer had multiple wins and strong performances in Italy.

A sixth in the elite only Sierre Zinal event in September was followed up by a fine win at the Trofeo Nasego in Italy, which had doubled up as an Italian Championships, and a late season trip to the Golden Trail Championships in the Azores.

The 2019 World Mountain Running Series champ has represented Ireland at the uphill only and up and down mountain running champs and this year will be looking at more local fell running events near her home in the Lake District, as well as mountain running events in Europe again.

Profile

Name: Sarah McCormack
Age: 34
Hometown: Windermere, Cumbria, UK
Club: Ambleside AC
Main discipline: fell/mountain running
Other disciplines: a very small amount of flatter running (track, xc, road)
Job: Running coach

Goals or targets for 2021: local fell races, possibly Mountain Running World Cup, Mountain Running World/European Championships

Past Running highlights

Travelling anywhere to race is always a highlight; some notable races have been Montserrat Skyrace, Mallorca 5000 skyrace, Snowdon, Fletta Trail, Dreizinnen, Grossglockner, Smarna Gora, Vertical Fenis, Trofeo Vanoni, Trofeo Nasego, Lagunc VK, Mountain Running world champs in Argentina

Interesting or fun fact: I have a lucky empty gel packet in my racing shorts, it actually isn’t very lucky but taking it out might still be a bad idea

I run because… I love spending time in the mountains and I feel best when I have a goal to work towards

At the European Mountain Running uphill Champs in Zermatt, Switzerland. Photo: Robbie Britton

Favourites

Favourite training session uphill tempo run
Least favourite training session 800m reps are always a no from me
Favourite pre-race food porridge
Favourite post-race food ice cream
Favourite running shoes inov8 xtalon ultras
Brands or organisations that support me inov8, suunto, vaga

The post Fast10: Sarah McCormack appeared first on Fast Running.

Last year the Scott sponsored runner raised a few eyebrows with the second fastest Bob Graham Round of all time, only behind the veritable mountain goat Kilian Jornet. The local lad ran 13:44, quicker than the legendary Billy Bland’s previous record, and then set a record for the amount of times he had to tell reporters that he wasn’t the overall record holder, but the fastest Brit.

That fine run came on the back of a return from injury the year before and a lot of hard graft aimed towards the summer mountain racing that never really happened in 2020.

Going forward it seems the Ambleside AC athlete is ready for whatever’s available, but maybe some other adventures in the British mountains could be on the cards.

Profile

Name: George Foster
Age: 35
Hometown: Keswick
Club: Ambleside AC
Main discipline: Mountain running
Other disciplines: Dicking about on bikes
Job: Part-time teacher

Photo: Sam Hill (@hill_adventures)

Goals or targets for 2021

Race?! Nowt planned really with all this going on but something will turn up!

Past Running highlights: Some European and US races – Pikes Peak Ascent, Sierre-Zinal, Glacier 3000, Matterhorn Ultraks; BGR a couple of times

Interesting or fun fact: Ha…I’m as boring as they come! I’ve been pretty inconsistent ‘career’-wise; in my time I’ve been a lifeguard, a soldier, a teacher, a geomatician (look it up), a planter (worked in a plant nursery so ‘planter’ is as technical as I got), a farmer, a bookseller…

I run because…if I didn’t I’d be a contender for the fattest human on the planet.

Favourites

Favourite training session is an uphill tempo, the longer the better. I used to hate running uphill because I was crap at it, but it’s easily my favourite session now.

Least favourite training session is unfortunately the most important, the ‘easy’ run. I’m a lot better at them than I used to be. My old ‘easy’ pace used to be my old 10k pace!

Favourite pre-race food – porridge!
Favourite post-race food – pizza!
Favourite running shoes – crocs. They chafe a bit at first but your feet soon harden up.
Brands or organisations that support me – Scott, Mountain Fuel, Vaga

The post Fast10: George Foster appeared first on Fast Running.

The Cornish distance star comes from a family of strong runners, with her father and three sisters are all handy on a start line (at the finish normally too). Coached by Helen Clitheroe, Davis ran a PB of 2:33:24 in Valencia at the end of 2019.

2020 was obviously busy for the doctor, but the year started brightly with sixth at the Inter-counties cross country and fifth at the Vitality Big Half in London, which was almost exactly the PB set in the build up to Valencia the year before. Then some issues with stress fractures (and a little thing called COVID-19) put the dampeners on the year.

So Davis will share some of her journey, but also lessons learned from work and running and how to combine the two. We heard rumours there might be a blog by her Bengal Cat too.

Photo: Tom Craggs

Profile

Name: Elsey Davis
Age: 31
Hometown: Stockport
Club: Preston Harriers
Main discipline: Marathon running
Other disciplines: Trail/ mountain running, cross country and recently mountain biking!
Job: Doctor, GP trainee

Goals or targets for 2021: To be open minded and flexible with running and racing opportunities and find some redemption from the disaster of 2020.

Past Running highlights

My road marathon and half marathon PBs 72.31 and 2.33

Interesting or fun fact:

I’m scared of bananas

I run because I’m addicted to the way it makes me feel and the places it takes me.

Favouites

Favourite training session: long hill reps or long runs with intervals. I love the big sessions just before a marathon where everything clicks and marathon pace feels effortless.
Least favourite training session: Mile reps.
Favourite pre-race food: Weetabix
Favourite post-race food: Anything and everything washed down with a beer or two.
Favourite running shoes: Nike Pegasus turbo for road, Salomon S/LAB ultra for trail

Brands or organisations that support me: Saysky help me out with kit, Leeds talent hub supports with with nutrition, strengh and conditioning, sport psychology, physio and I’m coached by Helen who also works within the talent hub.

The post Fast10: Elsey Davis appeared first on Fast Running.

The 2017 Scottish National Cross Country Champion has already been to one Commonwealth Games for Scotland back in 2006, where she ran the 1500m, but after the birth of her daughter Mollie wants to get back to the same levels again.

Ending 2020 Millar was already running well, with a 16:53 at the Run and Become Sri Chinmoy invitational 5K in Fife and a third place at the Lindsays scottishathletics Invitational over 2.8km, so brings good form into 2021.

A parkrun regular, one imagines that the Scot will be looking forward to the Saturday morning ritual returning like the rest of us, but for the time being is training hard to start 2021 with a bang.

Q&A

Name: Morag Millar
Age: 34
Hometown: Stirling
Club: Central AC
Main discipline: 5k
Other disciplines: 10k, XC
Full-time athlete/work/studying: Mum to our 8 month old baby girl Mollie when I’m not working as Dentist & Owner/Aesthetics Practitioner of Rejuvenation Facial Aesthetics

Morag with her favourite training partner Mollie. We can see why you might like hills with those in the background!

Goals or targets for 2021

Achieve the Commonwealth Qualifying for the 5000m of 15.46, continue to get my body back to feeling more like it was pre-pregnancy.

Past Running highlights

European Junior 1500m Champion, Commonwealth Youth Games 1500m Champion, Commonwealth Games selection for Scotland for Melbourne 2006, Scottish National XC Champion 2017.

Interesting or fun fact

I can wiggle both ears separately.

I run because…

it’s an addiction. It makes me feel and function so much better. Exercise – and running in particular – makes me a better person.

Favourites

Favourite training session: Hills
Least favourite training session: Track 1ks
Favourite pre-race food: digestive biscuits
Favourite post-race food: Chip shop chippy – steak pie supper
Favourite running shoes: NB 1080s
Brands or organisations that support me: None – just my people – they know who they are :)

The post Fast10: Morag Millar appeared first on Fast Running.

The concept is simple. We know people want to read about runners they can relate to and hear the stories about their training, races and what they want to talk about.

Every year it feels like a challenge to keep getting more and more exciting names added to the list and 2021 was no different, so without further ado, here’s the class of 2021.

Fast 10 2021

Sarah McCormack

Nigel Martin

Elsey Davis

Abdel Laadjel

Karla Borland

Ally Beaven

Susanna Banjo

George Foster

Morag Millar

William Onek

Coming up next

Over the couple of weeks we’ll start the ball rolling by introducing each of the new athletes with a question and answer article. Get to know who we’ll be following this year, their favourite sessions and goals for the season ahead.

From Ireland and one of Europe’s top mountain runners, a sub 14 minute 5k runner and a 2:33 marathoner to track and middle distance specialists and the second fastest ever on the Bob Graham round, we have a real mix of athletes this year.

Now we just have to wait for Ally Beaven’s first article about roller skating.

The post 2021 Fast 10 announced appeared first on Fast Running.