Ultra Runner & Outdoor Journalist

Damian Hall

My first half marathon, in 2011, was life changing.

A year later I ran my first marathon and ultramarathon. Four years later I was representing Great Britain at the Trail World Championships.

Trail-ultramarathon running has become a, mostly healthy, addiction. The sport brings out my competitive nature, but it's much more about having a big sweaty adventure somewhere spectacularly lumpy, and the great health, happiness and friendships it rewards with. And the opportunity to scoff a lot of cake.

In the UK, I've placed on the podium at the Spine Race, the Dragon's Back Race and the most recent British Athletics UK Ultra Trail Championships.

Abroad, I've completed the 105-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc four times, the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert, the Ice Ultra in Arctic Sweden, and placed in the top 10 at several Ultra-Trail Word Tour races.

I hold records for Fastest Known Times (FKTs) on Britain's longest National Trail, the 630-mile South West Coast Path (supported, 2016), and the 230-mile Cape Wrath Trail (self-supported, mixed gender with Beth Pascall, 2018).

I've completed a Bob Graham Round, a Charlie Ramsay Round and a Paddy Buckley Round (albeit in 25:40). For what it's worth, my marathon PB is 2:38 (Manchester Marathon, 2018).

I'm grateful to be supported by inov-8, Running Reborn, Suunto, Petzl, 33Shake, Mountain Fuel, SunGod, and Black Diamond.