Go Mountain Goats

Episode 53 - Three Solo with Damian Hall


Listen Later

Damian Hall is an ultrarunner, coach and writer who has held records on many of the UK's long distance challenges including the Pennine Way, Paddy Buckley Round, Cape Wrath Trail and Wainwrights Coast to Coast. He has placed 5th in UTMB (2018), 4th in Tor des Geants (2023), and has won the Spine Race. He has competed in the infamous Barkley Marathons ultra twice.


Damian is also a founder of The Green Runners which is a global community of over 3000 runners who aim to highlight and take action on the climate and ecological crisis. Their 4 Pillars consider How We Move (travel), How We Kit-up, How We Fuel (diet), and How We Speak Out (activism). Damian talks us through the formation of The Green Runners, as well as talking about campaigns and activism, such as action taken against sportswashing. One of Damian's books is 'We Can't Run Away From This' which examines running's carbon footprint and ways to improve on this.


In September 2025 and on the back of his Lakeland 100 win, Damian set out in suboptimal weather for his Three Solo Challenge where he attempted to run the UK Big Three rounds (Charlie Ramsay, Bob Graham and Paddy Buckley rounds) linked together by public transport. The Big Three had previously been linked together by car by Mark Hartley (1990) and then by bike by John Kelly (2020) in his Grand Round. Damian's round would add the vagaries of Britain's public transport system into the mix. We talk logistics and sleep deprivation, deteriorating weather, and about how he made the eventual decision to bail due to worsening conditions on the final half of the Paddy Buckley round in Snowdonia.


Damian's website: www.ultradamo.com

The Green Runners: https://thegreenrunners.com/

Into Ultra: https://intoultra.org.uk/home


The round the world cycling book I mention is 'Coffee First, Then The World' by Jenny Graham.


Links to articles on topics mentioned by Damian:

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cvgxe2n05v3o

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv22vl99vwro

www.badverts.org/gamechanger

thegreenrunners.com/running-through-oil/


If you want to buy me a cuppa to help support the podcast, thank you and please do at: ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/finlaywild⁠



...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Go Mountain GoatsBy Finlay Wild

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

2 ratings


More shows like Go Mountain Goats

View all
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

231 Listeners

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST by ADAM BUXTON

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST

1,241 Listeners

Runner's World Podcast by Runner's World UK

Runner's World Podcast

56 Listeners

The Blindboy Podcast by Blindboyboatclub

The Blindboy Podcast

1,809 Listeners

The Adventure Podcast by Coldhouse Collective

The Adventure Podcast

72 Listeners

The Real Science of Sport Podcast by Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch

The Real Science of Sport Podcast

181 Listeners

The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman by Dylan Bowman

The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman

782 Listeners

Some Work, All Play by David Roche and Megan Roche

Some Work, All Play

1,848 Listeners

Uphill Athlete Podcast by Uphill Athlete

Uphill Athlete Podcast

180 Listeners

Singletrack by Finn Melanson

Singletrack

935 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,161 Listeners

Kermode & Mayo’s Take by Sony Music Entertainment

Kermode & Mayo’s Take

331 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics: Leading by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

810 Listeners

The Tea & Trails Podcast by Edwina Sutton & Gary Thwaites

The Tea & Trails Podcast

10 Listeners

evokecast by Coach Scott Johnston and the Evoke Endurance Collective

evokecast

44 Listeners