Damian Hall is a British trail runner with several Fastest Known Times to his name, including a famed record-breaking 261-mile run on the UK’s Pennine Way in 2020. A former journalist, he has become equally well known for his environmental activism, qualities that come together in his new book We Can’t Run Away From This: Racing to Improve Running’s Footprint In Our Climate Emergency.

In this interview with Tony Fletcher, Damian discusses why our outdoor lifestyle choices - including but not limited to running - are frequently, if unintentionally, bad for the planet, what we can do about it, and why we should stay positive about having a positive impact in the long run. Tony then reports on his research into the clothing/shoe companies he purchases from, and reflects on his own dietary and travel imprints from running. The show ends with the new Dear Boys song ‘Action’, written about the climate emergency and coincidentally released as a 7” single the same day as this show. 

Specific subjects discussed:

• The three main components of our athletic environmental footprint: Gear/Kit, Diet, Travel.
• Why shoe companies should make less shoes, and why we should buy less of them and repair/reuse/recycle more of them.
• Why Race Directors need to stop giving away unwanted shirts, medals, and other paraphernalia.
• The responsibility that ‘Sponbassadencers’ (© Damian Hall) like himself have towards educating their followings – and also to the companies that give them free gear.
• Why he became a Full Annoying Vegan (© Damian Hall) and how switching from a carnivorous diet to a plant-based diet can reduce our carbon footprint from food by a staggering 70% - or approx. 18% of our overall carbon footprint.
• Why he stopped flying to races. But might still do so.
• Why it is better to embrace hypocrisy than do nothing.
• Why he picked up litter/trash on his Pennine Way FKT in 2020 (and on his failed attempt to reclaim that title in 2022).
• And how you can get three of his books for one British steak.

Damian Hall can be found at ultradamo.com and his social media via https://linktr.ee/ultra_damo

'We Can't Run Away From This' is published by Adventure Books https://www.adventurebooks.com/products/we-cant-run-away-from-this which also published his book 'In It For The Long Run' https://www.adventurebooks.com/products/in_it_for_the_long_run

The film Underdog about his 2020 Pennine Way FKT is at imdb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13968750/

Company policies discussed by Tony:

Patagonia: Worn Wear and 'Our Impact' https://wornwear.patagonia.com/ https://www.patagonia.com/our-footprint/

Vibram 'Sustainable Way' https://us.vibram.com/sustainable-way-page.html

Inov-8 'Sustainability' https://www.inov-8.com/us/sustainability

Altra Running 'Our Values' https://www.altrarunning.com/who-we-are/our-values.html

Enda Sportswear 'Social Impact' https://www.endasportswear.com/pages/impact

Feetures 'Giving Back' https://feetures.com/pages/giving-back

Osprey 'Sustainability' https://www.osprey.com/us/en/sustainability

Clif Bar 'Who We' Are https://www.clifbar.com/who-we-are

The Game Changers movie on the protein myth: https://gamechangersmovie.com/food/protein/

'Action' by the Dear Boys is available on all streaming platforms:

https://linktr.ee/thedearboys and at

https://thedearboys.bandcamp.com/track/action

50% of proceeds go to Friends of the Earth

Written by Tony Page. Used with permission. Copyright control.

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