We're back baby
Your favourite sporadic running newsletter is back, with probably misguided intentions of becoming a more regular fix in your inbox.
It has been a minute, as the kids say.
The last time I barged my way into your inbox like a 1,500m runner jostling for space in the pack was almost a year ago, discussing what it means to fail.
Sadly, that forshadowed me failing as a provider of slightly-better-than-average content about running. Life, work, and other things, that may or may not include my own lethargy, got in the way.
But recently, I’ve felt inspired to get back on the horse. Despite the fact that I am presently injured (some things change, some things stay the same), my relationship with running has become much more cordial in recent months. I’ve been taking it less seriously, doing it more on my own terms, and, perhaps most importantly, enjoying it again (hooray).
But enough about me, what am I bringing in this re-re-revival?
Well, I have a few really interesting and inspiring stories currently bubbling away in the pot, featuring ordinary runners doing rather extraordinary things. Truth be told, at least one of them was the kick in the ass I needed to get this show back on the road. I think it helped me realise, even when in the grip of a volatile love/hate relationship with the sport, I still really enjoy hearing great running stories.
So, I wanted to share some of them with you all. Stick around, I promise they will be worth your saint-like patience.
In the meantime, in a vain attempt to make this a more regular thing, I’m going to try to bring you regular curations of interesting things happening on Planet Running™️.
Fear not! The usual nonsensical musings on running from me and interviews with interesting people from our hobby will still be here – in fact, I plan to make them more regular. But because interviews are sometimes hard to organise and because my brain has only a limited number of amusing and insightful tomes to draw on, I’m going to fill the gaps with mailouts like these.
Think of it like a marathon fuelling plan where these are your water stations and the philosophical stuff is the energy drink-sponsored stations that give you a performance-enhancing second wind (and only make you feel a tiny bit sick). So, without further ado, let’s lace up and get into it…
Double trouble? 💂🏻💂🏻
Newshounds among you will have probably spied a story this week by the Guardian that the London Marathon is allegedly considering making its 2027 event a two-day affair.
That’s right, a whole weekend with twice as many runners, twice as many spectators, and twice the opportunity to be brutally rejected by the harshest ballot in world running.
My first reaction to this story was: Is this actually a good idea?
Sure, it helps slightly satisfy the insatiable demand for one of the biggest races on earth, and as the Guardian story rightly points out, could see millions more raised for charity – but does it spoil the essence of the race?
One of the things that’s special about London is how rare and fleeting it is. It feels like a huge achievement merely to be standing, shivering in Greenwich Park at the start line, let alone to actually complete it.
Once we have a marathon weekend, what’s to stop a marathon week? Maybe I’m just being grumpy because I’ve failed in the ballot every year since my only run at the event in 2016, but I do believe we can have too much of a good thing.
Plus, and I sometimes have to remind myself of this, other marathons do exist.
A traverse too far 🏔️
While London Marathon Events revels in assembling marathon super weekends, there’s a very different mood among the British trail running community as some of its most iconic races look set not to take place this year.
This weekend should mark the start of the Northern Traverse, a 300km yomp through three UK national parks; however, the hills will not be alive with the sounds of squelchy socks and sleep-deprived delirium, as organisers Ourea Events announced they were ceasing trading.
Not only does this impact the 2026 Northern Traverse but also its component races, the Lakes Traverse, Dales Traverse, and Moors Traverse, as well as Cape Wrath Ultra, Dragon’s Back Race, and Skyline Scotland.
It’s a very sad state of affairs that many runners have already voiced their disappointment about. We can but hope the community can figure out a financially viable way to revive these important events. Watch this space, I guess.
It will be alright on the night 🌃
Women feeling unsafe when running at night is still a huge problem in our sport, no matter where you pound the pavements. It’s a complex issue, but sports giant Nike made a stab at addressing it last year by organising a series of global night races it described as ‘made for women’, known as its After Dark Tour.
The company says more than 50,000 women ran in its seven-race tour in 2025, with ‘one in three thought to be first-time racers’, and ‘nearly half of participants saying they participated because they were drawn to a women‑oriented race experience’.
It wasn’t perfect in 2025, and there were a few controversies and criticisms, but the overall idea isn’t a bad one. The tour is back again for 2026, and it once again includes seven global races of either 10k or half-marathon length.
That’s all for today, folks. The next time The Mile smashes its way into your inbox, it will be an insightful and inspiring interview for you to digest. Happy running – DG.
Glad to see you back!