My fell running journey started fairly recently. I'm from Yorkshire and think I had a very vague awareness that fell running existed but was never involved in it. I hated PE at school and although running was the only thing I was fairly good at, I never pursued it. I can't remember what prompted me to start running when I was older but did my first road race (10km) in 2011/2012 then a yearly 10km race until 2019. However, sporadic road running and a yearly race was the extent of it! I did spend time in the outdoors when I was younger, walking in the local moors and woodlands with my family, though I was never sporty or did anything very adventurous.
It wasn't until moving to Cardiff that I started connecting more with the outdoors. After seeing a news article about a beginners fell running course for women in early 2020, I signed up the next day! I loved the course and immediately afterwards I joined the WFRA and the FRA (theell running body for England). Later in the year, I did a Mountain Skills course at the national outdoor centre Plas y Brenin in Eryri, another pivotal moment for me where I learnt to navigate and push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of.
I did a couple of local races (falling flat on my face in the first one, and having to delay the start of the second one because I forgot to change my shoes!) in early 2021 but it wasn't until the summer that I joined fell running club Mynyddwyr de Cymru (MDC). My first club run was a big loop up Pen y Fan. I was at the back, finding it hard, and happened to be the only woman out for the run that evening - but I was hooked. I've run with MDC ever since and love all the local races. I have also increasingly got involved with the WFRA. I'm a climate change researcher so started out offering my skills in a new position of Environmental Officer, then was part of a Women in Fell Running Working Group before taking on the role of Secretary. I'm really proud to support fell running in Wales and the Borders - both on a personal level through taking part in, and helping out with, races as well as on an official level through the WFRA.
Contact Briony for: Anything related to the WFRA and for all general enquiries. My door is always open so I encourage any WFRA members to reach out to me via email or in person with thoughts, suggestions, queries, things to celebrate or issues that you want to raise. Contact Briony using the contact form.
Photo: Tosh K Simpkin