JAMES GIBSON

 

For the past decade I have worked as an outdoor instructor, sharing lots of amazing adventures in the mountains all across the United Kingdom in a variety of different activities, including hill walking, climbing, mountaineering and of course running. It’s within these experiences where I developed my passion to help push peoples comfort zones, become mentally more resilient, achieve ambitions people never thought was possible and also give that little bit more effort to help maximise their full potential. 

 

After moving to the Ambleside in 2012 to study Outdoor Leadership at University of Cumbria, my love for the Lake District rapidly grew and I knew that this was home. It was here where my own personal endeavours and challenges began. Admittedly I learnt the hard way at times by doing too much, too soon and as a result became injured, but it was in these experiences where I learnt how to train effectively and efficiently to reach higher limits. 

 

Through coaching I’ll share my passion, experience, and knowledge for endurance running to help support, make sure goals are realistic and achievable through hard work and determination. I’ll help you reach goals and achieve ambitions with individual training plans, but allow flexibility to any change that may occur. Depending on which service you choose, I’ll check in with you and ask how you’re finding the programme and adjust if needed, along with asking any particular questions that you may have. I believe that with commitment and hard work to any training programme, the results will show and I will strive to help you achieve whatever goal you may have. 

 

My journey into running began shortly after working in the outdoors, through a good friend of mine Joe Mann, it was through his determination and persistence, where I finally gave in and gave it a go. I remember doing some of the first ever runs and not finding them too bad and the only reason that I could think of was because working on the hill almost daily gave me the endurance fitness required to run in the hills. Shortly after my introduction, I became hooked and my real interest were the long days in the mountains, such as the Bob Graham. I decided to have a go at running leg one (Keswick to Threlkeld), to see if I could keep to the time required, from which to my surprise I was on target. It was a week or so afterwards I thought it would be a good idea to run legs 3,4 & 5 (Dunmail to Keswick) by myself to see how I would cope, again I was on the 24 hour schedule, however this time Joe suggested that I carried on to see if I could get back to the car under 24 hours. Thankfully with a bit of help from a few friends, including Joe, I made it back to the vehicle in 23 hours and 20 minutes and at the same time accidentally completing a Bob Graham.

 

I have completed many long distance challenges throughout the United Kingdom, including the first completion of the Winter Wainwright round (350 miles & 41,000 meters of ascent) in December 2021, the first winter completion of the Steve Parr Round (125 miles and 13,000 meters of ascent) in February 2021, a fast Wainwright round (6 days and 5 hours) in April 2022, winter solo/ unsupported Bob Graham record (21 hours and 12 minutes) in December 2022, first solo/ unsupported sub 24 hour winter Ramsay’s round (23 hours and 9 minutes), first “Big Three” solo/ unsupported sub-24 winter rounds in one season (December 2022 - February 2023) and the first to complete the Trans Cuillin sub-24 (west to east traverse of 70 tops of the Cuillins). Amazingly I also hold a number of FKT’s (fastest known time) including the Assynt traverse, Glen Etive Munro’s and the Cuillin round. 

 

Through working in the outdoors in the past decade I hold the summer and Winter Mountain Leader (SML & WML), Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI), Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor trainee (WMCI) and Outdoor First Aid Qualified. I’m a UESCA certified Ultra Running Coach.