Linford Christie

Undoubtedly Europe’s greatest ever 100m sprinter, Linford became the Olympic 100m Champion after winning the Gold Medal in Barcelona, 1992. In an International career spanning seventeen years, Linford competed over 60 times for his country and won more major championship medals, 23, than any other British sprinter.

Linford is the only British athlete to have won Gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions and was the first European to have run sub ten seconds. His fastest time of 9.87 seconds was recorded when he won the 1993 World Championship in Stuttgart.

Amongst the numerous awards bestowed upon Linford, were the prestigious 1993 ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year’ and ‘European Athlete of the Year’.

Linford has appeared on numerous television shows, having presented three series of ‘Linford’s Record Breakers’ on BBC1 and ‘Garden Invaders’ amongst others. He has worked as a technical commentator in Athletics and has presented many sport-specific programmes over the years.   Linford was CNN’s lead commentator throughout the London 2012 Olympic Games when he analysed action on the Athletics track and provided his expert views and opinions.

Linford’s success in Athletics has continued since his retirement in a coaching role, having coached a number of top athletes to success including Olympic medallists Darren Campbell, Katharine Merry, Mark Lewis Francis and Commonwealth Gold Medallist Laura Turner. He has also trained alongside and coached Frankie Fredericks. Linford is currently coaching some of Britain’s leading international athletes, European Indoor Silver Medallist & European U23 400m Champion Nigel Levine and Olympians James Ellington and Margaret Adeoye. Linford is one of Britain’s most successful Coaches and had 5 Athletes competing in the London Olympics in 2012 and 3 athletes in Rio 2016 Olympics.

Linford launched Street Athletics in June 2004 in conjunction with Manchester City Council, in an attempt to find the raw sprinting talent that is being lost to other sports and computer games. The scheme was extended to cover 4 cities in 2006. Since 2005 the project has grown and become more successful, visiting its greatest amount of venues, 22, in 2009 and still going strong in 2017.

Steve Cram

Steve is one of the UK’s most well known sporting individuals. As an athlete his career was forged alongside Coe and Ovett to form a period of unprecedented success in British athletics and since retiring has become one of the BBC’s most respected Presenters / Commentators. In a career spanning over three decades, since appearing as a 17 year old at the Commonwealth Games in 1978, Steve’s many achievements include six Gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and the European and World Championships. Following an incredible season in 1983 Steve was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, one of the few athletes to have won the award, and in 1986 he was awarded an MBE. At the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, Steve returned from injury to take a Silver medal in the 1500m behind Sebastian Coe. The following year he broke World records in the 1500m, 2000m and Mile, all within 19 days; the latter lasting almost 9 years. Since retiring from competitive athletics Steve has become a very successful television commentator, first with Eurosport, and then with Channel 4 before joining the BBC as the Chief Athletics Commentator. Steve has co-presented both the Summer and Winter Olympics since Sydney 2000. Most recently he provided the soundtrack for a phenomenal London Olympic Games for Team GB’s athletes, in particular Mo Farah’s stunning 5K and 10K double gold performances. Steve has also been a regular contributor to BBC Radio 5 Live including hosting popular 606 and Sunday Sport. Away from the track and the commentating, Steve recently stepped down as Chairman of the English Institute of Sport, which is a nationwide network of sport science and sports medical support services, designed to foster the talents of our elite athletes of all sports. Closer to home Steve was honoured to accept the role of Chancellor of Sunderland University in 2008. An establishment where he received his own BA Hons degree back in 1983 and a region which is extremely close to his heart up here in the North East. He also fulfils the role of Chairman in his own children’s charity, COCO which he co-founded back in 1999. To date the charity has raised over £4 million for disadvantaged children across the globe. Assisting in providing an education that otherwise would have been impossible. COCO continues to work in a number of countries in Africa and employs 4 members of staff here in the UK. Steve is an excellent corporate/motivational speaker and conference host. He has worked with blue chip clients such as Aviva, HSBC , Allianz, Hewlett Packard and Samsung. He currently represents Atos, Clydesdale/Yorkshire bank, SSE and Nike as ambassador for their brand and business. As a motivational speaker, his presentations draw on experiences and memorable accounts of the magnificent golden era of British Athletics and are extremely well delivered in an inspiring and motivational way. Steve examines the principles of success in the high performance environment and draws parallels with the business community from both a corporate and individual perspective. Now in his capacity as a successful sports broadcaster and presenter Steve’s story and presentation is one of drive, determination, achievement and humour that everyone who hears it can relate to. Steve is also co Director of DS Media and Events which organise the successful Kielder Marathon, Sunderland City 10K and Half Marathon, Worcester City Run and the Durham City Run. Predominantly running events that welcome over 15,000 people annually to enjoy rising to the challenges set.

Sally Gunnell

Sally, a working mother of three boys, uses her phenomenal athletics career to inspire and empower others, from families to corporates, to achieve their goals. The synergy between sport and business has allowed Sally to get people to believe in their own ability and become the very best that they can be.

Sally achieves this via motivational keynote speaking and provides insights, tips and tools that listeners can take away and apply in order to make a real change to their life.

Sally also delivers wellbeing programmes to businesses that are adapted to run alongside the company’s key messaging, such as leadership, coaching, sustaining excellence, goal setting, or mind and motivation. Sally educates businesses, both large and small how to communicate that corporate message and inspires and equips them with the ideas, evidence and materials to help them develop and communicate a health and wellbeing programme.

Sally also supports a number of charities and good-causes and uses the tools learnt from her athletics career in her everyday life, to set goals and plan how to achieve them.

Dean Karnazes

Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes was named by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. He has raced an competed on all seven continents, and once ran 50 marathons, in all 50 of the US states, in 50 consecutive days. A frequent speaker and New York Times bestselling author, Dean lives with his wife and family in Northern California.

Susie Chan

Susie Chan is an Endurance Runner, who takes on races of all distances from 1 mie to 100 miles. She is a veteran of several Marathon des Sables, runs 100 mile non-stop races and through jungles. She has also finished all of the World Marathon Majors. As well as running, Susie can be found talking about running in interviews, radio and magazines, as well as commentating at races. Named and “the number 1 runner to follow on Instagram” by Runners World, follow her running adventures on Social Media.

Iwan Thomas

Iwan Thomas is an Olympic silver medallist and former European and Commonwealth 400m Champion, and the fastest ever British 400m runner after setting the British Record twenty years ago. Since retiring from athletics he is a regular presenter on The One Show and an accomplished live events presenter, including hosting the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

Kriss Akabusi

Kriss is famous for his achievements in athletics where his greatest individual triumph was his gold medal in the 1990 European Championships, beating David Hemery’s 22-year-old British record for 400m hurdles, which Kriss currently still holds 28 years on. He began his international athletics career in 1983 as a member of the 4×400 metre relay squad and will probably always be remembered for helping Britain clinch the gold and beating the Americans in the World Championships 4×400 metre relay in Tokyo in 1991.

In 1992 as 3 times Olympic medalist, and a World, European and Commonwealth Champion, Kriss was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty the Queen in her birthday honours list, in recognition of his services to the country through athletics. His move into television and entertainment began when he presented The Big Breakfast. This was followed with a full time position as co-presenter with BBC’s Record Breakers and various other children’s programmes. Kriss is consulted today on a variety of radio and TV programmes to discuss topics ranging from sport to business and is a regular contributor to Sky News Paper Reviews.

Kriss embarked upon an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) programme at Ashridge Business School, to augment his twenty plus years experience gained through professional speaking, training, and facilitating presentations and workshops in the corporate arena where his marvellous personality and reputation as an engaging, inspiring and informative public speaker have made him a very popular and attractive advocate. Kriss is currently pursuing a Masters in existential psychotherapy and is also an accredited personal coach, having qualified at the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara.

Susannah Gill

Susannah is the female World Record Holder for running 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents.

She completed the feat when taking part in World Marathon Challenge in February 2019 which saw her run 295km and travel 55,000 miles in 168 hours. She finished 6 of the 7 marathons in first place, with an average race time of 3 hours 28 minutes and 9 seconds which smashed the previous record of 3 hours 55 minutes. She ran in aid of SportsAid and raised over £19,000 for the charity which supports Great Britain’s next generation of athletes.

Her best marathon time is 2 hours 56 minutes which was achieved at the Manchester Marathon in April 2019 where she was the 19th woman to cross the line. At the 2012 London Marathon she set a a Guinness World Record for the fastest woman dressed as an animal, completing the race in a time of 3 hours 18 minutes dressed as a peacock, only to beaten by a tortoise a few years later.

Aside from the 50+ marathons she has completed over the last decade, Susannah has run a number of ultra-marathons, including 100km, 100 mile and 24-hour races. Her favourite races to date have been the 100km Pharaonic Race around Cairo in 2012 where she was first woman and third overall, along with a 100km Thames Path Challenge from Henley to Putney along the river Thames which she won in 10 hours 17 minutes in 2017.

She is a qualified personal trainer alongside her full-time job as a Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs for The Alizeti Group, having worked in horseracing, betting and politics since graduating from Exeter University with a degree in History in 2006.

Through her website – www.wecanbeamazing.com – she wants to inspire others to realise we can all be amazing.

Susannah runs on the streets of London and up and down the hills of Shropshire, England.

Jo Pavey

Jo has been ranked European number one on numerous occasions at various distances between 2004 & 2014 and has also ranked in the world’s top 3 in 2004 & 2007. Jo is the oldest European Champion in history & the only British runner to have competed in five Olympic Games.

European Record 2 miles indoors 2004, Commonwealth Record 3000m indoors 2004 & 2007. Jo also holds a number of masters world records including 5000m, 10000m and ten miles.

Jo’s book, This Mum Runs, was published in July 2016. The paperback edition was released in March 2017. Jo’s book was shortlisted for the Cross Sports National Book Awards – autobiography of the year.

Rhys Jenkins

Rhys Jenkins is a Welsh ultra endurance runner who is one of the few to have ran a double crossing of Death Valley (in 107hours) and has been invited to run Badwater (the worlds toughest foot race) this year. Rhys ran 75 marathons in 75 days with his Brother Scott (2000miles from Boston to Austin), which he recently repeated running 24 marathons in 24 days and since then has ran 130 and 145mile races in addition to running from Edinburgh to Cardiff and across Iceland to name but a few. He has also completed two non-stop 7 man running relays around the circumference of Wales, along with a non-stop 3 man relay cycling historic Route 66. His passion for running has seen him set up his own running company known as Pegasus Ultra Running and as an avid runner is keen to share his insights and how he overcomes both physical and mental barriers. Rhys has spoken to Senior Leaders of the Obama Administration at the Whitehouse and is a CF Warriors Ambassador.

Scott Jenkins

Scott Jenkins, like his younger brother Rhys is a Welsh Ultra endurance runner who has ran across Death Valley twice and will compete in this years Moab 240 mile run in Utah through the Moab desert as well as crewing for Rhys at this years Badwater race. Scott first got the “ultra running bug” after completing 75 marathons in 75 days alongside his brother running from Boston to Austin (2000miles) and also ran the circumference of Wales in a non-stop relay. In addition, Scott has ran multiple ultra endurance races of 32 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, 130 miles and 145miles and recently set the FKT for running from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace. An avid runner, Scott like his brother likes to create his own challenges to raise money for charities and as such has also ran across Iceland, as well as cycling in a non-stop 4 man relay from Seattle to Jacksonville (4000 miles) to name but a few. Scott’s passion for challenging the limits of his body, raising money for charity and overcoming rhabdomyolysis has seen Scott speak at Johnson & Johnson, Save the Children and attend an Operation Smile mission in Miekele, Ethiopia as well as being invited to speak on several podcasts. Scott talks often about his lessons learnt from his challenges and their applicability to personal and professional life as well as how he trains his mind and body to be able to overcome perceived insurmountable challenges.

Scott’s running exploits have seen him become 1 of 3 UK ambassadors for the charity, Operation Smile.

Camille Herron

2017 Comrades Champion. 50K/100K World Champion. 50 mi-12hr-100 mi-24hr World Records

PERSONAL BESTS
Marathon— 2:37:14
50K- 3:20:58
50 Miles— 5:38:41 (World Record)
100K- 7:08:35
12 Hr- 92.9 Miles (World Record)
100 Miles- 12:42:40 (World Record, Trail
Best)
24Hr- 162.919 Miles (World Record)

Voted Ultrarunning Magazine Female Ultrarunner of the Year in 2017
Voted USATF Ultrarunner of the Year 2015 – 2018

Lazurus Lake

Lazurus Lake (aka Gary Cantrell) is the man behind the revered and feared Barkley Marathons. Known to many as one of the toughest races on earth, the route involves 5 x 20 miles laps and 66,000 ft of unmarked ascent in and around Frozen Head Park in Tennessee. It has been completed only 18 times by 15 runners since 1989. Laz is as much of an enigma as his races, which also include the Last Annual Vol State and last-man-standing sufferfest Big’s Backyard Ultra. A serious ultra runner himself Laz recently finished a 3,365-mile walk across the US and joins us exclusively to chat about what it takes to finish one of his races.

Nicky Spinks

Nicky Spinks is a long distance runner, specialising in fell and trail ultra running. Nicky has set women’s records for the major fell running challenges the Ramsay Round, the Paddy Buckley Round and the Bob Graham Round. She is the holder of the overall record for the double Bob Graham Round and in 2019 become the first person to run a historic 122-mile Double Paddy Buckley Round in the brutally-tough mountains of Wales. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, Nicky has used her illness as a driving force for her achievements and has gone on to become one of the most celebrated ultra runners in the sports history.