1st November - DNF Ultra Runners at the Peak District

As I dive deeper into my “wanting-to-be-an-ultra-runner” era, it only made sense to join an ultra running group. That said… I may have pushed it a bit too far this time.

With the DNF Team National Run in the Peak District coming just a week after the Birmingham Hyrox race, I knew it was going to be tough—and honestly wasn’t sure if I’d make it through in one piece.

On 1st November, I arrived at YHA Ilam Hall ready to photograph the DNF team run. Over 40 runners had turned up, including one all the way from Norfolk! I got the drone in the air, mounted the Osmo on my camera, and locked in the Sony A7IV. At one point, I was filming on all three devices simultaneously—a self-proclaimed multitasking genius.

With the pre-run photos and videos done, the 20-mile run kicked off, split into two 10-mile loops… in the PEAK DISTRICT. From the very start, pain made itself known. By 4km, my IT band flared up badly, and things quickly became unmanageable.

Still, I powered through the first 10 miles alongside Kieron, capturing some stellar content despite being barely able to move properly. The photos and videos turned out amazing, perfectly capturing the energy and vibe of the event.

I’ll be back running in 4–6 weeks, but for now, I’m enjoying documenting others on their journeys. Lesson learned: you simply can’t do it all.