Alex Staniforth: Ultra-runner talks about his record-breaking adventure and redefining success

Interview: Tom Warburton

For many, people struggling with their mental health the outdoors have become an essential therapeutic aid to support their recovery. Dure caught up with adventurer, ultra runner and public speaker Alex Staniforth.

We talked with Alex about his new charity Mind Over Mountains, redefining success and how getting outside can help your mental health.

Photograph: Richard Ellis

“Being in nature puts things in perspective and those endorphin boosts and moments of hope make the struggle feel less permanent, if only for a short while. The science is already stacking up and you don’t need the science to know that feeling for yourself. ”

Hi Alex, thanks for talking to us, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I'm an ultra runner, adventurer, motivational speaker, author and charity director aged 25 from Cheshire, now based in Kendal. I've never really taken the conventional path or settled for base camp. Although that's ironic considering I've never actually reached the summit of any big mountains!

For my 'day job' I'm incredibly lucky to speak about my experiences to businesses, organisations and schools about resilience, well-being and overcoming adversity. I'm usually found running and exploring the local fells in my free time. I've written two books, Icefall, and Another Peak, which share the journey so far.

Redefining success can be difficult, how did you overcome your Everest attempts, and how do you recommend to overcome perceived failure and redefining it as success?

I won't pretend it was easy, at first I felt pretty sorry for myself and how unfair it was. But the mountain doesn't give a damn how hard you've worked or how much you've spent. It's important not to personalise the situation, blame others or yourself as that won't get you anywhere either. I'd been terrified of failure but when you accept that sometimes failure is inevitable, you lose your fear of it. I'd define success as the process, not the outcome.

Ultimately when success is down to how you respond and you find the positive opportunities for growth, then suddenly failure becomes much less terrifying.

As an expert in overcoming adversity, notably overcoming two Everest attempts that sadly resulted in yourself being unable to reach the summit, what advice would you give to people struggling to get through lockdown?

Maybe the end is nearly in sight now, but we've had lots of false summits and there's only so many times you can believe 'this too shall pass'. It's something we haven't experienced before so without that reference point, it's easy to assume the worst. Some people will definitely find it harder than others.

Personally, I found them quite manageable as an introvert it didn't really affect my routine, I had lots to keep me busy and hills on my doorstep to run around. Without those, it would have been different for sure and I really worried for other people. I treated lockdown as an expedition really.

Quite early on I sat down to evaluate my goals, how I could use my experiences to make a difference, and wrote down the things I wanted to achieve and feel proud of after lockdown. Focusing on the things we can't do is only going to drag things on. Keeping some routine is really important to stop us from becoming reactive and distracted or picking up unhealthy habits instead.

Staying connected is also essential - it might not be the same thing on Zoom but it's still much better than becoming isolated. And finally, unless you're self-isolating, then get outside for some exercise every day. We're not designed to be stuck indoors all day.

Your book Another Peak talks about redefining success, and explores Mental health challenges through outdoor activities, how do you feel the outdoors helps people struggling with their mental health?

For me it's all about choices. By choosing to go outside, to challenge ourselves physically and mentally, we are taking some control back and choosing something positive for ourselves.

Being in nature puts things in perspective and those endorphin boosts and moments of hope make the struggle feel less permanent, if only for a short while. The science is already stacking up and you don't need the science to know that feeling for yourself.

The reason a lot of people experience low mood and fatigue in winter is due to less exposure to Vitamin D from sunlight so it just makes sense to be in nature. There's so much more I could say.
 

Photograph: Daniel Toal

You recently set up the charity Mind over Mountains. Can you tell us a little bit more about the amazing work you do?

We restore mental health through therapeutic outdoor experiences, combining guided hill-walking with coaching, mindfulness, counselling and inspirational speakers to create a safe space for people to walk and talk.

We mostly deliver one-day rambles and weekend residentials currently, and we're hoping to resume these very soon once the lockdown restrictions allow, with bursary funding provided for people in difficult financial circumstances or hardship. It's so much more than just fresh air but combining these elements to give people the skills and support to build positive lifestyle habits.

We're not saying it's a magic cure but I think it's the most powerful tool for managing our well-being, and we need purpose not just pills.

It took me longer to get an appointment for my depression and eating disorder than it did to cycle/run/walk 5,000 miles around the UK in 2017 which hit home just how little help was available, so we wanted to help more people access the outdoors to prevent other people reaching that level. 

In August in 2020, you completed an amazing feat, running the three peaks challenge, a distance of over 452 miles, averaging 50 miles a day and running over 17 marathons. Could you tell us a little bit more about this challenge?

It was probably the toughest physical challenge I'd set myself. I'd never raced an ultra-marathon before so threw myself in the deep end, a bit. The 3 Peaks (driving between) was one of my first big challenges about ten years ago so it felt like a natural progression, combining my love for endurance and running.

I always aim to be scared before a challenge, otherwise I wouldn't be stretching my comfort zone enough, but I regularly regretted this. Some of the pro and serious ultra-runners seemed impressed by it and were following my progress - which had me wondering what on earth I was letting myself in for! Once I hit the tarmac on day 2 my body started to fall apart.

I was attempting the Fastest Known Time and sadly missed this by just over an hour, after falling asleep in a bus stop in Capel Curig. Considering I sprained my ankle a week before the challenge was due to start, Storm Francis and various other setbacks, I was pleased just to finish and raise over £11,000 for Mind Over Mountains. That's the bit you remember.

Photo: Jonathan Davies

Running over 50 miles a day must have had a significant impact mentally and physically, how did you get through the challenge?

You can't really train your body for consecutive days like that. I was an average road runner before this who got bored of chasing times and targets and liked doing things differently.

It's having a strong enough 'why' to be there so that when things start to go wrong, you have something compelling enough to keep you going rather than quitting too soon. I had all sorts of strains and pains but they were a temporary risk that I was willing to take for completing the challenge and discovering just what the body could manage.

Most importantly I'd say is having a safety net - a support team of people who you trust and who know what to say. The strangers turning up by the roadside with random donations and food was a huge boost. Mum would usually be telling me to be careful but by the end, she was urging me to keep going, and that "you can't quit now!".

Also, be careful to avoid permanence. A lot can change in a day or even a few hours. On day 4 I could barely run more than 10 metres through the pain in my shins. Logic would have said it was game over but after seeing a physio, changing my shoes, and a dose of tough love; I ran 40 miles the next day.

As an experienced adventurer and ultra runner, what piece of equipment could you not live without?

It possibly defeats the object but my Aftershokz Bluetooth headphones. Or anything to play music with. When I'm struggling I find music helps me to get out of my head and distract me from the anxiety or stressful parts, and to re-ignite my energy. There's nothing like running alone along a trail at sunset with trance music blasting out in rhythm. 

Finally, do you have any tips for people wanting to get out and explore after Lockdown?

I think we'll be limited by restrictions or other barriers for a while yet but this can actually encourage us to be more creative and find the hidden gems. There's so much adventure to be had in the UK and surprises around every corner.

Stay safe, within your physical limits and make sure you have the appropriate gear to stay safe - there's lots of good advice available online and the Ordnance Survey website has a hub for inspiration too.

You don't even have to go far to have an 'adventure' as it means something different to everyone. Often the best place to start is with a mind-map and make a commitment - whether that's simply booking a train ticket or getting a friend along too.