Behind the Scenes: Why We Love Doing What We Do

Adventures, Ideas & Inspiration Behind the Next Race

If you’ve ever wondered what running event organisers actually do when we’re not standing at a finish line cheering you home, the answer this month has been: quite a lot of travelling, learning and being inspired by people who love this sport just as much as you do.

Over the past few weeks we’ve zig-zagged across the map - from the International Running Expo in Amsterdam to the Adventure Sports Events Conference in Kendal - collecting ideas, chatting to experts, sipping an unreasonable number of coffees and returning home with bags far fuller than when we left. (Yes, we absolutely needed the extra one.)

There’s something strangely comforting about sitting in a room full of people who also think that spending weekends marking trails, checking weather forecasts and debating how many toilets is “enough toilets” is entirely normal behaviour. Event organisers come in all shapes and sizes: some manage enormous ultras, others pour their hearts into one standout event each year. But we’re all driven by the same thing - the joy of watching runners do something they didn’t think they could.

Most of us never set out imagining this would become a full-time job. It usually begins with one wild idea, a borrowed gazebo, a few mates talked into marshalling “just this once”, and a hope that maybe a handful of runners might turn up. Fast forward a bit and suddenly there are forms, councils, radios, permissions, insurance and enough high-vis to illuminate a small village. Glamorous? Not exactly. Worth it? Always.

But what stays with us isn’t the admin. It’s the moments on the day: the pre-race flutter, the delighted finish-line faces, the muddy calves, the unexpected personal-best shouts, and the sense of community that springs up every single time runners gather together.

That’s why we spend so much time learning, exploring and planning ahead - especially as we shape a fresh calendar for 2026. With new adventures such as the Fife Pilgrim Way Ultra and the Scottish Commando Run, plus a revamped Innocent Half at its new home and along its new route, we’re pouring everything we’ve gathered into events that feel exciting, inclusive and properly memorable.

So while we’re sorting through ideas and sketching out what comes next, know that all this behind-the-scenes graft is designed to give you unforgettable race days.

See you on a start line soon - we can’t wait to show you what’s coming.