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Introducing The Adventure Running Company

16 June 2020
Introducing The Adventure Running Company

Here at Ellis Brigham we are always keen to support others that encourage people to explore the outdoors and push their own boundaries. We recently entered into a partnership with The Adventure Running Company, they host running trips for all abilities to some of the most incredible places on Earth. It's a pretty niche undertaking that has proven to be quite popular, so we thought we'd help you get to know the ladies behind the company a little more.

Who are the ladies behind The Adventure Running Company?

The Adventure Running Company was founded by running buddies Sam Brooks & Nikki Barnard. We spent several years organising trail running holidays for ourselves and our pals and, realizing how much we enjoyed it, decided to roll it out for general consumption.

Between us we have also raced, tackling major challenges including the Everest Marathon, the Trans Rockies Run, the Marathon Des Sables and the famous Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. Our passion for the great outdoors brought us both to Chamonix in the French Alps, where we teamed up with a handful of other professional mountain enthusiasts to offer outstanding trail-running holidays in Europe and beyond.


TARC Sam & Nikki

Credit: Sophie Nicholson


How long have you been running & how did you get into it?

NB: I ran when I was a kid and got involved in track and field but never had a go at anything further than our schools’ obligatory annual cross-country event. I tried my hand at Triathlon a few years back and liked it. Living in Chamonix has been very influential and inspiring, I've enjoyed exploring and pushing a touch more as the years go on and have had a great time in doing so.

SB: I started running at middle school, when my dad entered our local marathon. From there I got into cross-country and orienteering for my school and county. I didn’t take it up again until I was in my 30s and looking for something to do in the alps aside from skiing and drinking! Now all my spare time is taken up running around the hills with friends and having a whale of a time.

Of all the trips you offer, do you have a favourite location to run?

We are fortunate enough to have so many amazing trails right on our doorstep here in Europe, and the simplicity and beauty of the Alps is pretty hard to beat. However, running down Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is perhaps one of the craziest things you’ll ever experience. All the locals thought we were totally bonkers! That is definitely a very special trip – the altitude, the food, the views, the sunrises, the crew – it is quite like anything else.


TARC Running Crib Goch Credit Robert Grew

Credit: Robert Grew


Is there anywhere you don't currently run trips but would like to expand to one day?

There are many locations we’d love to run in around the world and plan to add several new destinations as time and demand allows, both in Europe and other continents. However, we both have a collective interest in running in Patagonia one day. The wilderness and the raw beauty of the mountains in that part of the world are definitely a huge attraction. One for the bucket list that we hope to tick off soon!

Do you have a favourite trail running brand or a particular product that you take on every run?

Patagonia is our chosen brand for all our clothing. Their kit is built to last and is technically brilliant, equipping us for all our needs for long days in the hills. We fully support their incredible ethics as a company too. For shoes and packs, we tend to mix it up between several brands, including Inov8 and Salomon.


TARC running group


How do you initially find your routes for trips, do you use local guides to help or do you just have a map and a sense of adventure and go for a recce?

We collect inspiration for potential routes by talking to runner friends, local guides and even just from a photo that someone has posted. Often it starts by spotting something in the distance on another run and wondering “what’s over there?” We do some research, get our maps out and then go and have a nose about.

That’s such an exciting part about running, the exploration. It also helps that we are based on the border of Italy and Switzerland, have so many trails and fabulous mountain refuges at our disposal, which makes planning more manageable.

As with any challenge, running can be a battle for the mind as well as the body. Have you ever started a route that you couldn't finish & have you returned to complete it since?

We have definitely had some challenges on routes before. During races we have had to accept that, on that particular day, it just wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps our preparation was not enough, or we simply didn’t have it in our heads to step that far outside of our comfort zone. Although these experiences are difficult to manage at the time, they light a fire to go back and complete the task another time.

We both strongly believe that you take away so much from learning to face your fears and break through to the other side of something significant. It’s a remarkable feeling that equips you with a few more tools for anything requiring that extra push in the future.

We’re proud to say that we carry this belief through to helping our runners to overcome all sort of challenges and many leave our trips with an enormous sense of achievement and new experiences under their belt.


TARC running with view

Credit: Robert Grew


What has been the toughest challenge with setting up such a niche adventure company?

Our aim is simple – to provide a place where people can meet other like-minded souls and experience the outdoors in an encouraging and safe environment. The setting up of The Adventure Running Company has been worth every obstacle for us. We ensure we have a well-qualified and experienced team and only ever do things properly, safely and legally.

There are occasional hoops to jump through to operate in various countries, which can definitely be challenging at times, however, it has equipped us with essential knowledge and experience which we believe enables us to deliver exceptional, fun, well-organized experiences to our guests.

What is your favourite thing about running your own adventure company? 

In a nutshell, the people we meet. It may sound cheesy, but we are fortunate enough to meet some incredible people on our trips and it never feels like work!

Being able to share wonderful trails with our runners, be a part of their journey, navigating them through new experiences, watching them gaze at the scenery, laughing over a beer at the end of the day. It is all just brilliant!

What advice would you give to those who have recently discovered the joys of running but are struggling to 'break the wall' to the next level?

Keep going! The aim of the game is having fun and when you do that, the rest will follow. If you can find some folk to run with, a local club or a fellow newbie, this can really help.

We all started small, but it’s amazing how quickly you can see results and, before you know it, you can run a little further or faster. It’s a process to trust, but well worth the effort.


TARC

About the Author:

Charlotte Fish - Outdoor Expert

Charlotte discovered her passion for the outdoors in her early teens and has never looked back since. Her pursuit of outdoor activities has taken her all over the world but she truly believes there is no place like home.


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