Hi! I'm Mike, Managing Director of APEX Running & Skyrunning UK.
I like mountains, running and running over mountains. Sometimes not very far, occasionally very, very far! No doubt, trail/ultra/skyrunning has provided a catalyst for self-discovery and a vehicle in which to explore my physical and mental boundaries in a positive way, in areas of outstanding natural beauty.
Born and raised in Chester, XC mountain bike racing was my life growing up. Shortly after graduating in product design from the University of Leeds, I discovered fell running when I moved to the Lake District in 2012, having read ‘Feet in the Clouds’ during my last year of studies. Not one to take my time with things, six months later I was training for the Bob Graham Round and quickly discovered I had a keen interest in the longer end of the endurance running spectrum.
In 2014 I left my design engineering career with the intention of taking a year out to satisfy my curiosity about the world and do a few races I had my eye on. While spending many a long day in Eryri/Snowdonia training for the 2015 UTMB, I often wondered why there was no event in the UK like the international profile ultra-trail races that I had participated in whilst abroad.
After enjoying a few years of racing success as a Salomon supported athlete and coaching other runners (which I still do), in late 2017 I launched UTS; an instant success in its inaugural edition. Acquired by UTMB Group in 2021 (for whom I worked as their UK Event Director for two years) it became the UK's first UTMB World Series event and is now one of the UK's largest trail running events.
In 2024 I took over as Director of Skyrunning UK, with the role including developing the Skyrunner UK & Ireland Series (more HERE). Shortly after, APEX Running acquired the classic Mourne Skyline event, adding this back to the series as an expanded offering, now featuring three race distances and in 2025, hosting a round of the Skyrunner World Series.
The team at APEX Running now deliver several superlative trail, ultra and skyrunning events throughout the UK, each unique in character and conceived with different participant experiences in mind. We're more passionate than ever about hosting creative and authentic events of the utmost quality, with the ultimate aim of promoting the UK as a world-class trail running destination.
The adventure continues…
If you'd like to know anything more, please get in touch!
2017
CCC – 8th (11:31)
Lakeland 100 – 1st (20:22)
Trans Gran Canaria 82km – 8th (08:21)
Ben Nevis Ultra – 3rd (13:03)
Highland Fling – 3rd (07:29)
Chester Ultra – 1st (07:30)
2016
Lakeland 100 – 1st (20:30)
V3K Ultra – 1st (07:46)
3x3000 Ultra Trail SkyRace – 1st (10:25)
Mourne Skyline SkyRace – 5th (04:05)
Ring of Steall SkyRace – 6th (04:17)
Tarawera 102km New Zealand – 16th (10:25)
TDS – 182nd (24:08)
Cycled the length of New Zealand in three weeks during Tour Aotearoa (3,000km).
2015
UTMB – 69th (29:08)
Cumbria Way Ultra Race – 1st (13:49)
V3K Ultra – 3rd (07:57)
Trans Gran Canaria – 42nd Overall, 3rd U30 (19:10)
Mont Blanc 80km – 39th (14:26)
Cycled the Icefields Parkway during travelling in Canada.
Hiked several circuits in Patagonia while travelling South America.
2014
Lakeland 100 – 5th (23:46)
Cycled Lands’ End – John O’Groats in 7 Days.
2013
Bob Graham Round – 22:33
V3K Ultra – 2nd (08:53)
Chester Marathon – 03:16