My favourite races are long distance fell events especially if some navigation is required.  I seem to have very good natural endurance but mediocre natural speed.  So long hilly courses allow me to do well, short fast road and XC courses leave me half way down the field.

I have just won the KIMM for the 10th time (no one else has won it more than 5 times).  The event involves running with a partner, navigating round a long fell course whilst carrying all your kit for an overnight camp.  This year the course was 26 miles on day 1 and 21 miles on day 2 and took us 11 hours to complete.  There are shorter courses available for most teams who have more sense!  To do well you need good endurance, strength to cope with the hills and rough ground, good navigation to find the checkpoints and you need to work well with your partner e.g. the stronger runner can carry more of the camping gear.  This gear needs to be as light as possible as every extra pound slows you down.  You need to be happy to rough it a little!  I have run the KIMM with 6 different partners, several have left the country rather than run with me again!  I train specifically for the KIMM by getting several long (2-4hrs) runs in the hills in Sept/Oct some of these carrying a light rucsac.

The mountain marathons have always been the first events to put on my annual race calendar.  I have also competed in mountain marathons in Switzerland, France and Arctic Sweden.

I come from a non sporting family.  I was first introduced to the great outdoors by the Duke of Edinburgh award whilst at school.  I took up orienteering at university and started running training in order to improve.  I got quite good at orienteering and was a member of the GB team in the late 1980’s.  At my best, I was ranked around 10th in the country.  I still really enjoy orienteering but since becoming a dad compete a lot less than I used to.

I also enjoy hill running.  My favourite hills are the Howgills and the Lakes.

I used to run for Glossopdale Harriers but joined Horwich around 4 years ago when I moved back to Bolton.

Favourite events:
- KIMM (venue moves each year – end of October)
- LAMM (always in Scotland – mid June)
- Lake District Mountain Trial (Sept)
- Grisedale Horseshoe (Sept)
- Langdale (Oct)
- Borrowdale (only done it once – August)
- Winter Hill
- FRA relay
- Orienteering Championships
- Any orienteering in the Lakes.

Left: Mark at the Calderdale Way Relay 2004.  On leg 3, Mark and race partner Dave Massey were 3rd fastest from 96 teams.