During September, fell runner Sara Willhoit ran for England in the British Athletics classic up and downhill trial for the World Mountain Running championships. Sara — who qualified for the championships in 2019 and finished 11th overall — chats to us about how she juggles a full-time job alongside a running career and gives us a glimpse into her training schedule and her future plans.

32-year-old Sara lives in the picturesque Shropshire countryside in the town of Shrewsbury. The full-time landscape architect picked up running in 2014, when she was a recently graduated university student looking for something to occupy her spare time now her studies were over.

“University was pretty intense,” Sara said. “I was constantly working on projects so when I started working nine to five, I needed something to fill this free time which had suddenly become available.”

With this in mind, Sara set out to join a local triathlon club:

“If you’ve never been part of a club or team before, like me, it’s pretty daunting,” Sara remembered. “I showed up to the track in Shrewsbury on the first night and couldn’t get out of the car as I was too shy.”

Sara played around with the three triathlon disciplines — running, cycling and swimming — before she realised she had developed a real passion for moving by foot.

“I ended up running and as I loved being out on the hills, I discovered, through word of mouth, that a fell running scene existed,” said Sara, who is local to the peak and valley-filled Long Mynd and The Wrekin, which has lots of variety in terrain.

“I try to run at either of these locations at least once during the week and then usually head to Snowdonia in Wales over the weekend,” she added.

Once Sara had garnered enough confidence to head out solo, she started researching the fell running competition scene:

“I’ve always been a competitive person; Interestingly, I feel like I’m competitive with myself rather than other people. I gradually built up my confidence and ability as time went on.”

In 2019, Sara rose to world class heights when she competed for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the World Long Distance Mountain Running championships in Villa La Angostura, Argentina. She finished 11th over the 42km course with 2,184m of ascent.

“I would say this is my biggest achievement,” she said. “It was beautiful and the scenery was incredible, too. That same year I also ran the Jungfrau Marathon in Switzerland, which was another incredible experience.”

The 2021 British Athletics Mountain Running Championships and Home Countries International took place on the 19 September in Sedbergh, Cumbria. Sara’s team came away with the silver position:

“The team ran very well and It was a close call; there were just a couple of points between us and the winners.”

Training wise, Sara was aiming to run 70km per week, making use of the flat road routes around her home and heading out into the mountains on the weekend for a longer run.

She also incorporates hill sessions to increase stamina and strength. For a longer competition, Sara ups her mileage to around 100km per week, aiming for between 10 and 13 hours activity time which includes mountain biking or road cycling.

“I also do bodyweight workouts; little and often works best. Nutrition is important, too. I don’t follow a specific diet but I ensure I’m getting enough protein and carbs in as well as plenty of vegetables; I try to eat the rainbow.”

Sara also has a coach who ensures she’s on the right track and not over or undertraining. Sara says a trainer “takes the pressure off” and helps her to “get the right sessions in at the right time.”

When asked how she stays motivated, Sara confirms that it’s discipline and always having a goal to work towards which keeps her on the right track:

“During lockdown I did lose some discipline, but in hindsight it gave my body a big break and I was able to relax,” she said. “Being in routine is really helpful. As soon as I get home from work I like to get straight out the door. I love having people around me who have big goals, too; it’s really inspiring and keeps me focused.”

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH SARA

Instagram sarawillhoit

How a world championship fell runner trains, eats and prepares for success