Inspiring striding - Pete Goldring

For this “Inspiring striding" we have something a little different! We interviewed our co-founder Pete Goldring!

Pete got into running 15 years ago and has run 64 marathons and ultra marathons.

So if you want to know Pete's top 5 running tips and his greatest running achievements then read on!

Thanks so much Pete for joining in with our blog ❤️

How long have you been running for and how did you originally get into it? 

I ran cross country and track back at school. I hadn’t run for a few years and then in 2009, when I was 24, I started running again. My friend James Elson (who went on to found Centurion Running) whom I worked with in advertising in London, challenged me to run a marathon. I trained for it in about 4 months and ran my first marathon (Essex & Halstead) in 3.44 and haven’t looked back since. 

Where is your favourite place to run? 

I love running along Southend seafront which is where I do a lot of my training. It’s flat and there are such lovely views of the Thames estuary – the only problem sometimes is the wind. I try and mix it up with lots of different routes and go off road as well but there is nothing better than a run along the seafront – especially in the sun! 

Tell us a bit about your running experience? PBs, etc?                        

I have run 64 marathons and ultra marathons.  

My PB’s are – 5k-17.51, 10k – 36.57, Half – 1.22.13, 20 miler – 2.11.18, Marathon – 2.56.01, 45 miler – 6 hours 6 mins, 50 miler – 8 hours 12 mins & 100 miler – 17 hours 51 mins. 

What are your top running tips? 

1. 10% rule – don’t increase your weekly mileage when building up, by more than 10%. 
2. Invest in good trainers and kit (happystride shorts ;)). You need the right trainers so worth getting checked and doing a gait analysis so you don’t get injured – everyone runs differently. 
3. If going the distance make sure you have the right nutrition – gels, pre fuelling, etc – practice with gels and fuelling before race day. 
4. Break races down into small parts – 10k – break down into 4 x 2.5ks and tick off as you go through the milestones – once you’re over halfway you’re closer to the end than the finish. 
5. ENJOY IT! Running is all about having fun with friends and enjoying it – don’t take it too seriously. 

What’s your greatest running achievement? 

The race I’m most proud of is probably my 2.56.01 at Manchester marathon. I have run 4 x sub 3 marathons and it took me a few years to do it, with my first at Amsterdam marathon in 2017 in 2.59.20. 

I’m also really proud of running my 6 x 100 milers – 3 in America and 3 in the UK – all great achievements. 

Oh and also launching happystride of course. 

What does your running schedule typically look like and how do you fit it into your life? 

I like to run early in the morning, I believe a run is a great way to start the day and sets me up for the day ahead putting me in a positive mindset allowing me to deal with any of lives challenges.  

What’s your dream race? 

Um that’s a real tricky one – I would love to run the major marathons – I have only done London and maybe Comrades, UTMB and Western States 100.  

What’s your favourite running trainer and why? 

Got to be the Nike vaporfly. I had the original 4% which is the shoe I broke 3 hours in the marathon in. The shoe technology is now amazing! My advice is to use carbon plated shoes for races and a few speed sessions – not all the time as you won’t feel the benefit. 

What food do you take on before a long run and what nutrition do you use to get you through races? 

I normally have porridge with berries and honey, or toast with peanut butter or jam pre long run. In races I use Maurten gels. 

How do you like to celebrate after a race? 

I like to celebrate with some sort of nice food – burger or Turkish food and a beer or two. 

Who are your running inspirations and why? 

Eliud Kipchoge – no human is limited – what he did breaking 2 hours is amazing and it just proves that no human is limited. I love his approach to life and running. 

Do you have any lifetime running goals? If so, what are they? 

In terms of time goals, I’m not chasing a PB anymore. I would love to do more races abroad and ultras.  

What’s your favourite happystride pattern and why? 

At the moment I really like “Pretty Petal” as I love all the bright colours of the flowers, on the black background.  

Talk to us about happystride. How’s it going? 

We launched happystride 5 years ago now, and really didn’t know what to expect when we started it apart from we wanted to inspire happy running. We love seeing customers in happystride gear in person, at races and tagging us on social media. We love the community we are building and we are on a mission to inspire happy movement in general, not just running! Happy… running, cycling, walking, hiking, kayaking and anytime of fitness or exercise.  

There are a lot of highs and lows with running a small business and it’s very 24/7 - but most of the time it’s worth it. We have come this far now and want to continue to inspire people to move and wear cool, colourful & functional kit whilst supporting mental health charities too. 

Wow, thank you so much Pete for joining us and answering our questions! Stay tuned for our next 'inspiring striding' blog in our series where we will have another inspiring guest!