About Me
Hi. I’m Mike Webb!
Welcome to LetsRunWild where I get to share my personal passions for everything running and outdoors.
I’m not a professional athlete. I love running, and enjoy pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Through trial and a lot of errors, I have run marathons, ultra marathons and participated in triathlons.
Over the past few years running has become more and more important in my life, providing an escape from modern life, where I can switch off, immerse myself in nature and push myself to my limits.
My aim is to provide you with useful information on all aspects of running, through my regular articles covering race tips, race reviews and training tips.
Finally, and most importantly, I hope to inspire you to get out and enjoy the trails.
My first marathon
I was not much of a runner when growing up. I mainly participated in team sports, and so my only real memories of running were in the annual cross-country cup, which was compulsory and usually held in January. I’d love to say it ignited a burning desire to become a runner… but frankly it probably did the opposite: the whole experience was generally cold and miserable.
Aside from the Olympics, the only running event I watched on TV when growing up was the London Marathon. I loved it…. the music, the costumes… I was transfixed by the will and desire of elite and amateur athletes.
Having moved to London in 1998, and with very little fitness, I entered the London marathon in 2000. Perhaps it says more about who I was hanging around with at the time, but in 1999 running wasn’t really a thing. In fact, I knew only a couple of people who had ever run a marathon.
The event itself was amazing, to this day it is still one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. It was so good in fact, that I have been back running it in 2008 and 2011.
marathons to Triathlons to ultras
At the time, I was living and working in London, and running was a means to keeping fit. Marathon’s aside, I ran alone, but didn’t love running in the city. Since I cycled 80 miles per week, commuting to work every day, and I lived near Tooting Lido, triathlons appealed. My only problem, I wasn’t a strong swimmer.
So I joined South London Swimming Club, and regularly swam before work in the in the wonderful 91.44 metre lido. As my stroke and swimming fitness improved, I learned to love swimming, and even enjoyed the melee of the triathlon mass start competitive swims!
Leaving London and heading to Brighton was a turning point in so many ways. Although 10 minutes from the beach, the South Downs were a few miles away, and I started to run more and more up there, enjoying the trails, the tranquility and the solitude.
I was attracted to ultra running, as a means to test both my physical and mental strength. I’m not a particularly fast runner, but I wanted to know how far I could push myself. My journey has only really just started.
I’ll share here adventures, and general thoughts as I go.
EVENTS & RESULTS TO DATE…
MARATHONS:
London Marathon: 2000, 2008, 2011
Brighton Marathon: 2019
Brighton Half Marathon: 2019, 2020
Beachy Head Marathon: 2019
TRIATHLONS:
London Triathlon: 2006, 2007, 2009
Stockholm Triathlon: 2014 (2hrs32)
ULTRAS:
Three Forts Challenge (27.2m): 2019
Race to the King (53m): 2019
Centurion – South Downs Way 50 (50m): 2020
London to Brighton Ultra Challenge (100km): 2021
Race to the Stones (100km): 2021