One Athlete, Many Summits

Jonathan Albon may be endurance racing’s best-kept secret, writes Malcolm Bradbrook. He is not a household name in his native England, but is now world champion in three of the world’s most gruelling events. He shares his training secrets

- Malcolm Bradbrook

How much running do you do?’ is my first question, as I imagine the kind of training regime such superhumans must undertake. The reply, bookended by a relaxed chuckle, is almost apologetic: ‘Not very much, I’m afraid.’

The 30-year-old Londoner is a world champion in Skyrunning and Obstacle Course Racing, but added what he regards as the most satisfying win to his portfolio when he took gold at the IAU Trail World Championships in Portugal this summer.

Despite this huge success, he describes himself as an ‘accidental athlete’ who fell into the sport and had no idea of his own potential when he first became ‘a runner’ at the age of 20.

A few years of hard training, followed by race-winning, changed his view of his newfound hobby, although it was when he moved to Bergen in Norway in 2014 that things really kicked off. The side-effect of unemployment in a new city with a huge world of training potential on his doorstep helped Albon to develop additional strength and achieve even more.

In the modern day of ‘A Races and B Races’, ‘projects’ and goal-focusing, it is really refreshing to hear Albon talk about the challenges he encounters.

‘I’ve never really had a target,’ he explains. ‘I just get asked to race and, if I fancy it, I take part. I go with the flow mostly.’