Up at 5am, training every day in the rain or snow – these north and north-east runners won’t let anything get in the way of doing what they love.
Even full-time jobs as A&E nurses and family responsibilities are no obstacle to hitting the road.
Which is why in 2023 they were among the biggest hitters in the region on fitness app Strava in terms of total running mileage.
We meet these super fit Strava users and find out what it takes to be among the best.
And how they get themselves out of bed, and sometimes even up Munroes, when it’s blowing a hoolie outside.
Max Abernethy, 22, oil and gas project engineer, Fraserburgh, who did 10k with a broken toe on pure adrenaline
Strava running distance in 2023: 3,075 miles
Personal records: 5km – 14m 29secs
I’ve more of a swimming background.
I started doing triathlons when I was about 14 or 15. My dad was doing them and I ended up tagging along. I realised that my swimming and cycling were both a lot better than the running, so I started running to try and get that up to scratch as well.
I just really enjoyed it and ended up doing more and more.
I’m a bit injured at the moment, but when I’m fully fit I’m out every day, and sometimes I double up.
Most days I would do an hour, which is about eight miles or 14 to 15k. Some days I’ll do two hours, which might see me run even 30k.
It seems really normal to me, which itself is strange because even just a few years ago running 30k seemed like a really big number to do. You just gradually build it up year after year.
There’s probably a couple of Aberdeen guys that are doing more miles than me.
Fitting it in around work can be a bit tricky at times. It took a bit of getting used to once I left uni. Worst case scenario I’ll be up at 5am to go for a run.
Once I hear the alarm, I’ll just throw myself out before I can think too much about it. When you can hear the wind and rain battering your window it can be a bit of a thought to go out. But the run’s done before you know it.
It does get really addictive. When you’re running every other day, your body almost depends on it.
My goal for this year is the Armagh 5K in Northern Ireland. It must be one of the world’s fastest 5ks. Last year, 132 people ran it under 15 minutes. It’s just a really stacked field.
I’ve got a calf injury at the moment, but the main problem was my broken toe. At a cross country race, the guy in front of me put his spike through my toe, unfortunately.
It was at the start line, so I ran 10k with a broken toe. The adrenaline might have helped me place a little higher than I would have otherwise.
The Big Questions
How many pairs of running shoes do you have? It was between 20 and 30 but I’ve got rid of some so it’s less now.
Did you run on Christmas Day? No, but I was injured. The Christmas before I did 14 miles.
Rosie Hislop, 29, account manager, Aberdeen: the Lockdown runner who went from struggling 5ks to six days a week
Strava running distance in 2023: 1,643 miles
Personal records: 5km – 18m 58s; Half marathon – 1h 32m 50
I’m a lockdown runner.
It started as a way to lose weight but then I got more involved in the running community with Parkrun and things like that.
Before lockdown I hated running and couldn’t go out without stopping lots of times. The first time I went out for a 5k with a friend I had to stop and walk about five or six times.
Then it just got easier and easier, and I got involved with my running club Metro. Running alongside others and the encouragement you get from others in the running community is a huge thing.
As well as the physical side of it, it has a huge impact on your mental health as well. You might wake up feeling a bit rubbish and getting trainers on and getting out makes you feel way better.
Before lockdown I would go out [to parties] quite a lot, and obviously that doesn’t go hand in hand with the amount of miles I do a week. So I haven’t drunk over Christmas at all. It’s changed my life in that way and I’ve become a lot happier.
Right now, I’m running six days a week. Two of those will be a harder session so I’m averaging about 70km (44 miles) a week. I missed two months of running last year because of a shin injury.
If you feel nervous about going out running then it’s a good idea to join one of the clubs. Nobody’s left alone, and there will always be someone at your pace.
I met my boyfriend through running, so I get to see him whilst I run.
Not all my friends but a lot of my friends are runners and I do feel some days that literally my life is running because I’m working in the industry as well [Rosie works for Findarace.com, an event platform].
And I don’t really buy normal clothes anymore because all I buy are running clothes. But I do genuinely love it. I think I’m a bit weird in that way.
The Big Questions
How many pairs of running shoes do you have? Oh, God. Like, probably 20 right now.
Did you run on Christmas Day? Oh, yeah, I did. I went to Parkrun.
Robin Downie, 27, A&E nurse, Fort William: The Munro marathon man
Strava running distance in 2023: 1,600 miles
Cycling distance in 2023: 6,253 miles
I do quite a lot of races, but my big goal is the Celtman in June and also something called the Ramsey’s Round, which is a mountain run in Lochaber of about 100km.
The Celtman is triathlon [centred around the Torridon mountains] that starts with a 3.4km sea swim in Shieldaig in the Highlands, then it’s a 200km bike ride on the road and then a marathon that goes over two Munroes.
The one in June will be my fifth time, so I’ve somehow got the bug. It’s a great event and people come from all over the world to do it. It showcases one of the best place to run in Scotland, which is Torridon.
I did my first one in 2017, and I only really took up running the year before to do the event. I did a bit of running on and off, but probably just as much as most people. Once I signed up for the event I took it a lot more seriously.
I did about seven months of training for it and I was very motivated. Only one or two local people [Robin is from Lochcarron] have completed the Celtman so there was a lot of local support for me.
What it also showed me was that there are so many great trails for running on here. I realised there was this massive playpark on my doorstep.
I’m an A&E nurse at the Belford Hospital in Fort William. When I’m in full training I probably do about 15 to 20 hours of training a week. If it’s a day shift I start at 9am so I wake up at 7am and go out before breakfast. On night shift I wake up at 5pm and plan to be training by about 6 or 7.
The hardest thing is probably when I’m on night shift and need to get the motivation to go out for a run.
The last thing I feel like doing after nightshift is to go for a run, but once I’m out the door I always enjoy it. It freshens the mind for the next shift.
The Big Questions
How many pairs of running shoes do you have? I just bought another two pairs so have about 12, I think.
Did you run on Christmas Day? No, but I did go for a swim. And I did a hill race on New Year’s Day.
Bob Crowe, 48, business development manager, Bridge of Don: The late bloomer who discovered running in his 30s, and now does a marathon a year
Strava running distance in 2023: About 1,600 miles (2,200 miles in 2022)
Personal records: Marathon – 3h 27m
I’ve not always been a runner.
I spent a lot of my late 20s and early 30s quite overweight and it was a good spur to maintaining fitness. In my 20s I was around the 19 stone mark and that dropped down through various exercises, but not running.
Then about 10 years ago I did a 10k. Then one of my friends asked if I’d fancy doing a half marathon.
The year after that I thought I’d give a marathon a go so in 2015 I did the London marathon for [Aberdeen social care charity] VSA.
My aim was to break four hours and I did it in 3h 54m.
The year after that, my friend’s bright idea was to do the 33-mile D33 race, which goes from Duthie Park to Banchory and back. We used to use that race as a training run for more marathons, which was a bit stupid but I was a lot younger then. I ended up doing that race three years in a row.
Since then I’ve done a marathon a year. And in Manchester last year, I got under the three and a half hour mark, which was a goal.
I go out running five or six times a week as I like to factor in a day’s rest every week. I aim to do a minimum of 35 miles a week and usually vary between 30-45 miles. And that’s a mix of going out myself or with friends.
I’m married and got two kids so I go running first thing in the morning before I go to work [at the Boskalis office in Westhill].
I get up about 5am or 6am, go out and get it done. Or I go running at lunch time from work. If the weather’s rubbish, I’ll go down and use the treadmill, but that’s a last resort.
I’d rather go out even if it’s raining, just chuck on a waterproof jacket. And if I’ve arranged to meet somebody in the morning that makes it easier.
I’ve been injured for some of last year. I was training for the Manchester marathon in April and I embarked on this ridiculous nine-month-long run streak, running every day. After the marathon I didn’t give myself enough recovery time and I’m no longer a spring chicken.
But I’m back on it now so I’m not complaining.
The Big Questions
How many pairs of running shoes do you own? Seven pairs, three of which are unused
Did you run on Christmas Day? Yes. I did the Parkrun.
Also in the P&J…
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