09. The Stoked Report
Kat, founder of The Mountain Running Company, answers my questions on adventures and entrepreneurship. Plus, race updates, Substack gems, and podcast news!
Hi all, as always, I love to hear from you, so don’t hesitate to hit reply and share your thoughts. If you’re enjoying this journey, please spread the word far and wide to anyone who might love reading and listening along with us.
With love,
Julia
“Running is one way that we have a tangible relationship with the environment”
A new episode came out this week with the amazing Dr Brianna Rita Pagan, a talented Ultra-runner, board member of Footprints Running, space ecologist, professor and environmentalist. We explore her personal journey, how running can be a force for good, the lessons she’s learned while running, the importance of community, defining moments, and how she stays hopeful! Don’t miss it:
Following
Spring is here, and the trail and ultra-running world is alive! Here’s what I’m following right now:
Marathon season for London on Sunday (27th of April), a huge good luck to two of our previous guests that will be running: Sophie Bennett & Marie Cheng!
Staying on the London theme, there is also a new exciting ultra in town: London 100km, with 3 distances available: 100km, 50km, and 25km, happening on the 10th of May!
I fell in love with Madeira while on holiday, I can imagine how both beautiful and challenging MIUT Madeira must be! Really excited to follow this race, and adding Jo Meek to my do watching for this one!
Solo adventures: I love to see more of those, right now Sanna Duthie is going for a FKT on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, and Lydia Oldham is getting ready to run across Portugal!
Food for Thought, Substack pieces that stuck with me this month:
Not all men from Unfinished Journeys.
Have we hit peak run ? from Salty.
Yeah, but what's in it for me? Why I don't think outdoor brands should be in charge of community from FIRN.
The Pursuit of Perfection from The Green Room.
Photo below was my Substack reading location of choice last week-end !
Over the bank holiday break, I also booked some time for mountain adventures, including a fast-packing trip with the Mountain Running Company. More than being a cool experience with plenty of learnings for me, it was also awesome to meet and spend time with Kathryn Roberts, the founder! I’m endlessly inspired by women forging their own paths, so I was thrilled when she agreed to answer a few of my questions. (Not sponsored by the way)
Scroll down for a serious dose of inspiration and motivation. You’re gonna love this.
Meeting Kat!
Tell me about yourself and your background as a runner and adventurer ?
Growing up in a small village in North East Wales, adventuring from the doorstep was a part of everyday life. Rolling hills, forestry, rivers—being outside was just what we did, whether it was weekends, school holidays, or evenings after dinner. With my dad, adventures were fast and light, often turning into spontaneous competitive races with each other. With my mum, it was all about wildlife and bushcraft—learning, observing, and connecting with nature on a slower, deeper level. Looking back now, it’s clear my parents played a huge role in shaping my love for the outdoors and adventure. Sport has always been part of my identity, too. I actually started as a club swimmer before finding myself (somewhat reluctantly) running cross-country. If younger Kat could see me now—she’d definitely have a laugh! Around age 12, I fell into track accidentally—my younger brother was a sprinter on the welsh team, and I sort of followed along. I ended up competing in the 300m/400m flat and hurdles, which was fun, but it never quite felt like me, also at 5ft4 I was usually one of the shorter runners having to work A LOT harder, haha.What did feel right were those days in the mountains—pushing limits, testing boundaries, and feeling that wild kind of freedom. At 18 (so, 11 years ago now), I started transitioning into fast and light walking. But that quickly evolved—less kit, faster legs, and more time moving through mountainous terrain that made me feel completely alive. These days, I’d call myself a mountain-conditioned all-rounder. My heart lies in running through the mountains, but I also love a big mountain route with my partner, days of mountaineering, long-distance rides on two wheels, or even swimming out in open water. There’s something about the mountains that brings out the best version of myself. They push me beyond my comfort zone and teach me what I’m capable of, but they also offer a sense of peace and safety that’s hard to describe. Adventure is what makes me, me.
When did you decide to share your passion and build your own company. What was your motivation?
I always knew that growing up, I wanted to be part of the sporting world or the outdoor industry in some way—and I also had a strong desire to run my own business. The creative side of business is something I’m really passionate about; it’s where I feel most inspired and energised. At 16, as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, I chose to support my dad as a volunteer coach at a local athletics club. Every Wednesday, I coached both a disability athletics group and a children's group. It started out as something I was doing for my DofE hours, but it quickly became something much bigger. Not long after, I found myself on a UK Athletics Coaching Assistant course, and that’s where the flame really caught. That’s where the desire to share my passion truly took root. I realised how much I loved supporting people and playing a role in their journeys. Everyone is different—they have different learning styles, lifestyles, and goals—which means I have to constantly adapt, grow, and become a better version of myself to meet them where they are. Seeing someone reach their goals, knowing I had a small part to play in that? That’s what really motivates me. It truly is an incredible feeling.
How did I get here? I made a plan.Then I sat with that plan, thought about it, reworked it, and wrote everything down.I’ve got so many notepads full of spider charts and bullet points —just ideas at first—but those ideas slowly started to grow into something more. Once they had a bit of shape, I wrote a business plan, then a five-year plan. I started an Instagram account to bring the vision to life, and honestly… it kind of just went from there. The Mountain Running Company actually wasn't my first business venture, I started out as Altitude Snowdonia and this was where I did most of my learning and mistakes which helped massively when I decided to rebrand.. Creating the brand was a big moment—but I knew that’s when the real work actually started.
What’s the most underestimated part of starting your own thing?
The most underestimated part? The time. The hard work. The determination it takes to make it all happen. It’s the long days, the late nights replying to emails, staying consistent on socials, and keeping the momentum going even when you're exhausted and have spent the day on the hill. You have to accept there’ll be pushbacks, slow days, hard days—but like they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a business. What often gets overlooked is all the behind-the-scenes work. The “back office” stuff—like making sure your insurance is sorted, your qualifications are current, risk assessments are done. And all that happens before you even touch the social media and marketing side.You’ve got to be willing to go 10,000% in. There’s no halfway when it comes to building something from the ground up. I'm coming from it from a background where I have had to graft really hard to get the money together and work multiple jobs at one time to make it work, so for me I understand the grit that is needed and commitment.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
The people, They’re what makes the job for me. It never really feels like work. I honestly feel so lucky to have met so many incredible humans from all walks of life through what I do. Every single one brings something different, and I learn just as much from them as they (hopefully!) do from me. Wake up genuinely stoked to head into the mountains, knowing I get to share my passion with people who are just as into it as I am. What’s not to love about that?
What advice would you give to women looking to follow their own paths in adventures and in life ?
Whether it’s starting a business, exploring the mountains, or chasing something completely new—It's your story. Start small, write the goals, adventures down and go after them! Surround yourself with people who lift you up and believe in you and what you want to do and the people that will push you to make sure you do it! Accept there will be harder days and embrace them as these are the days that will build that resilience and that determination. Like i said it's YOUR story and You get to shape it however you want. And that? That is amazing!