Becs Gentry has made a life out of running.

Hoka's newest Global Brand Ambassador has worked as a coach for some of the biggest names in the sport in cities like London and New York.

Along the way, she has excelled at a range of distances, including trialling for Great Britain's Olympic team.

However, her journey was sparked not by a desire to be an elite athlete and coach, but a need to escape from the pressure of work that will relate to everyday runners across the world.

A keen runner at school, Becs drifted away from running during her time at university but returned to the sport with a bang in 2011.

Initially, it was that need to find a release from the stress of work that prompted her to take running up again. It quickly, though, turned into a new career as Becs became a running coach, firstly for Nike Run+ in London and then for Peloton in New York.

Her own running also went from strength to strength, as she began taking on marathon and ultra marathon events. In 2019, she finished as the first non-elite woman in the New York City Marathon.

And by 2021, Becs had been invited to the British Olympic Marathon Trials, where she finished fourth in a time of two hours, 32 minutes and one second.

Her role at Peloton and road running success has seen Becs gain a loyal following of runners who look to her for inspiration, including more than 200,000 on Instagram.

Running Tales spoke to Becs about how she loves helping others achieve running success, the step up to the British Olympic trials, and her number one tip for all runners...

'Part of a team that moves together':

Hoka welcomed Becs Gentry as its newest Global Brand Ambassador by celebrating her running achievements, including her 2024 completion of seven marathons in as many days.

The running shoe and apparel giant said: "Becs has earned deep credibility within the global running community as a dedicated road runner and accomplished marathoner, with a loyal following of runners who look to her for guidance and inspiration."

The partnership will allow Becs to share her passion for running and inspiring others to move, as well as to engage with Hoka's community across the world.

Hoka added: "An accomplished marathoner, beloved Peloton instructor and mom to daughter Tallulah. motion is at the centre of all things Becs.

"Now, as our latest Global Brand Ambassador, she's part of a team that moves together."

• NOTE: In the interest of full transparency, please be aware that Hoka arranged this interview with Becs Gentry. Our thanks to them for backing our work. Running Tales received no payment of any kind for this interview, and we were given full autonomy on the questions we asked. Thanks again to Becs and Hoka for being part of the Running Tales project.

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Terrell Johnson is Substack 'Running Royalty'.

With more than 39,000 subscribers, his The Half Marathoner newsletter is hugely popular, combining personal stories with those of runners from around the world, training plans, lists of often exotic-sounding races, and intimate community conversations about everything running related.

His own running story started when he was in his mid-20s. At that time, he took on a variety of distances including several marathons. But it was when, in his early 30s, he discovered a love for half-marathons that Terrell really became immersed in the sport.

It may seem strange in today's climate, where races scream at you from every corner of the internet, but in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Terrell struggled to find many half-marathons to run. There was certainly no comprehensive guides telling people how to find them.

If you can't find it, make it - and that's exactly what Terrell did, building his own website. The Half Marathon Guide would become the world’s leading resource for runners looking to run the 13.1-mile distance.

The Half-Marathoner followed a few years later and has created a strong community, with Terrell exploring how running can help people find meaning and spur them on to achieve things they barely thought possible.

Running Tales spoke to Terrell about his love of the half-marathon, what makes running so special, and the exciting races he would love to take on...

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Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business. I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

Visit⁠⁠ Path Projects via this link⁠⁠ and back Running Tales in the process (affiliate link).

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Read The Half Marathoner

Struggling with his mental health and looking to lose weight, Ross Thompson made the decision to start running around a year ago.

At first it was a struggle, and Ross was left wondering if running was for him. But he slowly grew to like it, and his efforts were supercharged when he took the decision to create his alter ego: The Orange Running Guy.

Suddenly, his running was more than just a battle with himself. Ross was growing a network of running friends across social media, inspiring him just as he provided them with inspiration.

Now, he has gone from 5k parkruns to planning his first 10k race at the Wolverhampton 10k - which finishes in the stadium of his beloved and orange-wearing Wolverhampton Wanderers. He is even hoping to complete 50k at Endure 24 later this year.

Running Tales spoke to Ross about how running has changed his life, gathering community and aiming to inspire others, and how his daughter created The Orange Running Guy...

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Buy Me A Coffee:

Back Running Tales and help us continue to tell the extraordinary stories of everyday runners: ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/runningtales

Path Projects:

Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business. I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

Visit⁠ Path Projects via this link⁠ and back Running Tales in the process (affiliate link).

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