Field Journal

Written by: Daniel Neilson // Photography: Jake Mckenna // Film: Summit Fever Media
Produced in Partnership with HOKA and Nevisport

Lucy Gossage is an oncologist, co-founder of Move Against Cancer, gold-medal-winning Ironman triathlete and winner of the Montane Winter Spine Race. In this series for HOKA, she explains how the power of running can benefit everyone. This is about the long run – and the really long run. It’s about ultra races, long days on the trails, and it’s about the longest run of all: life.

Lucy Gossage is an exceptional trail runner, clocking up huge distances, especially around the Peak District – ‘my happy place,’ as she says. She was a professional Ironman triathlete, winning numerous events, and came third in her debut Montane Winter Spine Race – 268 miles along the Pennine Way – before winning it outright in 2025. Lucy is also an oncologist and the co-founder of a charity called Move Against Cancer, which supports and inspires people living with cancer to be active.

We meet Lucy in Bamford, in the Peak District, before heading out on a training run. She’s here to spend the weekend clocking up serious miles. Today, though, is about testing the new HOKA Mafate 5 shoes, running out of Bamford and along Bamford Edge, and talking about her running life, her professional life, and how the two entwine. It is fascinating, inspiring, and poignant.

With a remarkable triathlon career behind her – including a couple of years competing professionally – Lucy has often spoken about how sport has made her a better doctor. ‘I work as an oncologist and people think it’s depressing; it’s actually really uplifting,’ Lucy says. ‘But one thing that I really take from it is how short life is; it really makes me appreciate opportunities and just be grateful to have a body that can do stuff like the crazy stuff that I do. The young people that I work with just remind me of that every day.’

It’s something Lucy feels so passionately about that she co-founded Move Against Cancer.

‘It’s quite incredible seeing how focusing on what you can do in the face of adversity can be really powerful psychologically, but then that translates physically as well. There is loads of evidence that exercise is one of the very best things that anyone with cancer can do, but actually the psychological benefits from being out there doing something that you thought was impossible, whether that’s walking half a mile or walking 5km, is hugely powerful.

‘I take so much joy in seeing people achieve their impossible – probably just as much as I take in achieving my impossible.’

From being a triathlete in the ultra-competitive world of Ironman, to most recently winning the Winter Spine Race, one of the most brutal races anywhere, as well as encouraging people to take their first steps in the hills after cancer treatment, Lucy has developed a unique perspective.

So how do you encourage people, especially women, to put on a pair of trainers and get outdoors? Lucy has a quick, clear answer. ‘I think if you’re a woman who’s a little bit nervous about starting, find some other women or people to get out with to show you the routes.

‘It is always a bit nerve-wracking joining a new community, but everyone there has felt the same. And trail running is such a welcoming group of people because fundamentally I think trail running, for nearly everyone, is just about being out there and discovering what your body can do. It’s not really about time and it’s not really about pace.’

It’s an element of her trail running that she’s carried over from racing as a triathlete.
‘As a triathlete, I did a lot of psychology, and I realised that what I did in race week could influence quite significantly how I performed. Subconsciously I’ve taken that into trail running. A lot of it is just switching off.

‘I think the biggest thing I do, intuitively now, is really think about my “why” for doing stuff. Before a big race or event that’s scaring you, understanding why you’re doing it and reminding yourself why you’re doing it is something that I do without thinking now – but it’s actually really helpful.’

As we look back over the films of Lucy we shot on Bamford Edge, it’s clear she’s a talent, and one loaded with experience. She flies effortlessly, efficiently, and gracefully along the trails – always with a ready smile.

‘Oh, the Peak District’s my happy place. When I did triathlon, I used to come out here on my bike and now I just come out here with my running shoes. It just gives me head space. I just absolutely love it. Definitely my happy place.’

And finally, what’s the verdict on the shoes?

‘I’ve been using HOKA since I first did the Montane Winter Spine Race and I just find them super comfortable. That’s the most important thing for me: comfort. The Mafate 5s are shoes I feel I could wear all day and keep going without getting sore feet, which for the kind of stuff I do is pretty important.’

We leave Lucy to her training weekend in the Peak District, reminded of the power of running, or walking, or just being outdoors. Understanding it from Lucy’s perspective only adds more gravitas. It’s life-affirming in the truest sense. The ‘long run’ means very different things to different people, but community support is the clear way to achieve it.

For more details on the Mafate 5s, visit nevisport.com