Meet the team that will help you take your running to stunning new heights in the mountains of Scotland
Our Philosophy
We believe that running is one of the best ways to understand your body and mind whilst also bringing you closer to nature. Using our combined experience, we aim to equip you with the tools to head out more confidently on your own adventures.
The Team
Mountain Runner and Mountain Leader
Owner of Wild Roots Guiding
Anna Danby
My passion for running has grown slowly over the years. What started as something purely motivated by keeping fit has shifted to being how I explore landscapes, boost my mental health and share experiences with friends. In my younger life I dabbled with running a little but never felt inspired by tarmac beneath my feet. I did it because I thought I should, not because I wanted to. In 2009 I moved to Edinburgh; a city full of trails. Suddenly the possibility to take running off road was on my doorstep and my relationship with running took off. Lunch time runs took me into the heart of Holyrood Park, putting on my trainers was a means to get away from the business of city life. My first official ‘event’ was the result of friendly peer pressure from colleagues. The Edinburgh Marathon 10km started from our workplace and I wasn’t left much choice but to enter. I’m not one to do things by halves and so I got a training plan and put in the miles. I was surprised by how I enjoyed the structure of training and even more surprised that I came in well ahead of all my colleagues. In the following years I was a regular participant at trail and mountain running events in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Scotland. I especially enjoyed competing in multi-day events, a highlight was coming first for my category in the Great Lakeland 3-Day mountain marathon.  The last organised race I ran was the Ring of Steall Skyline, which at 5 months post-partum was quite the challenge! Since moving to the Highlands, I have been more drawn to solo endurance running over technical terrain and big mountain routes. In 2023 I completed a solo Tranter round, a mountain circuit taking in 18 Munros, over 6000m ascent and 60km of wild, technical and pathless terrain. Making it onto the top 10 female FKT’s for this route is one of my proudest achievements. Alongside running I am an experienced rock climber and mountaineer and my love for mountains spills over into my work as a Mountain Leader year-round in the Scottish Highlands. Prior to working as a guide, I spent over 15 years in education and leadership roles and bring a lot of this experience to my guiding. I especially love helping people gain new skills and confidence to fuel their own adventures. Running through the mountains is one of my greatest joys and I can’t wait to help others to access wild places in this way.
Mountain Runner and Mountain Leader
Winner of the UK & Ireland Skyrunning series '23
George Fisher
I entered the world of endurance sports when I stumbled upon triathlon in my early teenage years. Many subsequent years spent as one of the slower members on the swim team, and not quite the fastest runner or cyclist in my cohort, honed my ability to dig deep. I applied this across a broad spectrum of pursuits including marathon kayaking, trail running, and mountaineering until I eventually found somewhere where this ability held currency; the Army. Six years of service as an officer in The Rifles taught me many leadership, discipline and practical skills that greatly enrich my time in the mountains, and help me get the best out of those that I train with. During this period I represented the army at the London marathon, cementing running as a sport that I would continue to compete in throughout my time in the military, and discovered climbing through a mutual friend. Climbing unlocked the mountains for me, allowing me access to the insanely cool places that, as a runner, I had only previously been able to admire from below. In 2021, when leaving the Army, I decided to take a sabbatical, move to the Highlands with my partner, and fully indulge my passion for running and climbing by training to race the Glen Coe Skyline. The experience of racing along those exposed ridges was everything I hoped it would be. I was hooked and I’ve been racing regularly since, racking up podiums in skyrunning and mountain running events around the UK, culminating in winning the 2023 UK and Ireland Skyrunning Series. These days I’m often accompanied on the hill by my 2 year old daughter, I love that this has taught me to slow down a little and focus on the mountains that I’m so lucky to spend my time in. Her fascination has reignited in me a desire to learn more about our environment, so expect me to note down any interesting plant facts!
Mountain Leader and Ultra Runner
Owner of Apexx Training
Sally Hudson
I’ve always led a very active lifestyle, participating in a variety of sports from a young age, but my passion was always for running. My running career started with Harrogate Athletics Club competing at distances of up to 1,500m. However I was never going to be fast over those short distances, and the track just wasn’t for me. and much preferred going for a run on the trails around Harrogate and competing for the school cross-country club. Getting out in nature, covering longer distances, and coming home covered in mud…now this was my kind of running! Moving to Fort William in 2010 opened up a whole new running playground, and I now love nothing more than a day out running in the local mountains, whatever the weather. There’s something about seeing what my body is capable of and seeing how far I can go that really makes me tick. Over the years I have completed half marathons and marathons, and in 2022 I added some swimming and cycling to my running to complete my first Ironman over in Cork, Ireland. I have since raced an Ironman 70.3 and although I would love to go back to triathlon and do another Ironman, my focus is currently purely on running. In September 2023 I ran the Yr Wyddfa Ultra 50 as my first ultramarathon and placed 4th female. I have now caught the ultra bug and also have the Spine Sprint in January ‘24 and the UTS 100K in May ‘24. Who knows after that!
Adventure Performance Coach
Owner of e3 coach
Jon Fearne
My passion for running started back in primary school when I was encouraged to take part in and later compete in athletics as a way of burning excess energy! It didn't take me long from there to realize that supporting others to achieve their goals gave me equal (if not more) pleasure and prompted me to complete a variety of NGB qualifications, then later a degree in Sports Science, followed by co-writing MSC in Athlete and development and Peak Performance. I've been coaching endurance athletes now for 27 years and aim to offer a holistic approach that enables success. My initial clients focused on triathlons and Iron-man, but over the years has developed into mountain biking and long-distance running. More recently, I also work with athletes looking to do take on adventures and endurance routes and have worked with individuals who have completed UTMB, Marathon des Sable, polar solo firsts, Atlantic row, 8000m summits and ................. to name a few. My role as a coach has also enabled me to take part in various other events and activities which have supported both my own journey and within my work. I have spent many years setting up multiple clubs within cycling and triathlon and was lucky to be asked to support in the setting up of Oman's National Triathlon Club. I've enjoyed running training camps across Europe for my own athletes and on behalf of others and more recently have started lecturing at the UHI for the Adventure Performance degree, sharing as much of my experience as possible to help others find their way into this amazing industry. I also supported Solent University by co-writing their Masters in Athlete development. My own experience in endurance sport has varied over the last 3 decades as different opportunities have presented themselves. Whilst my journey started with racing Ironman semi-professionally, I grew to prefer races or challenges that spanned a longer time and distance, completing both the Transalpine (a 7 day run race across the alps) and Transalp (a 7 day MTB race across the alps). These days, I've moved onto personal challenges that I can tailor to what I want to achieve and enjoy climbing 4000m peaks, cross country skiing, winter mountaineering and multi day run routes.
"The mountains are calling and I must go."
John Muir