Vegan Damian Hall smashes course record in epic 300km race

Founder of The Green Runners covered 190 miles in record time

British ultra-runner Damian Hall has smashed the Northern Traverse course record, completing the epic 300-kilometre race across the stunning natural scenery of England. The grueling event, which traverses three iconic national parks – the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North Yorkshire Moors – features a significant 6500 metres of elevation gain.

In 2022, fellow Brit Kim Collison set the previous course record at 44 hours and 24 minutes, but this year, Hall had his sights firmly set on the title.

Clear and sunny spring weather provided the perfect backdrop for the race, and Hall took an early lead after the Saturday morning start. Maintaining an impressive pace, he was ahead of schedule at every checkpoint and ultimately crossed the finish line in Robin Hood’s Bay in an astonishing 42 hours, 56 minutes and 50 seconds. This remarkable achievement secured him the record, a convincing four and a half hours ahead of the second-place runner.

Hall’s victory in the Northern Traverse ultra-marathon adds to his growing list of course records and fastest known times (FKTs) in the world of endurance running.

Beyond his athletic achievements, Damian Hall is a vocal advocate for environmental sustainability. Having turned vegan due to the environmental impact of animal agriculture, he actively encourages a more eco-conscious approach to his beloved sport. He uses his running platform “to draw attention to our climate and ecological emergency.”

Reflecting on his previous successes in 2021, Hall stated, “I broke three records last year and they are important but they are not the most important thing. For each of those records I did them without animal products fuelling me. Also without creating any plastic waste, which is much more difficult actually.”

Content sourced and adapted, with permission, from Great Vegan Athletes.