Athletes & Ambassadors
Trusted by athletes. Built for all. Made to endure.
Meet Team Pain Cave. Every one of these inspirational people has a different story to tell. They are all highly driven individuals with positive mindsets exuding discipline and dedication. They embody the ethos of the Pain Cave.
Athlete & Ambassador
Julian Ayres
I have been competing in running and triathlon events since 2012. I began with road marathons and Ironman-distance triathlons before transitioning to ultra-running in 2017, driven by a desire for challenges that push both physical and mental limits.
I am a member of the 100 Marathon Club and have completed over 59 marathon distance events and 60 ultra-distance events to date. These include some of the world’s most demanding races, such as the Spine Race (Summer full distance), Spine South Winter, Dragon’s Back multi-day race, Cappadocia Ultra-Trail 125, UTS 50, 100k and 100 miles, Transylvania Ultra, and the Offa’s Dyke 185.
While I enjoy all distances, I am drawn to events that test resilience, decision-making, and endurance in extreme environments. Mountains, deserts, forests, and icy winter trails all present unique challenges therefore good preparation and equipment matter.
I am proud to partner with Pain Cave Headwear, whose kit supports me across all conditions and terrains, helping me stay protected and focused when it matters most.
Athlete & Ambassador
Chris Cope
Chris is 43 and lives in Nottingham. He is a full-time GP and dad to two exercise-crazed kids. A keen ultra runner, he loves combining the science of training with the joy of the great outdoors.
Chris has loved running from an early age and continued despite being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 13. While not easy to manage, he’s always found exercise helps keep his diabetes under better control, and he enjoys preaching the benefits of movement on the human body.
In his mid-30s he took up Ironman triathlon, winning several races and qualifying for the World Ironman Championships in Hawai’i in 2019. But running was always his first love, and at the end of 2019 he happily binned his swimming trunks.
Since then, he raced the 2022 Dragon’s Back Race, winning the first three stages before injury forced him to hobble the final two days to Cardiff — always smiling. In 2024 he ran a 2:29 PB at the London Marathon, then six weeks later won the Summer Spine outright, covering 268 miles in 79 hours 10. A year later he returned to win the Spine Sprint South with a course record of 6:36.
Next question: what’s it like in winter?
Next stop — the Full Winter Spine, January 2026.
Athlete & Ambassador
Rebecca Hormann
My name is Rebecca and I am a Swiss/American who lives in the UK. I have been trail and ultra running for several years now, having run my first ultra up the coast in Northern Ireland, just to see if I could. I have since raced everything from short fell races to 100+ mile events, podiumed at international races, and represented Switzerland at the Backyard Ultra World Champs.
Trail and ultra running is a lifestyle for me. I tend to seek out events and challenges that scare me a bit and that I’m not entirely sure I can complete. I love pushing myself, exploring new places through running, and discovering what I’m capable of pushing my mind and body to achieve.
Athlete & Ambassador
Mark Darbyshire
I am an Anaesthetic Associate working at the Royal Orthopaedic hospital in Birmingham and started running to and from work 10 years ago when I gave up smoking. I progressed quickly to the 100 mile distance and was surprised to have a bit of success.
I have won some of the big UK 100 milers including South Downs Way 100, Arc of Attrition, Lakeland and Ultra Trail Snowdonia. My favourite race is probably the Lakeland 100, I have won it twice and that feeling of running down the last hill into Coniston is pretty magical.
Athlete & Ambassador
Mark Reilly
I'm Mark Reilly, an ex professional footballer who retired in 2006 after 21 years and now loves participating in some of the World's best ultra running events.
My initial purpose for this was to raise awareness of a rare debilitating condition my daughter suffers from, however I have grown to love this sport and aspire to continue running for as long as I can, hopefully inspiring middle aged men and women that there is more to growing old gracefully.
From the Sahara desert to the Amazon jungle this sport has provided me with some incredible memories and experiences, pushing myself through the dreaded pain cave and beyond. A place I no longer dread and have come to embrace.
My next adventures in the next few years include the UTMB Eiger 101, Scotland Ultra 50, Race Across Scotland 215 miles and Beyond the Ultimate For Rangers multi stage race in Kenya.
Athlete & Ambassador
Clo Cutler-Burton
I'm Clo, an enthusiastic ultra runner and the photographer behind Clorroe Cam. Through my work, I document the journeys of people taking on endurance challenges, with a focus on community and uplifting underrepresented voices. I'm especially drawn to the human element of endurance - the emotions, difficulties faced and determination required to keep going.
Seeing and experiencing these journeys first-hand, both through my photography and my own ultrarunning, is why the Pain Cave resonates with me. It's not about chasing pain, but the space required to work through discomfort and limiting self beliefs, choosing to continue when things become hard. A reminder that effort creates extraordinary.
Photo credit @murchphotography (David Murch).
Athlete & Ambassador
Alex Welch
I'm Alex Welch, an ultra runner from Cheshire. I prefer to race self sufficient multi stage races in extreme environments as I believe that it incorporates a range of skills beyond just running, such as navigation, recovery, kit and calorie management.
My proudest achievements to date were placing 30th in the competitive Marathon des Sables in 2024, and then winning Beyond the Ultimate Ice and Desert races in 2025 and also a second place in the Mountain Ultra.
I'm outside of my comfort zone in shorter, more mountainous races and finished Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100km in 2025.
Outside of running I work a job in corporate tech. Training around work hours forces discipline and usually requires running in unfavourable conditions.
Athlete & Ambassador
John Harris
By day I am a Sales Director for Medical Device companies, and by early morning and night I'm a hungry ultra marathon enthusiast.
It's only in relative recency that I've fallen in love with this sport, and have turned things up a notch in the last 6 months, taking racing selectively, and therefore training much more seriously.
I started running beyond 10km in lockdown and soon found that further = better, and trail beats road, every time.
I've finished the Montane Winter Spine and The Dragon's Back, and managed to squeeze a few race wins over the last 12 months. My favourite distances are probably 100 or 200 milers where I can really channel the weird into something worthwhile.
I'm delighted to be part of Team Pain Cave.
Athlete & Ambassador
Zoe Murphy
I was a marathon road runner for 8 years before stumbling down the ultra-running rabbit hole in 2017. After reading Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes the idea of running 100 miles sounded so horrendous…I was instantly hooked! Since then I have ran numerous 50mile, 100km, and 100mile races including finishing the 240 mile Dragons Back Race twice in 2021 and again in 2024 placing 5th and 3rd female.
I genuinely love to run, Nothing makes me happier than a long day in the mountains with mates and my aussie shepherd, Ozzie. I train hard and that’s led to a number of wins and podium finishes under my belt but that isn’t why I do it, yes it gives me to goal and the drive to get up every day and train but it’s the trails themselves - the freedom, the headspace, the sense of calm that keep me coming back (I think that’s the same for most trail runners). Running is my therapy, my meditation, and the thing that keeps me sane(ish!).
If If I’m not training out on the trails you’ll find me on my treadmill or in the gym. But nothing beats a sunrise from the top of a mountain with no one else around…except your dog of course.
Have fun. Dig deep. Dream big.
Athlete & Ambassador
Mo Kachach
I'm a passionate endurance runner with experience across marathons and ultramarathons. Drawn to long challenges that test both body and mindset, I use running as a way to explore limits, build resilience, and grow through discomfort.
My journey is about consistency, curiosity and embracing the process one long run at a time.
Athlete & Ambassador
Amelia Jade
I am a 24-year-old runner who discovered my passion for endurance sport three years ago, and since then I’ve been pushing my limits ever further. What began as a love for running has grown into a journey into the world of ultra-endurance. I recently completed a Backyard Ultra, finishing as 3rd place female, which sparked my drive to take on even bigger challenges.
I am currently training for the GB Ultras 100-miler and working toward completing an Ironman. Alongside this, I am also an aspiring HYROX athlete, enjoying the blend of strength and endurance that the sport demands.
Running has become far more than just a hobby for me — it is a lifestyle built around resilience, discipline, and adventure. My long-term dream is to attempt the world record at running from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, taking on the length of the UK on foot, covering over 1000 miles and continuing to explore what my mind and body are capable of.