EP19 - Guest Episode - Tony Stopforth: Turning Pain Into Purpose with Peaky Runners

Why do some of us seek out the hard things - 100km ultras, sleep-deprived 4x4x48s, blizzards on high ridges - when life already hurts? In this deep, honest conversation, Tony Stopforth (founder of Peaky Runners) traces how grief, lockdown and a drifting sense of identity pulled him to the trails…and how doing “crazy” challenges became a way to heal, connect, and lead.

Tony takes us from the moment his father died and running was simply a release “at first it felt like running away” to the point it became running towards purpose. You’ll hear the pivotal vignettes: the NHS fundraiser where he “ran to London” (then to France, adding lake swims for the Channel), the David Goggins 4x4x48 endurance challenge that broke his sleep but built his mind, a spontaneous first marathon on a windy coastline, and a searing hot Lake District race where he learned the hard way about self-reliance (and drank from a stream to finish).

We explore the freedom before structure phase - why curiosity and play often come before plans and data and the moment Tony fell in love with the Peak District: sunset solos, a whiteout epiphany on Derwent Edge, and the simple joy of a coffee by a lone tree. From a 7-person WhatsApp group chat to a thriving movement, he unpacks how Peaky Runners grew organically around three ground rules: no egos, no comparisons, no one gets left behind. It’s not a club; it’s a community - where first-timers mix with elites, and everyone’s win counts (from Mark’s Spine Race to Robin’s Dragon’s Back, to your first trail 10K).

Then comes the hard pivot: two years sidelined by a major knee surgery and early arthritis. Tony shares the anger, the identity wobble, and the slow rebuild (a tentative 10K, a changed gait, gym sessions with his partner) and how witnessing others keep the community alive became the lifeline that pulled him back. The lesson: resilience isn’t only forged in finish lines; it’s also built in the background, together.

If you’re navigating loss, stuck on life’s hamster wheel, or wondering whether a “mad” challenge might just be your doorway to meaning—this episode gives you a map: start messy, find your people, and let hard things reveal who you are.