Articles
THE GUARDIAN | JANUARY 2026
I ran 1,400 miles around Ireland
On a running pilgrimage in the land of my forebears I was blown away by the scenery - and even more so by the warmth of the people
THE GUARDIAN | JUNE 2024
The story behind the Enhanced Games, the Olympics where everyone dopes
It’s got billionaires, world champions and director Ridley Scott’s company on board, but would an athletics competition where taking drugs is encouraged put the honesty back in sport - or cause rifts, risks and addictions?
RUNNER’S WORLD MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023
The Transcend Game
Can running a 1km loop on a French campsite for six days lead you to a higher state of being? Adharanand Finn searches for wisdom and transcendence among the exhaustion and imaginary fireworks
THE FINANCIAL TIMES | JULY 2023
Riviera run: an ultra marathon on the Côte d’Azur
A 100km race over mud-slicked mountains, finishing at the sea, attracts hundreds of hardy athletes
THE OBSERVER | NOVEMBER 2022
Running the Mont Blanc ultra, the world’s most famous trail race
With its dizzying ridges and stunning views, Mont Blanc is home to some of the world’s best trail running
THE GUARDIAN | DECEMBER 2021
Escape your comfort zone! Diving
I am on a diving board the height of a two-storey building. Can I take the plunge?
OFF MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2021
A Different Flow
For months, as the lockdowns due to COVID-19 went on longer than we all expected, I ran alone
RUNNER’S WORLD MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2021
After the Fall
How a near-fatal accident helped ultrarunner Hillary Allen find a new way to live
THE GUARDIAN | JUNE 2021
‘It’s a love letter to adventure’: the British musical about running
Inspired by a 90-mile run to the Peak District, These Hills Are Ours explores the muddy joys of trail running – then invites its audience out for a jog
RUNNER’S WORLD MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2020
The long and grinding road
When Dan Lawson ran the length of mainland Britain this summer, he wrote an epic chapter in the long, controversial history of Land’s End to John O’Groats runs. Adharanand Finn tells the full story
THE GUARDIAN | NOVEMBER 2020
Book review: Out of Thin Air by Michael Crawley
An inspiring study by an international runner and anthropologist who goes to Ethiopia to find out why east Africa’s long-distance runners lead the world
RUNNER’S WORLD MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2020
My favourite run: Sywell reservoir, Northamptonshire
He has run in some of the most spectacular places on the planet, but it’s a route from his formative running years that remains closest to Adharanand Finn’s heart
RUNNER’S WORLD MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2020
Mile High: How Kip Keino's 1500m gold changed running
Kip Keino’s breathtaking 1500m gold at the 1968 Mexico Olympics sparked the rise of Kenyan running, challenged perceptions about race and inspired a generation around the world
THE TELEGRAPH | NOVEMBER 2019
‘I puked, fouled myself and collapsed - it was great’
Meet the record-breaking ultra runner fuelled by beer and burritos
METER MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2019
Kenyan lessons
East Africa hasn’t come to dominate global distance running by chance - science is putting theory to the culture that has created that success. What can you learn from the Kenyans? Author Adharanand Finn found out the hard way, on the dirt roads of Iten
THE GUARDIAN | OCTOBER 2017
Ultra runner Zach Miller: ‘I love digging in the pain cave’
In the world of ultrarunning, he is a cult figure, winning his very first race in record time and charging towards the finish line while others jog. What’s his rush?
THE FINANCIAL TIMES | SEPTEMBER 2017
Running the Comrades marathon in South Africa
The world’s oldest and largest ultra-marathon is a rite of passage for South Africans, and a treat for visitors
THE TELEGRAPH | JUNE 2017
How I tricked my tween into loving ancient history in Athens
How can you make ancient ruins come alive? Start with the perfect child-friendly guide
THE FINANCIAL TIMES | JUNE 2017
Everest twice in a week: the man who runs up mountains
Kilian Jornet’s feats are redefining the sports of climbing, skiing and ultra running. On a rare visit to London, he talks to Adharanand Finn
THE GUARDIAN | JANUARY 2017
The 24-hour race: ‘It’s a battle with your mind’
Ultra running is one of the fastest growing sports, usually taking place in remote, scenic landscapes. Not a running track in London. Will competitors reach nirvana?
THE FINANCIAL TIMES | MARCH 2016
Cycling’s longest climb
On a six-day bike tour through Colombia, Adharanand Finn tackles the world’s longest climb: 82km of continuous uphill pedalling
THE GUARDIAN | MARCH 2016
Can Bogotá’s state-sanctioned street art survive?
The Colombian capital decriminalised graffiti after protests following the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old street artist at the hands of the police. Five years on, returning mayor Enrique Peñalosa believes graffiti is a blight on the city
THE FINANCIAL TIMES | NOVEMBER 2015
Beyond the marathon: a 165km race through the Oman desert
For runners who find city marathons a bit of a stroll, a growing number of ‘ultra’ events offer a stiffer challenge
THE GUARDIAN | OCTOBER 2015
A moment that changed me: I discovered the joy of running
Aged nine, I had little interest in sport. Then came my first cross country race at my new school
THE GUARDIAN | AUGUST 2015
‘I was almost the marathon world champion’
On the eve of the Athletics World Championships in Beijing, Adharanand Finn hears the remarkable story of Kenya’s Simon Biwott, who came second in the marathon in 2001 in the closest finish in world championship history
MEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE | JULY 2015
Get FKT
When intrepid athletes get bored, they run up mountains in the Fastest Known Time
THE GUARDIAN | APRIL 2015
Running wild in Dartmoor
A 26-mile run through deserted Dartmoor isn’t everyone’s idea of a weekend break, but it can be an exhilarating form of escapism - as long as you watch your step
THE GUARDIAN (G2 COVER FEATURE) | FEBRUARY 2013
Why we love to run
It’s tough, it hurts - and yet more than two million of us in the UK run at least once a week. Why?
THE INDEPENDENT, SATURDAY MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2011
Out of Africa: what are six Kenyan runners doing holed up in a leafy English suburb?
Kenya’s distance runners have enjoyed unparalleled success on the international stage. So why do six of the country’s finest display all the energy of sloths when Adharanand Finn meets them? And what on earth are they doing living in a modest terrace in Teddington?
THE GUARDIAN | JULY 2007
All kinds of every Finn
Adharanand Finn learns there’s more to a Finnish summer than saunas and smoked herring