Bethan Taylor-Swaine (2025)

21/05/2025

Trail running is booming.

According to data from RunRepeat (2024) the sport has been growing at a rate of around 12% a year since 2010. So while the growth isn’t quite on par with the explosion we’ve seen in road running, it’s still significant, particularly given trail was more niche to begin with.

It’s amazing to see more people getting out on the trails, slowing down, enjoying nature and having adventures.
One of the challenges that comes with growth is the assumption that growth naturally equals inclusion. This is risky, not only can it breed complacency, it can have the reverse affect.

Despite its growth, trail running is dominated by white middle-class men. In short, if a sport is dominated by white, middle-class men, then it’s those men who are probably making the decisions about event design, location, policies, qualification, marketing etc. and these decisions are unlikely to take into account the needs of other, more marginalised groups.

13/05/2025

Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed more and more content talking about safe sport in one way or another. I’ve seen reels highlighting the political nature of running and the barriers to participation for women, chat about safeguarding and the risks associated with unsanctioned clubs and discussion about the impact of marketing on running culture.

I LOVE that more people are talking about these issues because they’re really important, but that’s also why I have a few concerns. Safe sport isn’t a trend, and while more content means more people become aware of the issues, there are also risks attached to that.

Let me be clear, I’m not saying people shouldn’t share about safe sport. We NEED people to talk about it, that’s how change happens. What I’m saying is that if you’re talking about Safe Sport you have a responsibility to do so with care.

06/05/2025

It was only a matter of time before I dropped my thoughts on this one…

The chat about running culture has been swirling around for awhile now, but it feels like things came to a head during the build up to London Marathon. The conflation of consumption and culture was so stark and the noise around the event felt even more full on than normal.

Running is deeply on trend right now and brands are taking advantage of that, but a lot of the noise around running right now confuses that commercialisation for culture.
Every other week a new account pops up claiming to
‘cultivate running culture’, but really all they’re doing is broadcasting press releases. Brand-focused run clubs are adopting the language of ‘community’ and ‘crew’ with little understanding of what that means, and even fewer safeguards and whole identities are formed around corporations under the guise of running culture.

Don’t get me wrong, I think brands can play a positive role in running and run clubs. I work with various brands and have really positive experiences. This isn’t about that. It’s about understanding what’s branding and what’s culture in running right now.

I can’t talk about running culture without shouting out who has just published his thoughts, as always they’re well worth a read.

29/04/2025

A throwback to last year because I really really wish I could run right now.

If you’ve seen me in really life you know I’ve been struggling with a chest infection for the last few weeks. I’m prone to these things because, frankly, my immune system is a bit rubbish (which is common if you have chronic mental health stuff) and I’ve got a bad habit of pushing through. This time around is no exception, I’ve been floored with work, editing my thesis manically and generally burning the candle at both ends…it probably doesn’t come as a surprise I’ve reached my limit 🙈 a course of antibiotics and a chest X-ray later and I’ve been told to rest, so obviously all I want to do is go out for a run, especially after all last week’s marathon shenanigans!

28/03/2025

Probably tempting fate with this post, but we’re heading into sports bra season ☀️😎 although now I’ve said that it might tip it down until October 🙈

Irrespective of the weather bras are my favourite for summer. These crop top style bras are perfect for a whole range of activities (which makes them a good choice if you prefer to travel light), don’t look too obviously like a bra if you’re down with running without a top and are really comfortable and supportive. Plus the price point is really reasonable (which makes them a good choice for school PE or if you’re on a budget).

Being really honest, I don’t always feel that confident about my body. I don’t train nearly as much as I used to because life is so busy and my scar on my stomach can mean clothes don’t sit how I’d like, so if I’m going without a top I need a sports bra I feel comfortable in, and tick all the boxes.

You can find at and get 15% off with code BETHAN15 for 15% off full priced items.

27/03/2025

5 years since we went for a little run in the desert.

It feels like has changed quite a lot since 2019, has shared a great interview with about commercialisation, running in the desert and authenticity which is well worth a read. It reflects a lot of the conversations I’ve had with people recently about content creation and the endless pursuit for bigger and more impressive adventures to document and the utilisation of sub-culture by brands to sell. How do we strike a balance between the raw authenticity of adventure and the demands of brands? Does brand money distort the experience? How does all of this impact who has access to adventure and the outdoors, and does it present potential risks if the reality of these experiences aren’t communicated effectively? Judging by my DMs it’s a conversation people are keen to have, and maybe even a sense that things have reached saturation point and an injection of creativity is needed.

📸:

25/03/2025

AD | PR invite | A couple of weeks ago I was invited to Epping Wood by and to try out the Agravic GORE-TEX trail running shoe and try my hand at hashing.

I’d vaguely come across the concept before, but this excursion has me sold. Hashing is essentially following a trail where you’ve not seen the map and any markers are hidden. There’s wrong turns and false starts, loops back and lots of squinting into the distance to see if that really is a flag you’ve spotted. It’s (slightly) less chaotic than it sounds and relies on teamwork and problem solving to get round the course, a bit like orienteering but without any maps.

I loved it!

As we muddled around the trails it struck me how much potential the format has to be pace inclusive and bring together runners from across the spectrum in an activity that is about more than how quickly you can cross the finish line. Hashing takes teamwork, you need your brain as much as your legs, it switches the narrative from speed to adventure, it’s a fun way to get people on to the trails, to share an experience, spend time together and, naturally, have a few beers at the end 🍻

Big thanks to and for inviting me along, and to for 📸

20/03/2025

I’m still not over 😍 it was a phenomenal day, and knowing I played a small part in creating a safe space for women to run and enjoy themselves is a really special feeling.

Our mission was to create a truly safe and inclusive space for women’s running, empowering individuals to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle.

Led by an all woman team (and our fearless RD ) we were driven by our commitment to diversity, increasing women sand minority representation in running and ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, feels welcome and supported.

The team engaged key stakeholders and reached out to diverse community groups to ensure the event represented our city and that we met the diverse needs of different women. From changing tents to sanitar yproducts, safe spaces without men to representation from key organisations working to create a better world for women.

There’s a different energy when you’re in a woman-only
space, and that was palpable. Everyone was kind supportive, there was no aggression, it was just really really nice.

I think we can say mission accomplished.

17/03/2025

Access to safe spaces can be a significant barrier to participation for many women in both running and sport more generally. Women are often told that the way to overcome this is to train with other people, but what if this goes wrong too?

In the last few years there’s been a real explosion in running groups. Go to any London park on a Sunday morning and you can’t move for packs of runners. You could hit a different group every night of the week (and some mornings) if you wanted to, and it seems like there’s a group for every niche. Run clubs are even being promoted as a potential dating pool.

However, while many of the more traditional run clubs are affiliated to England Athletics (or other Home Countries Athletic Federations), the newer groups often aren’t. So if something goes wrong there’s not much support available.

Over the last year or so I’ve heard more and more stories of women experiencing harassment and abuse while running with clubs and groups. At the moment these stories could be the exceptions, but the gut feeling is that they’re not.

Alongside over the next 9 months I’m working on a campaign focused on run clubs and public sexual harassment. Our goal is to build a toolkit for organisations to raise awareness of this issue, and to build guidelines to tackle the problem.

However, to do this WE NEED YOUR HELP. We need you to share your testimony and experiences so that we can understand the landscape in more detail.

HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED HARASSMENT WHILE RUNNING IN A CLUB OR GROUP? If so, please consider sharing your testimony anonymously by going to the link in my profile. On the last slide in this post I’ve shared the details of organisations who offer support should you need it.

16/03/2025

I trash sunglasses like no one’s business, so it’s just as well I’be become an ambassador for 😎

is a brand I’ve wanted to work with for awhile. Obviously the cow in shades is amazing, but more importantly Kyloe In The Wild is a brand which resonates with me. It’s fun and colourful, it’s as at home on the trails as it is in the city, it was raised in Scotland (I grew up in East Lothian!) and it is mindful of its impact and accessibility. All things that matter to me when I’m thinking about the products I use.

I can’t wait to put to the test over the next year (including on a fun mountain adventure I’ve been planning with my friends!) and see if they can stand up to the sunglass breaking machine that is Evie!

04/03/2025

March 8th (a.k.a International Women’s Day) is fast approaching.

IWD is an amazing opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and it acts as a platform for activism and addressing gender inequalities. However, it’s also one of those things that organisations jump on without really understanding or committing to its meaning.

The IWD theme for 2025 is , and now more than ever we need advocates to make that happen.
Drawing attention to women’s stories is nice, but it means nothing if it’s only for one day.

This IWD I’m asking you to and challenge organisations which use IWD in their marketing to explain how they’re committing to parity on the other
364 days of the year.

Parity is for life, not just International Women’s Day.

27/02/2025

It’s an honour and a privilege to be a guest on this week’s edition of !

We chatted about all my favourite subjects - feminism, diversity, harassment, gatekeeping and why it’s no one’s business if you choose to run with a silly little bag of silly little things. Plus it was a good reminder that I probably should update my website 🙈

Find it in all the places you would usually find a podcast!

Bethan Taylor-Swaine

21/05/2025

13/05/2025

06/05/2025

29/04/2025

28/03/2025

27/03/2025

25/03/2025

20/03/2025

17/03/2025

16/03/2025

04/03/2025

27/02/2025

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