Runner’s World UK – September 2019

HH RR

1 /

DON’T TRY TO DO

IT OVERNIGHT

‘I’d been running in

Vivobarefoots for about

three years, then mixing

between the shoes and

socks with a thick rubber

bottom,’ says Anna. ‘Then

I switched between the

socks and running barefoot.

I had some problems with

my Achilles, but eventually

it piped down. Your body

is like the foundations of

a building, just settling

into place.’

2 /

IT’S OK TO RUN

JUST ON THE

SURFACES YOU WANT

TO RUN ON

‘There is no need to go

out and start pounding

the pavements – in fact,

it’s better that you don’t.

‘If you just want to run on

grass, do that,’ says McNuff.

‘If you like forests, fine.

You don’t have to push

yourself to do brutal stuff.’

3 /

HAVE FAITH THAT

YOUR BODY WILL

ADAPT OVER TIME

No doubt about it,

barefoot running can be

intimidating, but McNuff

encourages you to have

faith in your body’s ability

to adapt. ‘When I stood

barefoot on the start line of

the London Marathon this

year, I thought, “Am I mad?

Have I gone too far this

time?” It was absolutely

fine. I was sore, but after

all those runs I’d been

doing, I had adjusted.’

Anna McNuff’s three

barefoot-running tips

AND THIS

LITTLE

PIGGY

RAN

THE UK

have I done?” feeling. I do think it’s
possible, but there is so much that can
go wrong. That’s how I know it’s the
right adventure.’
In New Zealand McNuff had a 14kg
backpack and slept wild most of the
time. This time she’s put the call out
for hosts who can put her up and drive
her stuff to the next stopping point,
so that she can travel as minimally as
possible. She is running five days a
week, sometimes marathon distance,
sometimes shorter, plotting a route
that enables her to inspire in person as
many of the UK’s almost half a million
Girl Guides as possible.
McNuff was heavily involved in
Girlguiding as a child, passing through
Rainbows, Brownies and Guides. She
came back as an ambassador after
reconnecting to present an award in
2016, impressed at the modernisation
of the badge programme. ‘They’re
doing bushcraft, mindfulness, self-care,
entrepreneurship – they’re creating
the next wave of feminists, teaching
girls how to campaign for things.’
As the middle child between two
brothers, and a keen footballer, she

says she grew up less aware of

inequality than many. ‘I didn’t see

myself as any different. It’s only later

in life I’ve realised it’s an issue for a lot

of women,’ she says. Now she wants to

be an example. ‘The best way to help

the younger generation of girls is to

do adventures, so they don’t even

question the fact it’s a girl doing it.’

She ran barefoot for the six months

leading up to her latest endeavour,

including doing this year's London

Marathon unshod, but it’s been a much

longer process to get to this point. She

feels she was destined to end up doing

something like Barefoot Britain. ‘My

mum was always telling me to put my

shoes on or I’d get cold,’ she says. ‘If

you look at photos of me when I was a

kid, I’m always naked. I was a bit of a

feral child. That’s what barefoot

running is to me – freedom!’

ANNA’S

ROUTE

Here’s a (rough)

guide to where

Anna will be and

when. To join her on

one of the legs, with

or without shoes,

visit annamcnuff.com

/barefootbritain

START

KIRKWALL,

ORKNEY

June 14

SKAW,

SHETLAND

ISLANDS

June 2

BELFAST

September 6

DUBLIN

September 14

FINISH

LONDON

November 10

LEEDS

August 15

KENDAL

August 9

NEWCASTLE

August 1

GLASGOW

July 17

ABERDEEN

July 6

INVERNESS

June 22

GUERNSEY

October 28

BRISTOL

October 9

BIRMINGHAM

October 1

MANCHESTER

August 24

SEPTEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 023