RUNcensored

EP11 - The KING of Yorkshire Fell Running, Ted Mason

Season 2025, Ep. 11

•

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

🏔️ What does it take to be the KING of Yorkshire Fell Running? This week on RUNcensored, Gary House and Ben Mounseyare joined by Ted Mason, a fell running legend, elite descender, farmer, cyclist, and race organiser.

Ted shares his unfiltered insights into the world of fell running, from technical descents and crazy race-day moments to recovering from a broken neck and organising one of the biggest races in the fell running calendar. If you love fast descents, mountain racing, and untamed competition, this episode is packed with stories, training insights, and plenty of laughs!

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How to master downhill running – Ted’s expert advice for fearless descending

✅ Farming & Fell Running – How rural life shapes the sport

✅ Cycling to running – Ted’s transition from two wheels to two feet

✅ Surviving & recovering from a broken neck – The mental and physical comeback

✅ Race organising at the highest level – Behind-the-scenes of fell running’s biggest event

✅ Funny race stories & legendary rivalries

📚 Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction & Meet Ted Mason

Ted shares his background in fell running, cycling, and farming.

3:30 - The Art of Downhill Running

How to master technical descents and build confidence at high speed.

9:45 - Life as a Farmer & Fell Runner

Ted discusses the balance between farm work and elite running.

14:20 - From Cycling to Fell Running

How cycling shaped his endurance and racing strategy.

18:50 - “I Broke My Neck!” – Ted’s Injury Story

A shocking injury, recovery, and return to the top of fell running.

26:10 - Organising the Biggest Fell Race in the Calendar

The challenges of planning and executing a major race.

35:30 - Wildest Fell Running Moments

Ted’s most memorable races, unexpected turns, and funny stories.

42:00 - Final Thoughts & Advice for Runners

Ted’s top tips for fell running, training, and racing.

Why You Should Listen:

If you love technical descents, endurance racing, or a good laugh about the realities of mountain running, this episode is a must-listen. Ted’s knowledge, experience, and storytelling make for an episode packed with insights and entertainment.

👉 Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday!

#FellRunning #TrailRunning #UltraRunning #DownhillRunning #YorkshireRunning #CyclingToRunning #FarmLife #MarathonTraining #RUNcensored #GaryHouse #BenMounsey #TedMason

RUNcensored Podcast 🎙

The unfiltered running podcast with Gary House & Ben Mounsey — honest chats with athletes, coaches and characters from the world of running.

👉 Subscribe and leave us a review — it helps more runners find the show.

👉 Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RUNcensored

👉 Listen to all episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZGfMfc5i9Q&list=PL_pklymQxtluqvkNmf41MYI7fOk8Ki_YT

👉 Have your say in our listener survey: http://bit.ly/runcensored-survey

🌍 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runcensoredpod

📩 Get in touch: info@runcensored.com info@eastwood-media.co.uk

Produced by Chris Davies, Eastwood Media

www.eastwood-media.co.uk

More episodes

View all episodes

55. EP55 - Trail Running Through the Lens – Rich Gill on UTMB, Burnout & Going Pro
01:18:32| Tuesday, January 13, 2026|Season 2026, Ep. 55
In Episode 55 of the RUNcensored Podcast, we’re joined by photographer and friend of the podcast Rich Gill for his third appearance.Rich shares his journey from teaching into photography, how he first picked up a camera, and how running during lockdown helped shape his creative path. We talk openly about burnout, working full time while building a photography career, making himself ill, and the six week break that led to a major life decision.The conversation explores social media pressures, planning content, creative trends, client briefs, and the challenges of working major events like UTMB week. Rich talks about developing a storytelling approach to outdoor and lifestyle photography and reflects on how his work has evolved over time.We also discuss working with elite athletes and brands, including Alex Yee, Leigh Hodgkinson, Elsey Davis, UTMB runners, The Circuit of Cornwall, and Rich’s role on The North Face Explorer Team, plus the importance of community through The Peaky Runners.An honest conversation about creativity, balance, trust, and building a sustainable career in photography and running.#RUNcensored #TrailRunning #RunningPodcast #PhotographyPodcast #OutdoorPhotography#RunningCommunity #CreativeCareers #BurnoutRecovery #UTMB #TheNorthFace#LifestylePhotography #SportsPhotography #RunningLife #SocialMediaForCreatives#RunningMedia #UltraRunning #ContentCreation #PeakyRunners #AlexYee#ElsieDavies #LeighLeighHodgkinson #SportsShoes #RunningEvents #CreativeProcess#PhotographyLife #RunningCulture #UKRunning
54. EP54 - We Handed Out Trail Running’s Biggest Awards of 2025 👀
01:36:30| Tuesday, December 30, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 54
It’s the final episode of the year and we’re wrapping things up with our completely unofficial RUNcensored Awards, looking back at the biggest moments in trail running and ultra running in 2025.We start with a discussion around trail shoes and trainers, talking through brands regularly seen on UK and European trails including Salomon, HOKA, Nike, adidas, La Sportiva and Altra, before moving on to the events, performances and people that defined the year. The conversation covers major races and formats such as UTMB, Ultra-Trail Snowdonia Eryri, Trans Gran Canaria, the London Marathon, the SHE Ultra, and the ever-growing popularity of the Backyard Ultra.Throughout the episode we hand out the RUNcensored Awards, including trail shoe of the year, best trail event, best running influencer, best performance, and trail runner of the year. Along the way we reference and discuss standout athletes from across the UK and international trail scene, including Sarah Perry, Anna Llewellyn, Jack Scott, Henrietta Alban, Holly Stables, Hugh Chatfield, Abby Hall, and Hannah Cox, as well as broader comparisons to endurance mindsets through figures like Alex Honnold.There’s a deeper discussion around what it really takes to be an ultra endurance athlete, with particular credit given to Sarah Perry following an incredible Backyard Ultra performance and record-setting time. Gary also shares honest advice on social media and content creation, talks about the impact of the Hardest Geezer, and outlines his own plans for 2026, including chasing a sub-2:30 London Marathon.Chris brings ChatGPT into the mix to name the best trail runner, best UK trail runner, and a breakthrough athlete for 2025, before we wrap things up by naming our podcast of the year and reflecting on another big year for the RUNcensored Podcast and the wider trail running community.#trailrunning #ultrarunning #runningpodcast #trailrunners #ultrarunner #trailshoes #utmb #ultratrailsnowdonia #transgrancanaria #sheultra #backyardultra #fkts #londonmarathon #hardestgeezer #uktrailrunning #endurancerunning #runcensored
53. EP53 - The Christmas Episode. Xmas Films, Chocolates and Chris' first Ultra
01:15:36| Tuesday, December 23, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 53
🎄 We didn’t plan this Christmas Episode… and somehow that made it even better.Episode 53 of the RUNcensored Podcast is our official Christmas Episode and also marks one full year of the podcast. What started as a relaxed festive catch up quickly turned into one of our most honest, funny and reflective conversations so far.We kick things off with festive chaos, chatting about new van wheels, Christmas jumpers, retro football kits, dog clothing, terrible Christmas trees and vegan flapjacks. From there, it’s onto Christmas presents, including Ben’s now traditional jumpers and Rich Gill’s very posh shower gel gifts.At the heart of the episode is a look back on one year of RUNcensored, with Rich Gill returning to help us reflect on how the podcast has grown, the guests that have stood out, and the unexpected impact it’s had within the trail running and ultra running community.There’s a big, open conversation about Chris completing his first ultra, what it took physically and mentally, and how the support of the running community played a huge role. We also talk about what it’s like experiencing the podcast as a listener, why in person recordings feel so different to remote podcasts, and why seeing people share photos of themselves listening on long runs and trail runs genuinely means the world to us.We reflect on some standout moments from the past year, including Ben’s experience creating reels at UTMB in Chamonix, Gary’s evolving relationship with coaching, and why the podcast has become an important outlet for honest conversation beyond training plans and race results.There’s also time for a nod to Jacob Tonkin and the film George, a chat about how we choose guests for the podcast, a chaotic ranking of Celebration chocolates, and a final debate over the best Christmas films.A festive, messy and reflective episode that celebrates trail running, ultra running and the people who make this community what it is. Thank you to everyone who’s supported RUNcensored over the past year.#trailrunning #ultrarunning #runningpodcast #trailrunner #ultrarunner #ultramarathon #firstultra #runningcommunity #uktrailrunning #fellrunning #endurancerunning #longdistancerunning #mountainrunning #outdoorrunning #runnersofuk #runcensored #runcensoredpodcast #christmasepisode #christmaspodcast #festivepodcast #runninglife #podcastanniversary
52. EP52 - Christmas Running, Mince Pies & Staying Fit Over the Holidays
01:01:23| Tuesday, December 16, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 52
Episode 52 – Christmas-Themed Chat GBTEpisode 52 of the RUNcensored Podcast is a Christmas-themed Chat GBT episode, with no guest this week and no real agenda, just a relaxed chat fuelled by festive questions and running banter. Gary, Ben and Chris sit down for an end of year catch up and work their way through a mix of running, Christmas, and slightly ridiculous listener style questions.The episode starts with the usual waffle and catch up, touching on illness, orienteering, and general December fatigue, before leaning into the festive themes. The lads debate the best Christmas deodorant gift packs, share tips for keeping fit over Christmas without overthinking it, and discuss how runners can balance training with food, family time and switching off.There’s plenty of light hearted running chat throughout, including whether a RUNcensored Christmas run or party for listeners could ever happen, how long you could realistically run fuelled purely on mince pies, and what to buy a runner for Christmas when they already seem to have everything they need.The conversation also covers festive races, Christmas Day runs, winter running traditions, and the strange rituals runners seem to develop at this time of year. As expected, Chris doesn’t escape without taking some stick, with a festive question involving Tottenham Hotspur, Christmas decorations, and recent trophy counts.The episode wraps up with Christmas themed running traditions, festive food ideas using leftovers, and a relaxed outro.A fun, informal episode full of running chat, festive nonsense, and the kind of conversations that usually happen mid run or post run at this time of year.#runningpodcast #trailrunning #ultrarunning #christmasrunning #winterrunning #runningcommunity #orienteering #runnerslife
51. EP51 - The Chaos We Didn’t Expect at Kendal Mountain Film Festival
01:34:58| Tuesday, December 9, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 51
In this episode Gary and Ben sit down for a full, unfiltered debrief of their weekend at Kendal Mountain Film Festival— a mix of trail running chaos, filmmaking challenges, questionable decision-making and the kind of moments that only ever seem to happen at Kendal.They start with the usual warm-up waffle, Gary battling what feels like every illness under the sun, and Ben proudly turning up in his Leeds shirt before the conversation shifts into everything they experienced across the festival. From SportShoes’ involvement and the importance of creating a genuinely positive experience for runners, to the energy around The North Face stand and the iconic Kendal Yurt, the episode gives a clear picture of what it’s like working at one of the biggest outdoor festivals in the world.Gary and Ben talk through the films that hit them hardest this year: Tala’s emotional Pyrenees crossing, Josh’s beautifully shot mountain film, Elsie’s moving story about Alzheimer’s in Cornwall, and Steph Case’s powerful exploration of pregnancy and IVF. Each film sparked conversations that carried through the whole weekend.There’s also plenty of orienteering chat after taking part in the Kendal session, including how sharp the GB team really are, the different checkpoint styles, and the ski slope section that caused its fair share of problems. Gary throws himself into QuidGames too, and gives a full breakdown of how competitive it actually gets, what he learned from the elites, and the ideas being thrown around for next year’s version — including the brilliantly chaotic “Run Like Haggis.”They recap the Kendal 10K and 50K races, the Saturday film screenings, the Salomon party, and the late-night characters they always seem to meet at these events — including Brian the Oasis designer and a few new faces who added to the fun.Gary also reflects on filming across the whole weekend, trying to capture the scale and atmosphere of the festival, and why the experience has finally convinced him to start taking orienteering training more seriously. The episode wraps up with thoughts on how Kendal could grow in 2025 and the kind of competitions they’d love to introduce.A relaxed, honest and funny look inside the busiest weekend of the trail running and adventure film calendar.
50. EP50 - AI vs Runners: ChatGPT Puts Ben & Gary to the Test
54:00| Tuesday, November 25, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 50
Episode 50 marks a huge milestone for RUNcensored — and to celebrate, we handed the mic to ChatGPT. Yes, really. The world’s most talkative AI became our producer for the day, coming up with all the questions for Ben and Gary… and the results were equal parts insightful and ridiculous.Over the last 49 episodes, RUNcensored has featured some of the biggest names in trail running, ultra running, and fell running — from elite athletes like Holly Wootten and Tom Evans, to experts in nutrition, psychology, and navigation. In this special AI-powered chat, Ben and Gary reflect on everything they’ve learned (and a few things they probably should have learned by now).💬 Expect big questions and bigger laughs:What’s the hardest mental barrier you’ve had to push through in a race?Which nutrition myth did you finally ditch after speaking with experts like Paul?What can today’s trail runners learn from traditional club running culture?Which guest would you want to coach you for a season — and why?Who’s more likely to get lost mid-race: Gary with his GPX or Ben with his map?And the RUNcensored Awards — who wins Best Rant, Funniest Story, and Most Unexpected Guest Moment?It’s a hilarious and heartfelt look back on the journey so far — from mountain marathons to muddy mishaps — all through the lens of AI-generated chaos.If you love trail running, ultra marathons, mountain running, or just the kind of unfiltered running chat you can’t get anywhere else, this one’s for you.🎙 RUNcensored — the podcast where trail running meets real talk.Available now on Acast, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.#trailrunning #ultrarunning #fellrunning #runcensored #runningpodcast #chatgpt #ai #runningbanter #runnersofinstagram #ukrunchat #trailrunner #mountainrunning #ultrarunner #runchat #adventurerunning
49. EP49 - The Fell Runner Who Turned Grief Into Grit | Jacob Tonkin & “George”
01:06:35| Tuesday, November 18, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 49
Fell runner, orienteer and canicross athlete Jacob “Tonk” Tonkin joins Ben and Gary for an unforgettable conversation about running, resilience, and the power of the bond between a runner and his dog.Jacob opens up about life on the fells of Keswick, the mental games of fell racing, and taking on epic challenges like the anti-clockwise Bob Graham Round and the Frog Graham — running and swimming across the Lake District.But his story goes much deeper. Jacob speaks candidly about living with Crohn’s disease, the loss of his beloved dog George, and how the short film “George” (created by James Appleton) captured both their friendship and his fight to keep going.With honesty, humour and heart, Jacob shares how running, dogs, and the mountains helped him rebuild his life — and why he now runs purely for himself.🎬 Watch George on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_bVHR1sRyYIn this episode:The mindset and psychology of fell racingThe Bob Graham and Frog Graham challengesThe making of “George” and its emotional impactLiving with Crohn’s diseaseRunning with dogs and the power of canicrossFinding purpose after loss and adversity#TrailRunning #FellRunning #UltraRunning #Canicross #GeorgeFilm #CrohnsAwareness #MentalHealth #RUNcensored #RunningPodcast #LakeDistrict
48. EP48 - Getting Lost Made Me Faster: How Orienteering Can Transform Your Trail Running
01:23:15| Tuesday, November 11, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 48
She’s back!In this episode of the RUNcensored Podcast, Ben and Gary catch up with Kay Hawke from British Orienteering — one of our most popular past guests — to find out why orienteering is exploding in popularity and how it can seriously level up your trail and ultra running.Kay explains how combining navigation with endurance creates the perfect mental and physical challenge for runners, and why “getting lost” might actually be the best training you can do.We talk about everything from Street-O showdowns and European city races that start in police stations, to the mindset of staying competitive, motivated and just a little bit obsessed with maps.Here’s what’s inside this episode 👇🧭 Why orienteering is the secret training tool for trail and ultra runners📍 How navigation sharpens focus, confidence and decision-making🏃‍♀️ Red Courses explained — and why they’re perfect for trail runners💡 How to pick the right event (and avoid getting discouraged)🏅 Competition vs enjoyment — does winning really matter?🌍 European orienteering: from Belgium’s beer races to Gdansk city adventures🎒 Using SI Entries to find local, affordable events every week🏫 How schools and communities could use orienteering to get more kids outdoors⚡ The reality of UK funding and why media coverage could change everything🍺 Ben and Gary’s Street-O stories, geocache fails, and questionable map reading🔥 A preview of the ‘Quid Games’ Orienteering Event at Kendal Mountain FestivalWhether you’re training for your next mountain ultra or just love the idea of running with a purpose, this one will make you see trail running — and getting lost — in a whole new light.🎧 Listen now to EP48: “Getting Lost Made Me Faster: How Orienteering Can Transform Your Trail Running”#trailrunning #ultrarunning #orienteering #britishorienteering #streeto #fellrunning #trailrunner #runningpodcast #navigation #mapreading #kendalmountainfestival #offroadrunning #trailrunninguk #runningmotivation #RUNcensored
47. EP47 - Relays, Race Results & Running Records You Won’t Believe
01:16:09| Tuesday, November 4, 2025|Season 2025, Ep. 47
Ben and Gary are back together for a proper catch-up after a busy few weeks of racing, training and, in Ben’s case, accidentally taking his dogs to a no-dogs event.Ben dives into his experiences at the British Fell Relay Championships and Trofeo Vanoni in Italy — talking about the atmosphere, navigation challenges, and why he keeps going back year after year. He also shares what’s next for the UK trail scene with new teams and more women joining the sport.Gary’s been getting ready for Quid Games, mixing up his training with Zwift racing and strength work to stay motivated through winter.The lads also break down some of the latest headlines in trail and ultra running, including:Sarah Webster’s gold medal and world-class performance at the 24-hour World ChampionshipsSarah Perry’s record-breaking Backyard UltraRemi Bonnet’s insane new VK world recordThe ongoing Strava vs Garmin legal dramaIt’s an episode packed with results, records and plenty of laughs — the unfiltered runner’s podcast you didn’t know you needed.#trailrunning #ultrarunning #runningpodcast #fellrunning #RUNcensored

Share

RUNcensored

EP11 - The KING of Yorkshire Fell Running, Ted Mason

More episodes

View all episodes

55. EP55 - Trail Running Through the Lens – Rich Gill on UTMB, Burnout & Going Pro

54. EP54 - We Handed Out Trail Running’s Biggest Awards of 2025 👀

53. EP53 - The Christmas Episode. Xmas Films, Chocolates and Chris' first Ultra

52. EP52 - Christmas Running, Mince Pies & Staying Fit Over the Holidays

51. EP51 - The Chaos We Didn’t Expect at Kendal Mountain Film Festival

50. EP50 - AI vs Runners: ChatGPT Puts Ben & Gary to the Test

49. EP49 - The Fell Runner Who Turned Grief Into Grit | Jacob Tonkin & “George”

48. EP48 - Getting Lost Made Me Faster: How Orienteering Can Transform Your Trail Running

47. EP47 - Relays, Race Results & Running Records You Won’t Believe