News

23/04/2025 00:00, In Blog /

Niki Morgan is a member of Chepstow Harriers and has been a member of the Masters Advisory Group since it was set up at the end of 2021. She has run for Wales many times as a Master and loves nothing better than racing. Bernie Jones caught up with Niki to hear all about her running journey.

How and when did you start running? 

I started running in my early 20s (a long time ago!) as a way to help me quit smoking. Luckily the running stuck, and the fags were consigned to history! I instantly fell in love with running. I wasn’t quick, but I just really enjoyed the physical and mental boost it gave me.

Tell us about your competitive days as a senior and your greatest achievements during that time?

After I’d binned the ciggies, shockingly bad diet and booze, my Dad and I decided to get fit together and enter the Oxford Town & Gown Fun Run (10k) and we shuffled round in just over an hour. We loved it though and I was hooked.  The following year I repeated the experience and knocked 12 minutes off my time. I then joined the Oxford Mountaineering Club (bullied by my elder sister who thought it would be a good place to meet men), and went on a meet to Snowdonia, and I fell hopelessly in love – with the mountains rather than a man! I spent the next 20 years in my 20s and 30s rock-climbing all over the UK and abroad and led some extreme grade climbs.  The running was always there in the background, and ideal for keeping an optimum power to weight ratio for climbing. Having missed out on a place for London Marathon in the ballot in 1995, an advert in Runners World for the Everest Marathon caught my eye, and I bullied my parents to give me the ‘wedding fund’ they had intended to launch me into matrimony, to use for the Everest Marathon instead.  It was the most incredible experience I’d ever had, and led to a 3 decade career working for a trekking company specialising in the Himalaya.

What training did you do back then?

I didn’t race during this period, but ran at least twice a week for general fitness and enjoyment.  It wasn’t until I moved to Chepstow in 2003 that I joined a running club – Chepstow Harriers, which I’m still a member of.  The club were seriously into their racing with the Gwent League xc, the Leisure Centre league xc and road series, and various relays, that I couldn’t escape competing for them.  Having joined just for social reasons to meet people in the area, I found myself getting more and more sucked in to the racing, and the club held two training sessions a week, including speedwork, which really helped bring those times down.  Eventually I decided to give up climbing and focus on running, a decision I’ve never regretted although I gained enormous satisfaction from pushing my limits lead climbing, and it took me to some incredible places.

You are a prolific racer, especially over the trails/multi-terrain. What is it about the trails that you enjoy so much?

Mountains have been a big part of my life since my early twenties with that first trip to Snowdonia with the Oxford Mountaineering Club, so I love the scenery and general joy I experience running on the trails and on the fells.  Also, you can chuck your watch away and just focus on enjoying the race as times are pretty meaningless off-road!  I also think that running and racing on trails and fells make you a stronger and more rounded runner.  It’s great training for the cross country season too.

You have also done fell races in the past, including the Snowdon International Mountain Race. What can you remember about that?

I was incredibly honoured and scared to be selected to run for Wales in the Snowdon International Mountain race in 2013.  I remember being in the hotel the night before when all the free kit was being given out and all the serious athletes taking it all in their stride.  I was very uncool and excitedly pulled out all the items in the rucksack including shorts, vest, t-shirts, jacket, baseball cap barely able to contain my excitement and glee.  I did have huge imposter syndrome as well, as I didn’t think I deserved to be there.  However, I gave a decent account of myself and wasn’t overtaken by any women in the race that weren’t internationals, so I didn’t ‘shame the vest’ which I was really worried about. I absolutely loved it, and after the nerves had calmed and the event was over, I had time to reflect on what a fantastic and memorable experience it had been, and what a huge privilege it was to wear the Welsh vest.

Having raced on multiple terrains and a range of distances, what would you say is favourite distance and why?

I think 10k is probably my favourite distance because it’s long enough for my weary old bones to warm up, as I don’t have the raw speed to be really fast in a 5k, but it’s not too draining like a half marathon, so for a race-a-holic like me, I am good to go to race the following weekend!  I do quite like a half marathon too, but race these sparingly as they do take more out of me, especially as I try and race them at 10k pace and then hang on!  I do like a distance which will give me a decent age graded percentage so that tends to be the slightly longer races.  I like to get over 90% if I can.

If my memory is correct, I first came across you running for Wales in Cardiff at the BMAF Cross Country International in 2013. Was this the first time you’d run for Wales? Tell us what it was like making your debut?

I think this was probably the first time I ran for Wales as a master (the Snowdon race I ran as a senior).  My overwhelming memory was delight that I’d scored for the Welsh team, sneaking in 3^rd place in my age category in the Welsh team (only 4 to score mind and I think the 4^th runner was nursing an injury!). 

Over the past few years, you’ve won Welsh, British and International events. Why do you think you are doing so well now, when perhaps you didn’t do so well when younger?

Joining Chepstow Harriers was really a game-changer for me. With their regular speed sessions on a Tuesday, steady runs on a Thursday, and frequent opportunities to race for the club, it made an enormous different to my speed and motivation.  Once I became hooked on competing, it became like a drug, where I just wanted to do it every weekend!  When my times came tumbling down and I was getting PBs in each distance, that was an enormous motivator and I couldn’t get enough of it.  I appreciate some people don’t like the pressure of competing, but it’s what I live for.  I probably race far too much, but I enjoy it so much I don’t want to stop!  I have a coach now – fellow masters international Steve Owen, who is also a Chepstow Harrier, and he gives me a weekly training plan and kerbs my worst racing excesses (or tries to)!

As previously indicated, you are a prolific racer, so how do you balance training with racing, and what is a typical week’s training these days?

I am a very low mileage runner – barely 20 miles a week.  I do a lot of walking though – probably close to 50 miles a week.  I don’t run more than 4 days a week, usually just 3.  I do speedwork on a Tuesday (whatever evil session Steve has designed), a 3 mile slow ‘wafty’ run on a Thursday, and then whatever race I have planned at the weekend.  It’s quite an unusual and some might say unbalanced schedule, but it works for me.  I don’t like long, slow runs so I don’t do them.  To get fit for half marathons, I do longer races in the lead up.  I don’t do marathons, mainly because I can’t face doing long slow training runs, and I can’t bear the thought of missing races in order to train or recover from one race.  I did London Marathon 3 times in my 20s (all slow), and that was enough for a lifetime.  I don’t do any strength work or any flexibility work.  I just do a lot of walking including hill walking.  My job sometimes involves leading treks in the Himalayan and other places worldwide – in fact I first met my coach, Steve Owen, on the Manaslu Circuit trek which I was leading in 2011!I guess you could say it’s quality over quantity – intensity over mileage.

What advice would you give to any Master athlete wanting to compete for Wales?

Do all you can to hit the target times/standards for your age group, and then fill out the Expressions of Interest form, even if you’re a few seconds short.  If you have fire in your belly for that goal and it’s realistic, then go all out to achieve it.  It probably gets a bit easier as you get older as the qualifying times for the younger age groups are quite tough.  Don’t just pay attention to training though – pay attention to everything – nutrition, recovery, quality sleep, strength and flexibility work (even though I don’t do any!), reduce life stress, etc.  Get a decent pair of ‘super shoes’ – they are extortionate but worth every penny.

What have been your greatest highlights during your running career?

• Running the Everest Marathon just for sheer ‘bonkersness’ and a life-changing experience
• Achieving podium positions in mountain marathons with my partner Andy Creber (who has competed for Wales in orienteering)
• Running the Snowdon International race for Wales as a senior (even though I was 43 at the time)
• Winning the British masters half marathon champs in my age cat at Tenby
• Coming first in my age category in the Birmingham 10k masters international against England
• Going sub 1:25 for the first (and only) time in the Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon in my early fifties

And the biggest disappointments?

Getting injured (tore my plantar plate in my foot) in 2013 which put me out for 6 months.  The mental pain of not being able to race and train was far worse than any physical pain.  It was my own fault though as I have a tendency to run through my injuries, and then they become chronic or something breaks or tears, resulting in a far longer lay off than if I’d sensibly backed off after feeing the first signs of the niggle.  We all do it as runners, but it isn’t clever!  We are also all good at giving advice, less good at heeding it ourselves.  To this day, my injury affects the type of running I do.  I do more on road and less trail and fell running now because I have an arthritic big toe which makes wearing any shoes that flex or don’t have any cushioning like fell shoes, very painful.  I pretty much run and walk everywhere, even round the house or at work or to the corner shop, in carbon-fibre plated super shoes – to stay pain free.

The beauty about racing so frequently is that if you have a disappointing race, you only have to wait the following week for another race to come along with the promise of doing better!

What is it like running for Chepstow Harriers?

I have been with Chepstow Harriers for over 20 years and I believe the club’s greatest strength is the variety of different types of running they do – road, trail, xc, fell, Mapruns, mountain marathons, orienteering.  I am their (joint) ladies team captain and love picking teams for the different relays such as Rack Raid, Cotswold Relay, and Wyedean relay.  I also organise the club’s fell series and encourage as many people as possible to try out fell racing so they can experience how life enhancing it is.  The people are very friendly and it’s a very inclusive club.  We have many social events throughout the year too.  Although we have a lot of social runners, and a couch to 5k programme, we also have a lot of fast, ambitious runners, and everything in between, so there really is something for everyone.  We also punch above our weight in terms of the number of races we organise for the local community such as Magor 10k, Rose Inn series, Tintern Trot. 

How does it feel to compete for Wales?

A chance to don the Welsh vest at the masters international events is a big motivator for me.  I think when you have the red vest on, you try that bit harder as you desperately want to be the best you can be.  I love the fact that there are now so many more opportunities to represent at masters level than there were a few years ago.  It’s always great fun and a huge privilege to be selected to represent your country.  If anyone has the chance, they should 100% go for it!  The standard at these events is very high and some of the performances of these masters athletes is mind boggling and inspiring in equal measures.

And Masters Running?

It’s easy for masters athletes to feel demoralised if they can no longer achieve PBs in races and lose their enthusiasm for the sport.  However, having age grading is motivating for me – I might not be able to do the times I could do 5 years ago, but my age graded percentages are actually higher now than they have ever been.  That’s keeps me motivated.  Also having the opportunity to compete against other athletes in the same age category in these masters international events, is another strong motivator.  It's fantastic for keeping longevity in the sport.

Finally, any closing thoughts?

Without the enthusiasm and tireless hard work of people like Bernie Jones, there wouldn’t be a masters international programme.  To him I give my heartfelt gratitude.

Bernie Jones concluded:

Niki is a great inspiration and shows what you can do even with a very small amount of training. It’s all about consistency and remaining injury free.