Running on the Edge: ADHD, Endurance and the Search for Calm

In a recent feature for Runner’s World UK, I was privileged to speak with sports psychologist

- what happens when your mind doesn’t switch off and what I’ve learned about finding calm in places most people associate with chaos.

The article recounts my time in the Sahara Desert while preparing for the Marathon des Sables. While the race is often framed as one of the toughest endurance challenges on earth, my motivation wasn’t just the achievement, but clarity.

Running for me is about escaping chaos and giving it direction.

Being diagnosed with ADHD later in life really helped me make sense of a lot of patterns I’d lived with for years. The intensity, the restlessness, the mental noise. Running never “fixed” any of that. What it did give me was a way to work with my brain rather than constantly fighting it.

When I’m running long distances, things simplify. There’s one task. One direction. One rhythm. I often describe my ADHD mind as a glass full of sand that’s constantly being shaken. Running lets the sand settle. Not permanently, but enough to breathe.

The article explores how endurance creates that space. Not because it removes chaos, but because it channels it. The same traits that can feel overwhelming in day-to-day life can become useful when you’re dealing with fatigue, uncertainty and discomfort over a gruelling challenge.

This isn’t a story about extremes or “superpowers”. ADHD still brings challenges, and running isn’t a cure. What surprised me most was how the calm often lasted beyond the finish line. After some races, I’ve felt clearer and more balanced for weeks. Conversations feel easier. Decisions feel simpler. The noise quietens.

I also wanted the piece to be clear about this: you don’t need to run ultras, deserts or mountains to experience this. Running, or movement of any kind, can be a tool for understanding yourself, quieting internal noise and creating a sense of control in an otherwise fast-moving world.

If there’s one thing I hope readers take away from the article, it’s that endurance isn’t about going further for the sake of it. It’s about understanding yourself better and finding your calm.

Read more in Runner's World UK Magazine RUNNING ON THE EDGE - ADHD, endurance and the pursuit of peace [10 December, 2025]