18-year-old Will Longden has impressed after earning a bronze medal at the World Mountain Running Championships.

Originally a cyclist, Buxton Athletic Club’s Will knew he had a talent for running, but never expected to travel across the world to compete.

So, when he was given a place on the Team GB squad for the World Mountain Running Championships in Thailand, he was overjoyed to race.

Travelling to the Asian country, along with more than 40 members of the team, Will had to learn to acclimatise to the humid conditions.

“I try to train six times a week but leading up to this event I knew it was going to be hot, so I trained in coats and extra layers to get used to the additional heat.

“I also tried to work on my speed, as I knew there was a mile on the road at the end, and I didn’t want to lose any places there,” he said.

There were also differences in the course conditions, with Winter English months not offering much in the way of dry ground.

“The course was very dry, and for a mountain race it was quite flat, a nice quick course.”

Third GB runner to finish and in a remarkable 19th place, Will’s efforts helped to push the team to the bronze medal position.

This success is an incredible achievement for Will’s running CV, who was encouraged to run during his time at school.

“I got into the school cross country team and from there I won the High Peak Championships in Year 7, I was then able to go to the Derbyshire Championships.

“The following year I got into the English Schools Cross Country, running for Derbyshire. It was actually one of my math teachers who suggested that I try out fell running.

“He was a member of Buxton AC and he noticed that I was good at running uphill. So, I went to the English Junior Championships in Ambleside, where I finished 4th,” Will said.

Finding not only a talent, but a love for the sport, Will was delighted to see his success grow.

He now sets his sights on his future ambitions, where he hopes to compete at the next World Mountain Championships in Austria.

He also has dreams to see mountain running at an Olympic Games but is unsure if this vision will ever happen.

But what is certain is Will’s impeccable talent for running, which will only grow.

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