Running up a mountain probably wouldn't be most people's idea of a pleasant weekend leisure activity, but Brit Colin Yarker thrives on the physical and mental challenge of trail running.
"We take the same route as people who hike up a mountain, but we run instead of walk," he said. Not only has trail running widened his social circle and inspired him to volunteer for charity, he also credits the sport for helping him overcome a potentially life-threatening health crisis three years ago.
Although you would never guess it from his chiseled physique, Yarker says he was a chubby, unathletic youngster as he grew up near the city of York. "I had no interest in sports whatsoever. At my school, we had to do cross-country running twice a week and I was always stuck at the back."