Harrier PRO Trail Team: Meet Sanna Duthie

Running For The Love Of It (And Winning Along The Way!)

Have you heard the news? We’ve launched the Harrier PRO Trail Team, where we’re partnering with some of the UK’s top trail and ultra runners. They’ll be training and racing in the latest Harrier gear, pushing it to the limit and helping us refine our products to be even better.

But running isn’t just about the gear. It’s about what makes you tick, the habits, the rituals, and the experiences that shape you as a runner.

With the Harrier PRO Trail Team, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it takes to compete at the sharp end of UK trail running. Expect training insights, race-day tactics, and behind-the-scenes stories from some of the best in the sport. Stay tuned - it’s going to be good!

MEET SANNA DUTHIE

For Sanna, running has always been more than just training - it’s her therapy, her escape, and her way of soaking up the outdoors. She runs for the joy of it, the adventure, and the community that racing brings.

But don’t be fooled by this laid-back approach - Sanna is an absolute force on the trails, with an impressive list of achievements to her name. Course records in the Pembrokeshire 100 Mile, Beacons Way Ultra 100 Mile and Ultra Trail Wales are just a few of her many accolades. She also has no less than 5 FKTs to her name.

We’re thrilled to welcome her to the Harrier PRO Trail Team! We recently caught up with Sanna to chat about her journey so far, what drives her, and her best advice for fellow trail runners.

Let’s dive in!

At 8.30am Thursday 24th April, Sanna will set off to attempt to break her own FKT record on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. She’s aiming to finish at 10.30am Saturday 26th. In her own words, here’s how she’s feeling about it.

"In 2021, I struggled with not being able to race because of COVID. I didn't have something to focus on, so I decided to set myself the challenge of running the whole of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

I was a bit annoyed we weren't allowed on the path during COVID, so I decided, “I’m going to do this because I couldn't go on the path for a whole year”. So I attempted to run it. I did my first attempt in the August, and a storm came with 70-mile per hour gusts. That meant I had to pull out at 64 miles - it just wasn't safe for me or the crew. But that made me want it even more. So I tried again in the May and I got the FKT record in 51.5 hours.

However. The goal was always to try and have it in 50 hours or less… so we're gonna try again! I just wanted to do it again, and it fits in with life at the moment.

It's quite a bit of pressure trying to beat your own record. I know how much it hurt to do it last time. But it's also about bringing my friends and family in, hopefully doing something great and bringing the county together again"

Sanna’s FKT Kit Choice

SANNA, YOU’RE A DECADE INTO YOUR RUNNING CAREER, TELL US WHAT COMPETITIVE RUNNING LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.

"Last year was a great year for me. I did three of the GB Ultra 100 milers and a 50 miler. I won all three 100 milers, first female, and got two new course records, plus a new course record on the 50 miler. Those performances all meant I came 2nd in the UK’s ITRA ranking. So that was a really big achievement for me. I don't have a coach, I’m just doing this for the love of it and just trying to push myself, you know, not trying to beat anyone, just trying to beat myself"

"So that was a great confidence boost, which is another thing I love about my running. I don't have much confidence, but when I run, I just feel like the strongest, best version of myself. You know, if you find something that makes you feel like that, then you’ve definitely got to embrace it.

I won't be at this level forever, but I’ll enjoy it while I can and inspire others forever, I hope"

IT MUST HAVE BEEN A JOURNEY TO GET HERE. ANY SETBACKS ALONG THE WAY?

"Yeah, in 2018, after doing a 100-miler I was like on a high and I didn't listen to any of my niggles. I didn’t take any downtime, and I had heel bursitis and Achilles tendonitis. Rather than resting like I should have, I just kept training through it. So I couldn’t race for almost a year. After seeing specialists, eventually, it did get better. But I think that taught me a lesson in listening to my body. I mean, you can push through some things, and you do it during races, but it's not worth a year out.

I have my A races and then sometimes other races in between. If I feel like a race will take me out for a month or if I've taken a fall, I'll stop because it's more important for me to run and have adventures every weekend than it is to break myself over one race. That's my motto on it. To do it every week is much more important than one race. It's a lifestyle for me, I love to be outside and if I can't do that then… It's a dark place"

IS THERE A RACE THAT STANDS OUT AS A DEFINING MOMENT SO FAR?

"When I completed the Brecon Beacons 100, that was the toughest thing I had ever done. I went back and did it this year, and I broke the female course record by over three hours. So now I've done it in the rain and I've done it in the sun, but it's such a brutal race that it's more than just running in the mountains.

As is the Dragon's Back. With such a big DNF rate, to complete that is quite an achievement, and it's one I’ve dreamt of doing since I started trail running. It took nine years, but it wasn't something I never thought I could do. To finish fifth female with quite a few pros in that race - I was pretty stoked to do that"

"But I think the thing that got me noticed for my running was my record of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. I was the first female to do it, and then I broke the record. That drew quite a lot of attention, and I’ve had talking opportunities come off the back of it because it's more than just running, it's the mental side too. So I've gone to talk in schools and things with it, which is really nice - it’s reached so much more than just the running community"

IF YOU COULD GIVE ADVICE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF WHEN YOU STARTED RUNNING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

"Just keep smiling. Be kind to yourself. But also, learn to love food sooner. To admit that it is actual fuel and not to fight against it so much. Not so much while running, but before and after. I think when I first started exercising, it wasn't to be good and fit, it was to look a certain way. A lot of, I think, start that way.

Sanna always has a paddle with her dog Logan after an ultra"

DID YOU LEARN ABOUT FOOD THE HARD WAY?

"Yeah, I didn't up my calories when I upped my mileage, and I guess that would have been part of why I was injured. So I think it’s just about understanding that food is important and learning not to restrict it"

WOULD YOU SAY THAT’S THE THING THAT’S HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOUR LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE?

"Yeah, food and also the gym. As much as I hate it, going to the gym does make such a difference. Not hammering myself, but doing the right exercises to work on the weaknesses. For example, I was very quad-strong, and I still am, but it was causing loads of hip problems. So I had to build up my hamstrings. Since I've done that, the hip problem has gone"

"Another one is splitting my mileage. Sometimes it can be hard to get the big runs in, so I often run before work and after work, and I find that's made such a difference. Plus, you eat and fuel your body in between, so your body is just a little bit happier"

We will be sharing a full race report from Sanna after her FKT attempt, as well as the second part of our interview, where we uncover her biggest kit mistakes and some quirky training rituals that might just be her secret superpowers!