Great British Adventures

Britain's in the middle of another heatwave, but Benny P's got a good store of ice to keep us all cool. We chat about what these increasingly extreme summers might mean for the future, how the sunshine transforms life behind the Trailside Coffee van, and Ben's recent trip to Norway simply to watch some world-class athletics. Tom's turning awkward coach journeys into mini-adventures, camping throug...

What if joy isn't something you earn after you've fixed your life - but the thing that helps you build it in the first place? This week I'm joined by life coach, retreat host and founder of The Joy Project, Meg Holloway. After leaving a corporate career and moving to the Lake District, Meg trained as a coach and built a business around a simple but powerful idea: joy is not the reward...

Danny Bent has spent years chasing adventure. From ultra-endurance survival challenges to being marooned on a deserted island in the Maldives, he's built a life around pushing boundaries and stepping into the unknown. But recently, his focus has shifted. The next challenge isn't about going further, faster, or enduring more. It's about becoming more human. In this deeply personal conve...

Esther Lloyd didn’t grow up as a cyclist, and she didn’t ease her way into the sport either. What started as a complete beginner journey just a few years ago, has turned into racing across continents in some of the toughest ultra-endurance events in the world, including the Transcontinental Race (TCR). Along the way she’s taken on brutal challenges like finishing third in the Trans Pyrenees Race a...

In this episode, Tom shares his journey behind training for his first bike race (and it's a big one!) After a period of burnout, mental health struggles, and being forced to step away from life for a short while, this episode is more about what it really means to rebuild - physically and mentally and how “pushing through” doesn’t always work (Tom found out the hard way. Ben's been on a sol...

For Mark White, gratitude is more than just a word. It’s a daily practice that helped him rebuild his life - from rehab for drug addiction to creating a movement that encourages others to live with more intention, connection, and perspective. Now celebrating 23 years of sobriety, Mark has built gratitude into his daily life. He is the founder of Run Grateful, Your Town CIC, and the Daily Five app...

Here's the best of 2025 - thanks so much for tuning in! Charlie Wild (The Travel Project): Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bUcPWa Apple: https://apple.co/3XXfXe2 Youtube: https://youtu.be/IAHqxY_vdNk Alex Staniforth - Caught in Everests Darkest Hour: Spotify: https://bit.ly/48UXJP0 Apple: https://apple.co/4seGLEr Youtube: https://youtu.be/Uat6ExQZ4gQ Sarah Ruggins - From Novice Cyclist to Record Breake...

Nick Butter is a man who’s turned the word “impossible” into a to-do list. Once a finance professional chasing bonuses and deadlines, a chance meeting with a terminally ill runner made him completely reimagine his life. Within a few years, he’d left his job, sold his possessions, and embarked on one of the greatest endurance and logistically challenging feats ever attempted: running a marathon in...

Benny P is back to co-host another episode of Misadventures. In this episode, Tom reflects on his ride around the coast of Wales - a three-week journey of endurance, reflection, and a new love for the sea he never knew he needed. Ben brings stories from Chamonix, convincing us all we need a slice of that alpine magic next summer. Along the way, we dive into Tom’s unlikely love affair with voluntee...

At the age of 50, while most people are thinking about slowing down, Jacquetta Megarry decided to speed up - on foot. A career in ICT was swapped for muddy boots and mountain paths after one frustrating but hugely adventurous hike along the West Highland Way sparked a bold idea: to create waterproof, lightweight, beautifully crafted guidebooks that could actually survive the Scottish weather. That...

Horatio Clare is one of Britain’s most captivating writers and broadcasters. From trekking across two continents following the migration of swallows, to voyaging on container ships, to writing about mental health and the natural world, his work is rooted in curiosity, humanity, and a deep urge to understand the world around us. In this episode, we dive into his brand new book We Came by Sea – a fe...

What happens when you mix sewage pollution in our rivers with the creative, rebellious soul of Bristolians? The answer is  Rave On For The Avon  - a documentary about Bristol’s wild swimming community and their complicated, joyous relationship with the very waters others treat as a dumping ground. In this episode I sit down filmmakers Charlotte Sawyer and Aggie Nyagari , to explore how their camer...

In May 2025, Sarah Ruggins made history. She became the fastest person to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back, covering the 1,677-mile route in an astonishing 5 days, 11 hours, and 14 minutes. Sarah didn’t just smash the women’s record - she claimed the outright record. But what makes her achievement all the more extraordinary is everything she had to overcome to get there. Just over t...

Tom and Benny P are back with more tales of triumph, chaos and the curious art of blagging a bargain. Fresh from The Speed Project , Benny P shares what it was like to run a non-stop relay from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and still somehow make a decent coffee at the end. Meanwhile, Tom’s been gallivanting around Northumberland and Cornwall without spending a single penny on accommodation - he spills...

Charlie Bennett is a regenerative farmer whose passion for history and storytelling transforms seemingly ordinary farming fields into a tapestry of marvels and hidden tales in an episode where wisdom, wit, and wonder converge. When Charlie inherited some farmland in Northumberland, he decided to bring it back to what he calls "common sense farming" - with sustainability, re-wilding and community a...

From childhood struggles to scaling life’s biggest challenges, Alex Staniforth’s journey is one of resilience, adventure, and mental strength. After two failed attempts to summit Everest, and surviving an avalanche on the mountain's most fatal year, Alex was forced to shift his mindset, realising that true achievement isn’t always about reaching the top - sometimes, no matter how hard we try, exte...

Charlie Wild is one half of The Travel Project , a creative duo on a mission to showcase the very best of UK travel and adventure. Together with his wife Jess, Charlie has spent years exploring hidden gems, wild landscapes, and thrilling experiences—all without leaving Britain’s shores. We go behind the scenes of life as a travel content creator, from capturing the perfect shot to the realities of...

When Tracey Bravo realised she wanted to be a mother but hadn’t met the right person to share that journey with, she made a bold decision - to go it alone. Without knowing anyone who had taken this path before, she embarked on a deeply personal adventure: choosing to conceive via a sperm donor. In our conversation, Tracey shares how she navigated the process, from selecting a donor to undergoing I...

How far would you be willing to go to achieve a target marathon time? For Nick Bester - his journey became a three-year quest, across 7 marathon attempts, to break the sub-2:20 marathon - a target he'd set himself once he broke 2:25 A relentless competitor and motivator, across 10 years, Nick has transformed from a recreational runner and corporate banker into a sub-elite marathoner and one of...

Tooting's finest outdoor Barista, Benny P is back for a brand-new instalment of MisAdventures We dive into our own chaotic lives, from Ben's broken coffee van, to Tom's winter book-writing, to 2025 coffee trends and an upcoming 10-year soberversary. Last time, Ben spent half the recording blissfully unaware of what AMA stood for—until the penny finally dropped. So, naturally, we’re launching a new...

Deo Kato made history as the first person to run from Cape Town to London - a journey of truly epic proportions. Over 518 days and across 21 countries, he pushed the limits of human endurance to achieve what most would consider impossible. In his first in-depth interview since completing this monumental feat, Deo opens up about a harrowing chapter of his journey: being illegally detained in South...

Welcome to a very special episode of the Great British Adventures Podcast - a countdown of the top 10 episodes since the beginning of the podcast 18 months ago, as collated from the listening figures from Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Whether you’re a longtime listener or this is your very first time tuning in, I hope this episode inspires you to embrace adventure in whatever form it takes for you. ...

Get a two week free trial to Coopah by signing up with the code ‘GBA’ here: ⁠https://coopah.onelink.me/PFli/ha2l5cpt⁠ Running has the power to transform our mental health, but let’s face it - it's not easy. It takes effort, discipline, and dedication. For many, staying motivated and making running a consistent habit can feel like an uphill battle. So, how do you turn running into something pos...

Fiona English made headlines in 2023 with her open letter to the Boston Marathon, challenging their lack of pregnancy deferral options. Her advocacy, alongside that of other pioneers in women’s running, led to the Boston Marathon introducing a policy allowing pregnant and postpartum athletes to defer their entry. Her courage to stand up against longstanding rules, driven by her belief in fairness,...

In loving memory of Dean Jones, a much beloved member of the Midnight Runners Community who sadly passed a few days after this recording. Ben Palmer joins the podcast in the first of a new regular series of check-ins where we dive into his and Tom's latest adventures—and misadventures. As a highly skilled runner and founder of Trailside Coffee, Ben brings the perfect blend of insight and humour to...