Running Beyond Limits: Sebastian Key on Ultras, Fundraising & Finding Joy in the Pain

5 days ago
3 min read

In the latest episode of the Sapphire Running Zone podcast, host Tim Rogers sits down with Sebastian Key — ultra runner, fundraiser, and charity advocate — for a conversation that redefines what endurance really means. From his first half marathon in Barcelona to running 1,300km around Iceland, Sebastian’s story isn’t just about distance. It’s about mindset, meaning, and making running something you love — not something you survive.

HAVE A LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

“If you hate the process, you’ll finish the marathon and stop running.”

Seb’s London Marathon experience shaped his philosophy on training. After running a 3:20 at the London Marathon, he realised something important: chasing times isn’t everything.

While structured training plans, tempo runs, and pace targets all have their place, Seb believes long-term runners are built on enjoyment — not rigid perfection.

He openly admits he skipped sessions he hated. He loved long runs.He loved hill sprints.He hated tempo workouts. And instead of forcing it, he adapted.

His advice is refreshingly honest: if training becomes punishment, you won’t stick with it. But if you find the parts you love, running becomes sustainable — even addictive in the best way.

For fundraisers especially, this matters. A positive training journey makes it far easier to talk about, share, and raise money around.

“Ultras are about keeping your body in its best state possible.”

When Sebastian transitioned from marathons to ultra-distance running, everything changed.

“You don’t run ultras the way you run marathons,” he explains. Instead of racing from start to finish, ultras are about management:

Run.
Walk.
Eat.
Hydrate.
Maintain.

It’s not about collapsing across the line. It’s about controlled endurance. That shift in mindset led him to bigger and bolder challenges — including running seven marathons in seven days, and eventually attempting to break the record for running Iceland’s Ring Road (Route 1) Over 17 days, Seb averaged 77km per day in brutal wind, hills, sleep deprivation, and escalating injuries — including Achilles tendonitis and severe shin inflammation that required a homemade “bionic” foot contraption built with rubber bands and kinesiology tape.

But even at his lowest moment, halfway through the journey and breaking down in tears, he reframed it. Instead of battling the distance, he chose joy. Which leads to perhaps the most powerful quote of the episode.

Seb Key in black and biker in yellow ride on a wet, misty road through foggy hills. Grey sky, serene mood.

“When things get hard, remember to dance.”

At the emotional halfway point in Iceland, Seb hit the wall. Injured, exhausted, and staring at hundreds of kilometres still to go, the weight of the challenge caught up with him.

So what did he do? He and his team blasted the Bee Gees from the camper van and danced. They filmed it. They laughed. They turned pain into play. Seb rejects the idea that endurance has to be aggressive or combative. For him, resilience comes from remembering that the challenge is a choice. “You’re choosing to be here,” he says. “Make the most of it.”

That mindset not only carried him through Iceland but helped him raise £34,000 for Children with Cancer UK — a cause deeply personal to him after his sister’s childhood brain tumour diagnosis. For Seb, fundraising isn’t transactional. It’s relational. He encourages runners to go deeper:Learn the charity.Understand the impact.Tell the story. When people feel your connection, they want to be part of it and they will be more likely to donate.

Beyond the Finish Line

What’s next? Possibly an attempt to run over 100km per day for an entire month.

But for now, Seb is supporting others — including runners tackling the Camino in Spain and even the length of Europe from Norway to Italy. True endurance, it seems, isn’t just physical.

It’s about:

Finding joy in effort
Staying connected to purpose
And remembering that even in the toughest miles… you can still dance

Whether you’re training for your first 10K or dreaming of an ultra, Sebastian Key’s story is proof that the limits we think we have are often just the beginning.