Organisers of The National Running Show have announced an expanded line-up of speakers for the 2026 event, which will take place at the NEC Birmingham from 31 January to 1 February. The award-winning show is the UK’s largest gathering of the running community and is expected to welcome more than 30,000 runners across the two days.

The National Running Show brings together athletes, adventurers, industry experts and thought leaders to inspire runners of all abilities and interests. Alongside a packed programme of talks and live content, visitors will be able to explore more than 250 established and emerging brands, many offering exclusive product launches and show-only deals.

The initial speaker line-up revealed earlier this year included legendary sprinter Carl Lewis, elite distance runner and Olympic hopeful Phily Bowden, one of Britain’s most successful middle-distance athletes Laura Muir and marathon runner and musician Harry Judd.

Among the new additions is British ultrarunner Tom Evans, who made headlines this summer by becoming the first British man to win UTMB since 2010. Often described as the Super Bowl of trail running, the HOKA UTMB Mont Blanc is a 106-mile ultramarathon with around 10,000 metres of elevation gain, starting and finishing in Chamonix and passing through France, Italy and Switzerland. Evans will share insights from his landmark victory in one of the toughest races in the sport.

British ultrarunner Sophie Power is also set to return to the show. A member of the Great Britain team that won gold at the 2025 24-hour World Championships, Power attracted global attention at the 2025 event when she set a world record for the longest distance run by a woman on a treadmill in 48 hours. She is also the founder of the SheRACES charity, which campaigns for equity in endurance sport.

A newly announced panel for 2026 will feature members of Project Fire and Ice, the subject of an upcoming Channel 4 documentary. The team, including Jason Fox, Karl Hinett, Brian Wood MC and Aldo Kane, will discuss their SAS-led expedition across the Arctic Ultra, a 500K self-supported challenge in Swedish Lapland completed in support of SSAFA, the armed forces charity.

The speaker programme will also include athletes connected to the 2026 European Athletics Championships, which will be staged in Birmingham.

If you'd like to know more, visit the National Running Show website.

Image: National Running Show Facebook