The Dolphin Runner
Running to Communicate, Educate and Inspire Climate Action
I run as a dolphin to remind people that, whatever we do and wherever we live, we all depend on a healthy ocean. Every other breath we take – even during a parkrun – comes from the ocean. Our climate, health and wellbeing are inseparable from the health of the blue planet we share.
The Dolphin Runner is about starting conversations. The outfit might make people smile, but it also creates an opportunity to talk about why the ocean matters, the pressures it faces, and the actions that individuals and organisations can take to protect it.
Through running, speaking, writing and education, I hope to make climate and ocean issues easier to understand, harder to ignore and, above all, something people feel able to act upon.
Early days
My love for the ocean started when I was 4 years old in the early 1970s and collecting wildlife cards which came with a weekly magazine. I was fascinated by the diverse range of animals, the ability of some of them to thrive miles from the surface and the fact that so many looked even stranger than the aliens from outer space dreamt up in science fiction.
I particularly loved whales and dolphins – the fact that the blue whale is the largest animal ever to have lived, and the extraordinary intelligence and diversity of the many species of cetaceans. One species stood out - the Baiji or Yangtze River Dolphin. It was so pretty and yet the picture made it look so vulnerable.
I remember the moment in 2017 when for some reason, the Baiji sprung once again into my mind. I knew the Yangtze, like many rivers had transformed and I wondered how the Baiji had coped. I was devastated to find it hadn't and in 2006 had become the first dolphin species driven to extinction by human activity.
Running for the Ocean
I'd worked for a long time in the healthcare sector including in healthcare sustainability, but the ocean just wasn't being included in discussions. I therefore, along with two others, formed Healthcare Ocean to give the ocean the voice it needed. After years of advocating, writing and speaking at conferences, I became aware that I wasn't always speaking to the right people, and I needed to find another way.
I was therefore delighted when in 2024, my daughter Lucy introduced me to the wonders of the parkrun, and it was then I realised there was a way to reach lots of people every Saturday morning. All I needed was something which stood out.
So, in honour of the extinct Baiji, I decided to dress as a dolphin and Run for the Ocean. I do it for two reasons. The first is so I can educate a little when people ask me 'why' and the second, is simply to make people smile.
The future
The primary goal of the Dolphin Runner is to raise awareness in a way that people remember – and, let's face it, seeing a dolphin at a parkrun is fairly memorable.
I want to take that conversation further: running at more events, speaking to more people and organisations, developing accessible educational resources, and encouraging others to recognise how closely human health, climate and the ocean are connected.
One day, I would love to see a whole pod of dolphins running at parkruns around the country – each one starting conversations about the ocean and why protecting it matters.
My goal is simple: to help more people recognise that, whatever we do, our lives and health depend upon a healthy ocean, and to encourage organisations to include Global Goal 14 - Life Below Water - in their sustainability plans and actions.
Get involved
The Dolphin Runner would love to hear from people and organisations who share the ambition of improving understanding of our dependence on a healthy ocean.
There are lots of ways to get involved – invite the Dolphin Runner to an event, help share the message, collaborate on education, run as part of the pod, or support the work through sponsorship.
Together, we can start more conversations, reach more people and help turn greater understanding of the ocean into meaningful action.
