Becs Gentry has made a life out of running. Hoka's newest Global Brand Ambassador has worked as a coach for some of the biggest names in the sport in cities like London and New York. Along the way, she has excelled at a range of distances, including trialling for Great Britain's Olympic team. However, her journey was sparked not by a desire to be an elite athlete and coach, but a need to escape from the pressure of work that will relate to everyday runners across the world. A keen runner at school, Becs drifted away from running during her time at university but returned to the sport with a bang in 2011. Initially, it was that need to find a release from the stress of work that prompted her to take running up again. It quickly, though, turned into a new career as Becs became a running coach, firstly for Nike Run+ in London and then for Peloton in New York. Her own running also went from strength to strength, as she began taking on marathon and ultra marathon events. In 2019, she finished as the first non-elite woman in the New York City Marathon. And by 2021, Becs had been invited to the British Olympic Marathon Trials, where she finished fourth in a time of two hours, 32 minutes and one second. Her role at Peloton and road running success has seen Becs gain a loyal following of runners who look to her for inspiration, including more than 200,000 on Instagram. Running Tales spoke to Becs about how she loves helping others achieve running success, the step up to the British Olympic trials, and her number one tip for all runners... 'Part of a team that moves together': Hoka welcomed Becs Gentry as its newest Global Brand Ambassador by celebrating her running achievements, including her 2024 completion of seven marathons in as many days. The running shoe and apparel giant said: "Becs has earned deep credibility within the global running community as a dedicated road runner and accomplished marathoner, with a loyal following of runners who look to her for guidance and inspiration." The partnership will allow Becs to share her passion for running and inspiring others to move, as well as to engage with Hoka's community across the world. Hoka added: "An accomplished marathoner, beloved Peloton instructor and mom to daughter Tallulah. Motion is at the centre of all things Becs. "Now, as our latest Global Brand Ambassador, she's part of a team that moves together." NOTE: In the interest of full transparency, please be aware that Hoka arranged this interview with Becs Gentry. Our thanks to them for backing our work. Running Tales received no payment of any kind for this interview, and we were given full autonomy on the questions we asked. Thanks again to Becs and Hoka for being part of the Running Tales project. Visit Running Tales on: Substack: https://runningtales.substack.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/runningtalespod Buy Me A Coffee: Back Running Tales and help us continue to tell the extraordinary stories of everyday runners: https://buymeacoffee.com/runningtales Path Projects: Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business. I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me! Visit Path Projects via this link and back Running Tales in the process (affiliate link).
