This former Mercury Prize judge turned endurance sports specialist brings music journalism's narrative depth to running culture. At Runner's World UK, Smyth's "Human Race" column dissects the sport through anthropological lenses while maintaining scientific rigor.
We've followed David Smyth's two-decade journey from London Evening Standard's music critic to one of Britain's most authoritative running journalists. His career began in 2002 covering music superstars and judging the Mercury Prize before pivoting to endurance sports journalism in 2015. This transition coincided with his academic role teaching writing at BIMM University, where he developed a research-driven approach to sports storytelling.
This 8,000-word manifesto redefined ultramarathon training literature by blending physiological research with anthropological insights. Smyth interviews Barkley Marathons finishers and Saharan salt traders, creating a cultural taxonomy of endurance running. His methodology combines VO2 max data with oral histories from Ethiopian running tribes, establishing new best practices for multi-day race preparation.
This groundbreaking 2024 event coverage dissects running's diversity challenges through the lens of Britain's first BAME-focused trail race. Smyth employs critical race theory frameworks to analyze participation barriers, supported by UK Athletics diversity reports. The piece sparked industry-wide conversations about inclusive race design, cited by London Marathon organizers in their 2025 accessibility initiatives.
Smyth's granular analysis of this Welsh racing festival sets new standards for event journalism. Using geospatial mapping of the course and metabolic analysis of elevation profiles, he creates a predictive model for runner performance. The article's "course difficulty matrix" has been adopted by race directors nationwide for risk assessment.
Pitch narratives exploring running's role in cultural identity or personal transformation. Smyth's award-winning piece on Jemma Harding's post-accident comeback exemplifies his preference for psychological depth over athletic statistics. Successful pitches should include: ethnographic research components, longitudinal study designs, and cross-cultural comparisons.
Propose exposés on emerging training technologies with 6+ months of clinical trial data. His analysis of carb cycling protocols set the template - pitches must include interviews with sports physiologists and raw data sets from peer-reviewed studies. Avoid generic gear reviews; focus on paradigm-shifting methodologies.
Smyth's ekiden race investigation demonstrates his appetite for historical context. Successful pitches might explore: ancient Mesoamerican relay traditions, Cold War-era East German training protocols, or the impact of medieval pilgrimage routes on modern trail design. Include primary source materials and academic partnerships.
"The Spine Race coverage redefined winter sports journalism through its unflinching examination of human limits." - Trail Running Association Awards Committee, 2024
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Sports, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
