Every run has a story to tell, and often the best way to tell it is without any words at all. British Photographer David Miller shares his favorite photos from 2023 and a little insight for each photo from behind the lens.
Ben Yancey sat in the Big Cove shower block after completing 2 laps of the Barkley Marathons. Satisfied or traumatized? Maybe both? You decide.
Sally McRae (The Yellow Runner) high above Chamonix at Le Brévent. I love the way her yellow jacket counteracts the snow capped mountains.
Andreas Moller Andersen showing his emotions after completing a lap of Mont Blanc during UTMB. This photo was taken as a last minute dash to the finish line after feeling something was missing from my UTMB photo collection.
Ultra runners Tom Owens & Hugh Chatfield descending the Pyg Track during first light at Ultra Trail Snowdonia, UK.
The moment Courtney Dauwalter secured a historic treble of the 2023 Western States, Hardrock and UTMB, becoming the first person to win all three in one calendar year. It’s a feat that many thought impossible given the extreme distance and elevation gain of all three races, which all take place in a relatively short period of time. But Dauwalter, undeniably the GOAT of women’s ultrarunning, has rewritten the sport’s rule book by winning her third UTMB title in the same year as setting new records at Western States and Hardrock.
Lazarus Lake lighting his cigarette marking the start of the Barkley Marathons 2023. An important moment.
I took a trip to the Photographers Gallery in London earlier this year and couldn’t help but feel an attachment to some of the photographs being displayed in-front of me. I realized the photographers lived by no-rules and had stories to tell. Fast forward a few days and I’m shooing Allie Baileys book cover down in the seaside village of Beer in Devon, UK. Call this photo controversial and yes she’s smoking a cigarette but this is Allie Bailey – a very gifted endurance runner and one hell of a determined individual. Why should she have to hide who she really is? How we are being portrayed online is now becoming more important than how we are being portrayed in real life. This is a time to stop and listen to real stories being told by real people. A strange feeling but this feels like one of the most important photographs I’ve ever taken.
After many trials and tribulations I managed to take a silhouette style photo of a runner (during a race) descending Pen yr Helgi du in Wales. This is a shot I’ve always wanted to take.
Runner 126 getting a helping hand from his crew during the Winter Downs 200 mile. This photo marks a new chapter in my photography journey after making a significant camera upgrade which allows me to take low-light photos I’ve always seen but never been able to deliver (until now).
John Keat zoning out before the Arc Of Attrition 100 mile on the Cornish Coastline. I feel a great sense of isolation when I look at this photograph.
The moment Karel Sabbe became finisher number 17 at the Barkley Marathons. The expression on his face says it all.
British ultra-runner Tom Evans climbing Mynydd Mawr during Ultra Trail Snowdonia in the UK. The mountain in the background is Snowdon itself and provides a great sense of scale.
Follow David on Instagram: @davidmiller.photography
Lovely photos! Are you the David Miller of Tour de France fame?
Wow! Thank you for sharing these.
Amazing photos. Loved your thoughts, too, especially Allie Bailey’s book cover pic, natch. Even if I don’t smoke.
Beautiful photos. That said, the “important moment” encapsulates one of the most annoying — if not the most annoying obsessions about the ultrarunning community.
I find the whole “Lazarus Lake/Barkley” schtick tiring. It’s like a big inside joke and all of the participants are just there for his amusement.
And the idea that any serious athletic event would be started by someone lighting a cigarette is downright INSULTING.