‘I choose to do this’: Gemma Hillier-Moses on perspective, mountains and the joy of ultra running

For most runners, the pain of an ultra marathon can feel all-consuming.

Hours in the mountains, unpredictable weather, fuelling problems and sheer fatigue can push even the strongest athletes to their limits.

But for Gemma Hillier-Moses, those difficult moments are always framed by a simple thought.

“I choose to do this,” she tells us when we sit down to hear more about the remarkable journey she has been on to this point.

It is a mindset rooted in experiences far beyond the trail.

Years earlier, Hillier-Moses faced an aggressive cancer diagnosis and the brutal chemotherapy treatment that followed – an ordeal that left her fighting not only for recovery but for a sense of identity beyond illness.

“At one point in my life I was literally on my deathbed,” she explains.

“When you’ve been through something like that it gives you perspective. It reminds you that you choose to do these races.”

The life-changing benefits of movement

The experience also helped shape something far bigger than running results. In the aftermath of her illness, Hillier-Moses founded the charity MOVE, an initiative designed to help people rebuild their relationship with movement during and after serious illness.

“Going through cancer completely changed my perspective on what movement means,” she explains. “Before, running was always about performance and racing. But when you’re recovering from treatment, just being able to move your body again feels incredibly powerful.”

MOVE was created with exactly that idea in mind – encouraging people facing serious health challenges to rediscover the physical and mental benefits of gentle activity, whatever that looks like for them.

“I realised how important movement was during recovery,” Hillier-Moses says. “It wasn’t about running fast or training hard anymore – it was just about getting outside, moving a little bit and feeling better for it.”

For Hillier-Moses, the charity reflects a shift in outlook that came from one of the most difficult periods of her life.

“Sport will always be important to me, but going through cancer made me realise that movement is about so much more than performance,” she adds. “If MOVE can help people find even a small amount of that again, then that’s something really special.”

She now plays an ambassadorial role for the charity and was thrilled with the publicity generated earlier this year by King Charles III’s visit to the Sandringham parkrun organised by the MOVE Against Cancer charity’s 5K Your Way group.

Racing with perspective

That perspective has become one of the foundations of her approach to ultra running which has seen her become one of the rising stars of the sport in a very short space of time.

Her first ultra was only in November 2023 and in the last 12 months she has won both the 73km race at Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB and the Arc of Attrition 50-miler. Her latest race was her longest so far as she returned to Chianti for the 120km event and was a superb fourth to the ultrarunning legend that is Courtney Dauwalter.

Even during the toughest races, Hillier-Moses reminds herself that the hardship is ultimately a choice – and that realising that can change everything.

“It doesn’t mean races are always enjoyable,” she says with a smile.

“In CCC last year I went through hell and back with how I felt.

“But when things go wrong, that’s okay. You can learn a lot from those moments.”

Before races she often reinforces that mindset with a quiet ritual.

“I always look in the mirror and remind myself that I’m the same person regardless of the result,” she says.

“My family will still love me and my friends will still love me.

“So whether it’s the best race of my life or the worst, I’ll be fine on the other side.”

It is a simple perspective – but one that allows her to race with clarity rather than fear of failure.

Discovering a new life on the trails

Hillier-Moses’ journey into trail running has been relatively recent.

After years competing on the roads, she found herself increasingly drawn towards the mountains and the lifestyle that comes with them.

“I realised how much I loved being outside,” she says.

“I remember doing a small trail race in Wales and going camping afterwards and thinking – this is the life I want.”

That shift was about more than racing results.

Trail running offered something she had not fully experienced before: the freedom of spending long hours in the mountains simply exploring what the body and mind can do.

And it is that element of discovery that continues to excite her most.

“There’s so much more to it than just running fast,” she says.

“You’re dealing with terrain, weather, decisions you make during the race – all these different elements.

“That’s what makes it really interesting.”

Inspired by the spirit of the sport

The athletes she admires most reflect that same love of the mountains.

Figures such as the aforementioned Dauwalter – widely regarded as one of the greatest ultra runners of all time – embody the joy that Hillier-Moses believes defines trail running at its best.

“She’s amazing,” Hillier-Moses says.

“But what stands out is her attitude – even when she’s suffering she’s smiling and encouraging other runners.”

She has also found inspiration closer to home.

Spending time with fellow trail runners such as Josh Wade has reinforced the idea that passion for the mountains often matters just as much as performance.

“When you talk to someone like Josh you realise he just absolutely loves being up there,” she says.

“He cares about performance, but he probably cares more about being out in the mountains doing what he loves.”

A sport where age is no barrier

Trail running has also given Hillier-Moses something that many endurance sports struggle to offer: longevity.

Now 37, she believes she may still have her best years ahead of her.

“In trail running you see people performing incredibly well in their 40s and even their 50s,” she says.

“That’s exciting for me.

“I could still be at my best in ten years’ time.”

It is another reminder that the sport operates on a different timeline.

Experience, resilience and the ability to make smart decisions in difficult environments often matter as much as raw speed.

And that means the journey is rarely linear.

“There’s always something new to learn,” she says.

“And that’s part of what makes trail running so special.”

For Hillier-Moses, that sense of discovery is exactly why she keeps coming back.

Because no matter how hard the race becomes, the simple truth remains the same.

“I choose to do this.”