Guest blog: From personal miles to community movement - How Trina Dawkins is running with purpose
'Voices from the Trail' author Trina writes for Running Tales
Trina Dawkins is a trail and ultra runner - and perhaps more importantly a champion of women in sport.
She is passionate about women’s safety in the running world, and recently ran at the Kielder Marathon - despite being injured - on behalf of the She Runs Free initiative.
Operating in partnership with Altra and BOLDI, She Free Runs aims to promote confidence and security for women runners, especially in remote or less trafficked areas.
Trina also writes her own Substack newsletter, ‘Voices from the Trail’, where she aims to “amplify voices, break barriers, and celebrate every finish line - visible or not”.
This week, Running Tales is privileged to host this guest blog from Trina, in which she writes about what inspires her, running as reflection, and why she is sharing her story.
Running didn’t start as a bold declaration or a grand plan. It started quietly. I’ve always loved sport, but like many people, life pulled me in different directions and running slipped away for a while. When I found my way back, I wasn’t chasing medals or finish lines. I was searching for clarity, strength, and something that felt like mine.
What I discovered was that running became my voice.
My story:
Running has grown with me. I began with short distances back in 2015, learning how to trust my body again, how to be patient, how to listen. Over time, those runs turned into longer miles, bigger challenges, and deeper reflections. From 5ks to marathons and ultras, each step has taught me something not just about endurance, but about resilience, self-belief, and grace.
There have been highs, of course, but also injuries, grief, exhaustion, and doubt. I write about those moments because they matter just as much as race day photos. Running has never been about perfection for me. It’s been about honesty.
Why I keep running:
I keep running because it grounds me. It gives me space to think, to process, to breathe. Some days it’s joy and freedom and other days it’s simply putting one foot in front of the other. Both count. It is also a time I give to myself, because I can.
Running helps me navigate life, the good and the hard, without needing to have everything figured out. It reminds me that progress doesn’t have to be loud to be meaningful.
Who and what inspires me:
I’m inspired by everyday runners, the ones fitting miles around work, family, fatigue, and self-doubt. I’m inspired by women claiming space on the roads and trails, by conversations about safety and inclusion, by communities that show up for one another. I don’t have family members that run like me, but I do feel that they are inspired by my crazy running!
Initiatives like She Runs Free matter to me because running should feel empowering, not intimidating. Everyone deserves to move freely and confidently, without fear.
Community will always matter to me. I want to keep supporting initiatives that make running safer and more inclusive, like She Runs Free. Advocacy isn’t a side project it’s woven into why I run. I will also speak out about what matters the most.
The future, for me, is about building spaces where runners feel seen, supported, and empowered. Whether that’s through events, conversations, or simply showing up consistently, I want my actions to reflect my values whether that is on the start line or in a blog post.
What keeps me moving forward:
What keeps me going isn’t the distance, it’s the purpose. It’s knowing that running can be a tool for connection, healing, and change. It’s the community that forms when stories are shared honestly. It’s the quiet strength-built mile by mile. I have met some incredible humans through this journey and have learned so much along the way.
I run to stay curious.
I write to stay connected.
And I keep going because every step forward creates space for someone else to follow.
That really matters to me.
From distance to depth:
As the miles grew longer, so did the lessons. Training for longer races, marathons and ultras, stripped things back. There was no hiding from myself on long runs. Fatigue exposed my doubts, my habits, my inner dialogue. This is the space I thrive most in. This is the space that gives me the confidence that I am stronger than I think. It allows me to be completely present and lock in. My ‘why’s’ come alive when I am struggling the most.
Running taught me how to sit with discomfort without immediately trying to escape it. I mean, when you are 75% complete in an ultra, there is only one way to go and that is forward! I learned the difference between pain and fear, between pushing through and knowing when to stop. Listening to my body became a skill, not a weakness.
I also learned that strength isn’t always visible. Some of my strongest runs were the quiet ones - no photos, no praise, no finish line, just me choosing to show up when it would have been easier not to.
What setbacks taught me:
Injury, fatigue, and life interruptions were inevitable and believe me I have experienced them all. As awful as injuries and setbacks are, I can honestly say it is during those times that I have learned the most about myself. They forced me to rethink my relationship with running. I learned that rest is not failure. That slowing down is sometimes the bravest choice. That worth isn’t measured by weekly mileage or race results. That comparison is 100% the thief of joy which is so common in this running space.
Running taught me to let go of comparison, a lesson I still practice. My journey doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s to be valid. Progress is personal, and growth rarely moves in straight lines.
Running as reflection:
Over time, running became less about performance and more about presence. It became a place where I could process grief, uncertainty, and change. Some runs were heavy with emotion; others offered lightness and clarity. Both were necessary.
The trail literally and metaphorically give me space to think, to listen, and sometimes to be silent. I learned that movement can be a form of meditation, and that answers don’t always come when you demand them.
What running has given me:
Running has taught me:
That progress is built quietly, over time
That rest is part of strength
That fear doesn’t disappear, but courage grows around it
That I am capable of more than I think
That community matters
That my voice has value
Why I started writing:
Voices from the Trail was born from a desire to share stories, mine, and eventually others’. I wanted a space where running wasn’t just about pace charts and finish times but about lived experience. About what it feels like to run as a woman. To run while navigating fear, confidence, strength, and vulnerability all at once.
Writing allows me to reflect, but it also allows me to connect. When someone tells me they felt seen in my words, that matters more than any personal best.
Writing will remain a core part of my journey. Voices from the Trail will continue to be a space for honest storytelling, mine and others’. I want to amplify more voices, especially women whose experiences in running deserve to be heard.
I plan to explore deeper conversations around safety, confidence, aging in sport, identity, and what it means to take up space as a woman in running. If this platform can make even one person feel less alone, it’s doing its job.
Why I started sharing my story:
I started writing because I wanted honesty in a space that often celebrates only the highlights. Voices from the Trail became a place where I could talk about fear, confidence, safety, joy, and doubt all coexisting in the same run.
Through sharing, I learned how powerful vulnerability can be. When I tell my story honestly, others feel permission to tell theirs. That connection has become one of the most meaningful parts of my journey.
I keep running not because every day is easy, but because running reminds me who I am when things are hard. It keeps me honest. It keeps me grounded. It keeps me moving forward physically and emotionally.
Running has shown me that the journey evolves as we do. The future isn’t fixed, and that’s part of its beauty.
This is my journey.
And I’m still learning one mile at a time.
Trina Dawkins
Sport Equity Advocate | Champion for Women in Sport
Blog: Voices from the Trail | Trina Dawkins | Substack
Instagram: @trina_runs
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