The Alpine Run Project: Transforming Young Lives through Trail Running

In a chat with Fabienne Lang, John McAvoy shares how his journey from prison to the peaks of the Alps sparked the Alpine Run Project, an initiative that’s transforming inner-city youth through the power of trail running.

In a neon-lit gym with bars on the windows and locked doors, a man with a buzzcut and a tracksuit glides back and forth on a rowing machine, sweat pooling beneath him. Another man stands alongside him, encouraging his every pull. This isn’t just any gym, and this isn’t just any man. The rower is John McAvoy, an inmate in a high-security British prison, and the man standing next to him in uniform is police officer Darren Davis. John has just broken his third World Record in indoor rowing, adding to his eight British records – all completed while behind bars.

John’s story is unlike any you’ve heard. Raised in a world of organized crime, his early life was a cycle of armed robbery and a combined 10 years of incarceration. He once saw prison as just a way of life. But a shift happened one day while in solitary confinement. He began educating himself, pushing his physical limits one push-up at a time, and finding solace in the repetitive motion of rowing in the prison gym. Darren recognized John’s potential as a rower and became his mentor. Encouraged by Darren’s unwavering belief in him, John broke not just records, but the cycle that had defined his life.

Upon his release in 2012, John, then 29, made a 180-degree turn and left behind a life of crime to become an endurance athlete and a motivational speaker. Today, as a Nike athlete, he inspires young people to believe in themselves through the Alpine Run Project (ARP).

Paying It Forward

In early 2023, John launched the Alpine Run Project with support from Nike and Youth Beyond Borders. This program introduces inner-city youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK to the world of trail running. The initiative targets young people aged 16 to 23, offering them a six-month program that combines regular training with an opportunity to connect with nature and to take part in trail running races, culminating at the iconic Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc event (UTMB) in the French Alps.

The 2023 ARP pilot program included 12 young people from all backgrounds, cultures and fitness levels, many of whom had never set foot on a mountain or experienced running on trails. Some had a bit of running experience, but for most, this was a completely new challenge. The program took them from the bustling streets of their hometowns to the serene landscapes of England’s mountains, ending at the starting line of the YCC race at the UTMB. The experience went far beyond physical strength.

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John knows firsthand the powerful emotions we can feel when running in the mountains. “I was running in the MCC event at the UTMB. I had the Mont-Blanc on my left-hand side and I had this overwhelming feeling from the endorphins hitting me. The hairs on my neck stood up and I thought, ‘This is the most amazing experience I've ever had’. That’s when I knew I could use the sport of trail running as a vehicle to bring these kids from inner cities to the Alps and give them this experience that I've just felt running in the mountains.”

Aside from being committed to enlarging and improving young inner city people’s lives, for John this project is personal. Growing up with his mother and sisters, he’s committed to empowering women through sports. That’s why this year, half of the ARP’s participants are women.

And there’s another personal connection – Darren, the officer who believed in John – is now part of the project. “Darren had such a profound impact on my life while I was in prison. So for him to be part of this project now and to help the young people coming through it is so powerful for me personally and also for the young people who get to meet this wonderful human being that's changed my life, and now he's changing their lives."

A Rising Star

One of the lives transformed by the ARP is Eleana Matos, an 18-year-old from Manchester. “My Dad passed away during lockdown in 2020, so I started running a bit more to stay connected to him somehow, as he was very into sports, and cycling in particular,” she explains. Eleana applied for the ARP in 2023, hoping to improve her running and meet new friends. Despite being new to trail running, she quickly found her stride, and, only a few months after her first ever trail run, she won the YCC race at the UTMB.

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“I love the project so much,” Eleana shares. “I’ve grown so much in confidence, not just as a runner but as a person. Through the project I also give talks on stages to big crowds and it’s an amazing experience. Now, I know I want to pursue sports, and I want to help others like me find their path.” Her success continues to impress, with a recent podium finish at a 25K UTMB event in Snowdonia. “It’s really impressive,” John says, beaming.

“Eleana was presented with an opportunity and she took it with both hands,” John says proudly. “I’m super excited to see where she ends up going in life because whatever she does, she will be successful.” And she is already proving it: Eleana is now a ‘Community In Residence Athlete’ for SportsShoes x Nike Trail Running.

Eleana’s story echoes John’s own journey, and now, she’s giving back by helping this year’s ARP cohort: she’s organizing meetups, joining runs and acting as a mentor to newbies. “If you’re thinking about joining [the ARP], definitely apply,” she advises. “Go into it with an open mind and you’ll quickly see what you can gain from it."

The Power of Nature and Community

For many participants, the Alpine Run Project is their first real experience with nature. They come from inner-city environments where the closest thing to a mountain might be a high-rise building. But they discover something profound in the mountains with a supportive community around them. The physical challenge of trail running is just the beginning. In these moments – pushing themselves up a steep incline, feeling the burn in their legs, the fresh mountain air filling their lungs – they begin to understand their potential and grow their confidence in all aspects of their lives.

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John sums it up: “You only know what you know. If you’re living in an inner city and that’s all you see, you don’t know these beautiful places in the world exist. But once you do, it can broaden your horizons and motivate you to dream bigger” – just like John experienced after leaving prison.

A Look to the Future

John’s vision for the Alpine Run Project is as ambitious and uplifting as attempting his rowing records while in prison. “Our aim will be the scalability of the project, to get more kids out into nature within the UK. We are also focusing on a smaller cohort of runners who will compete in the European trail races. And my ultimate goal with this project is to get 100,000 young people into nature by 2027 and give them the opportunity to experience it at least once.” With each step, he’s paying forward the encouragement and belief that one man, Darren Davis, showed him all those years ago.

This project is a movement that’s changing lives, including John’s. “I didn’t expect it to change my life as much as it did. I’d never experienced what it felt like to be so bought into someone else’s life but when I see these kids running down to the finish line, I get such an immense sense of pride.”

As Eleana helps guide the next generation of ARP participants, the cycle of giving back continues. Just as Darren inspired John, now a new wave of young people is finding their way in the world, one trail, one mountain, one step at a time.