Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, the Olympic champion heptathlete, has admitted that even at the peak of her career she often struggled to find the motivation to train, particularly in poor weather. The 40-year-old, who won gold at London 2012, said: “There were so many times when I just thought ‘Gosh, I’m so tired, I can’t be bothered to go training, I can’t be bothered to run around the track and do an 800m session in the rain’.”
New research from Vitality has found that 42% of runners have skipped runs due to rain, and more than a quarter (27%) feel their 2026 goals have already been disrupted because of the changeable spring weather. Ennis-Hill stressed the importance of consistency, even in small doses, to maintain an active lifestyle.
Since retiring from competitive athletics in 2016, Ennis-Hill has remained active, running two or three times a week regardless of the weather. She also does weights, resistance training, plays padel, and practises yoga and reformer Pilates. “I very much still love running,” she said, “but it can be really difficult when we’ve had a lot of rain and very dark, dreary days – the motivation definitely wavers when it’s like that.”
To stay motivated, Ennis-Hill recommends proper preparation, such as wearing good trainers, layering up, and wearing a cap. She also advises adapting workouts when tired or the weather is poor: “Just recognise that you can have off days… maybe just adapt what you do.” Running with friends can also help, as she noted: “It makes going out in the rain and terrible weather a lot easier when you’ve got three friends that you’ve said you’d meet.”
Finally, she encourages setting realistic goals: “Don’t feel like you have to go on this massive hour run to start with. Even if you’re just running for five minutes, and then the next time you run for 10 minutes.”
