The popularity of running as a leisure activity is growing exponentially. And runners seem to actually like being photographed.

I’ve been photographing these athletes for around five years now, and I use the Fujifilm X-T5, with a 100-300mm lens. I open the lens aperture to its fullest extent, which at 300mm is around f5.6, which reduces the depth of field and give a nice bokeh effect in the background. I set the shutter speed to 1/500th sec to freeze the movement, and that usually means an ISO of 1600 or thereabouts, – depending on the light quality, of course.

Some of the people who take part in these events are just wanting to keep fit, keep active or lose weight – but some are serious enthusiasts, looking for ‘personal bests’ or trying to achieve milestones. Here’s Eoghan, who recently hit a milestone, and win this image, he looks like he’s enjoying the achievement!

If you’re enthusiastic about photography, have a go at athletics, – it’s easier than you might think, and most modern DSLRs or Mirrorless cameras will have tracking focus, or facial recognition to help with accurate focusing. And no doubt you’ll be welcome to volunteer at many of the weekly running events across the country. It’s a great way to broaden your photography experience.