MENTAL FITNESS PRIORITISED IN PLAY DIRTY CAMPAIGN
04/02/26
Record-breaking runners Sarah Perry and Andy Berry have backed a campaign for more people to prioritise mental fitness.
The INOV8 Play Dirty campaign encourages people to ditch devices and instead reap the benefits of getting outdoors onto muddy trails this winter.
Leading the way, INOV8 – a sports brand based in the English Lake District who led a similar campaign in 2025 – is encouraging staff to run or hike every lunchtime this February to boost mental fitness.
Michael Price, INOV8’s product and marketing director, said: “We want people to put down their phones and awaken their senses to the outdoors because that’s where the real fun begins.
“There’s no better feeling or boost to mental fitness than reconnecting with nature at its toughest and playing dirty on muddy, winter trails.”
Backing the campaign are two of INOV8’s leading UK athletes, Sarah Perry and Andy Berry.
Sarah is the women’s world record holder for the greatest number of laps run in a backyard ultramarathon (95 laps / 395 miles).
She said: “For me, play dirty means adopting a child-like state – running through mud, embracing the elements, and enjoying the feeling of pure freedom away from life’s stresses.”
Andy is the record holder for the summitting the greatest number of Lake District fell peaks inside 24 hours (78 peaks in 23hrs 23mins).
He said: “It’s about going out in all conditions, putting in the tough miles when it would be easier to stay at home, splashing mud everywhere and returning home mentally refreshed.”
The Play Dirty campaign will run until the end of the winter season. Discover ways to get involved on INOV8’s website.