Princess Anne's witty response to sporty offer shows she isn't a fan of Kate Middleton's hobby
The Princess of Wales loves trying different sports and has plenty she enjoys, but her aunt-in-law hasn't been convinced by running
The Princess Royal isn't about to swap her trusty riding boots for running trainers anytime soon - and she didn't hold back with her feelings about this high-speed sport. The no-nonsense royal gave her verdict on running after meeting with former rugby player, Sir Kevin Sinfield, ahead of his attempt to run seven ultra-marathons in seven days to raise money for charity.
When discussing his incredible challenge, Sir Kevin said that people mistake it for a "fun run" when they see it on the television. Princess Anne isn't going to make that same error, quipping, "Fun run is a contradiction in terms".
The Princess Royal added, "I can run, but I don’t do it for [fun]…no, I’m past that stage" and was polite but firm when Kevin told her she was "welcome to join".
"No thank you! I will stick to horses," she quipped in typical *her* fashion. So we don't imagine Princess Anne joining the Princess of Wales for a brisk run anytime soon.
According to reports, Kate used to run frequently as part of her fitness routine and built up quite a reputation for her skill within the Royal Family. During an appearance on the House of Rugby podcast, Mike Tindall previously revealed Kate would be on his "dream team" because she could "run all day" and described her as an "engine".
The Princess of Wales's fitness runs are a very different prospect compared to Sir Kevin's endeavour. His involves running the seven ultra marathons (races that are longer than the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles) to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) charities and keeping well-fuelled is key.
Princess Anne showed genuine curiosity, or concern, asking Kevin how he was finding time to eat. He explained that he gets supplied with sports drinks during the marathons, and that he had been filling up on bacon sandwiches for fuel.
Joking that he might not be able to resist if someone put a bowl of pasta in front of him, Anne replied with a smile, "Stick to the bacon butties."
Princess Anne’s interest in his marathon was later praised by former England Rugby Captain Lewis Moody, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2025. He is a friend and former teammate of Anne’s son-in-law, Mike Tindall, and said, "She was really knowledgeable... We were just chatting, talking about the space itself and the energy that has been brought to it by the individual that Kev is."
He added, "Princess Anne is an incredible spirit in her own right and I think kindred spirit recognised kindred spirit and I think she sees that in Kev. To have her energy and presence here today is just a fantastic thing for this community. To be able to have someone of her stature... to recognise the work they are doing, because it is tough at times."
The Princess has been patron of the MND Association since 2008. She thanked Sir Kevin for his work for the charities, telling him, "This research is so important. We've never had funding to do that. When I first joined, there was no research.
"Thank you. A lot of people have been doing this for a long time but people like you have made such a difference."
