Athlete Through The Lens is a project by Runlimited and Adrian Varzaru that aims to tell the stories of London's elite athletes beyond performances, times and races. Throughout this series, we will continue to dive into the who, what and why of the person behind the athlete. If you missed the first feature with Mimi Corden-Lloyd, you can read it here.

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Jeremy Dempsey is not the kind of guy that will immediately tell you of his successes as a runner, despite having a host of them throughout his athletic career. "People like to say I'm both serious about my running and unserious at the same time" he says. He's referring to the evident dedication to his craft on the track, but one that is tinted by a gregarious spirit, a self-deprecating sense of humour and fun-loving approach to training and racing.

A member of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, I (Liam) have known Jeremy for a long time, watching him climb through the age-group ranks as a young athlete and into the senior team for just about every part of The Stripes' (the nickname of the club) recent national-level success. He led the club to a team silver medal with a 7th place finish at the English National Cross Country Championships in February, alongside top-10 finishes at the British Championships and British Universities Champs last year.

Despite these accolades – despite multiple call-ups to represent England and Great Britain – Jeremy is not a professional athlete. "One of my favourite things to say is that running is just a hobby, but it drives me; it gives me something to do and focus my energy on."

Following the completion of his degree in medicine from the University of Cambridge, Jeremy is undertaking the rounds as a Junior Doctor with the NHS. Away from the track, you can call him Dr. Dempsey. "I wasn't sure at first how I would manage working and training" he tells us. On the Acute Medicine Ward, it could be a mix of night-shifts, early starts and late finishes. "In my most recent role [at a hospital in West London], I would simply run-commute across town. All things considered, it was probably a time-saving measure for me as well as allowing me to run as part of a busy working day".

With no time or mental space to focus on running whilst working, Jeremy clearly thrives on the two sides to his life, using each as an outlet or an escape for the other. "One thing the last year or so has taught me is that I truly can compete and train at a high level regardless of my work", saying that this year will be no different, with eyes on selection for European and World Championships in the Winter. "In 2024, I came close to making [Worlds and Euros], selected as a reserve, I hope to be in the mix for a spot on the line to race this time".

Molly, Liam and Adrian met up with Jeremy at Southwark Park for a mix of track and road reps before catching up over a coffee and for more insight into Jeremy's busy life as a doctor and athlete.

- Words by Liam Dee, Photography by Adrian Varzaru