Hope had some success in fell running as a junior athlete, being the English champion in the under-20 age group in 1994.

[3] He was runner-up to Ian Holmes in the 2002 English Fell Running Championships and had a noteworthy set of victories at Burnsall, Grasmere and Kilnsey that year, winning all three races within four days.

He was joint winner (with Simon Bailey) in the English Championships in 2005 due in part to his triumph in the last race of the series at the Langdale Horseshoe immediately after returning from the World Mountain Running Trophy in New Zealand.

[4] Hope was the English champion again in 2010[5] and he won the British Fell Running Championships in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2014.

[6] Hope represented his country in several editions of the World Mountain Running Trophy, finishing 30th in the 2007 race.