Francis Benali played nearly 400 games for Southampton, gaining cult hero status for his uncompromising playing style and excellent moustache. But it's his post-football career that's even more fascinating. Benali has completed a host of ultra endurance events, including running to ever Premier League ground and attempting to complete seven Ironmans in seven days. In doing so, he's raised more than £1 million for Cancer Research.
Francis Benali: The Autobiography (Bloomsbury, £20.00) is available to buy now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francis Benali: from Premier League footballer to ultrarunner

The Runner's World podcast is your weekly dose of all things running, here to inform and entertain with unique interviews, news, advice, in-depth discussion and much, much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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With marathon season drawing to a close, many runners will be battling with the post-race blues. What to focus on now that your big race has finished? This week, RW staffers look at some of the best ways to pick smart goals that will give you a new sense of purpose. 
Co-host Ben Hobson mentions a study on detraining, which can be accessed at this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to cure the post-race blues

We have Dr Martin Turner from Manchester Met University on the podcast this week, explaining all when it comes to visualising success at the marathon and how embracing the hardship is an essential part of the process.  We also hear from some bloke called Eliud Kipchoge.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mastering the mind games of the marathon

Marathon season is officially upon us. But amid all the fun and excitement, it's easy to become stressed about what lies ahead. So listen to  running coach and serial marathoner Laura Fountain talk about the practical steps you can take to make race week – and the race itself – a real success.
For more coaching advice from Laura, sign up to her weekly newsletter on substack: lazygirlrunning.substack.com/subscribe 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to run your perfect marathon

On this episode, we speak with three people who are running the London Marathon for Samaritans.
Listen to Tamsin, Andy and Saskia talk about running, recovery and how talking helps to lighten the emotional load we all carry round. All three are raising money for Samaritans and their fundraising links are below:
Andy: Samaritans: Carrying my 24.7kg bag of worries for the 2024 TCS London Marathon (enthuse.com) Tamsin: Samaritans: 2024 TCS London Marathon for Samaritans (enthuse.com) Saskia: Samaritans: Sassie’s Marathon Fundraiser for Samaritans (enthuse.com)
If you've been affected by any of the issues discussed on this week's episode, Samaritans training listening volunteers are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Calls are confidential and free of charge. Just call 116 123.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How running gives us hope

A regular writer for RW, David Smyth joins Rick and Ben to talk about the rise of the unsanctioned race, the role these events play in attracting runners to racing, how they have risen in prominence in recent years and everything else about this 'underground' world of running.  We also talk about joggling. That's very different.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francis Benali: from Premier League footballer to ultrarunner

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