Running Matters

Australian Ultra Running Association (AURA) members Margaret Hadley and Michael Hooker were named the Australian Female Ultra Runner of the Year and Australian Male Ultra Runner of the Year for 2020.  

The two ultra runners were awarded the prestigious awards by the AURA Committee for their astounding performances throughout the year, and both were taken aback, as well as humbled, by their wins. 

Haddy had the chance to catch up with both winners to uncover the determination and perseverance that are required to perform at such astounding levels of physical and mental endurance.

Hadley, 40, impressed the AURA Committee with her strong and consistent podium finishes across a range of ultra events in WA, including the Australia Day Ultra 100km (1st Female in a time of 9:08:24), Birdy’s Backyard Ultra (1st Female with 201.300km in 40 hours), the Salming Bibra Lake RunningWorks Festival 50km (1st Female in 3:52:39) and the Lighthorse Ultra 12hr (1st Female and 1st Overall with 116.620km). 

Hooker, 40, also wowed the panel with his collection ultra events, including 1st Male/1st Overall in the following events – the Australia Day Ultra 100km (in a time of 7:27:03), the Lark Hill Dusk to Dawn 100km (7:54:27), Birdy’s Backyard Ultra (268.400km), Feral Pig Ultra 100mi (18:28:42) and the Yaberoo Trail Ultra 50km (3:47:03).

We also caught up with friend of the show Steve Redfern to chat about his exciting new project: The Southern Sydney 24hr Ultra.

Enjoy!

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Our special guest this week on Running Matters is one of those blokes that ticks a lot of boxes. He’s a dual Aussie representative, has a Masters degree, is a gun nutritionist, has cycled across not one but two continents, runs a 15 minute 5km and maintains a fairly tidy salad. What else could you ask for?

His name is Mick ‘Chappo’ Chapman.

Haddy chats to Chappo about his his transcontinental cycling adventures and his pathway to representing Australia in Touch Footy and Triathlon. They discuss the calmness that comes from the right preparation, staying humble in the social media age and the determination required to get to the end of your big scary goals. They also touch on celebrity spotting while taking a roadside crap in middle America!

We get the opportunity to open up Mick’s impressive nutrition brain and cover a wealth of topics such as vitamin intake for athletes, the microbiome, vegan athletes, the obesity epidemic and the middle-aged spread.  So many great take-aways here.

Enjoy!

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Feel free to use the online discount codes below:

• GU Energy Australia (15%): RUNNINGMATTERS

This week’s guest is one of those incredible athlete’s that seems to get better when the going gets tougher and longer. She’s an Ironman and an ultrarunner, she’s an elite massage therapist and a mum. Kristen Brace is an amazingly humble endurance machine!

Kristen recently completed the prestigious Coast to Kosciusko (a 240km race from the limited to 50 of the best ultra-marathon runners in the country) and we recount her incredible journey.  Host Haddy gets some serious FOMO as we discuss Kristen's tilt at the Western States 100 miler and her ambition to complete the Tahoe200.

We get some practical advice on inter family jostling for training time and glory as well as the finer points on cycling fashion faux pars and the dreaded crop duster! Kristen opens up about the benefits of massage therapy for endurance sports and we review some of the helpful (and useless) tips and tricks for athlete self-care.

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Jaryd wants to be the greatest Paralympic runner in history and after looking at his achievements so far, it would be hard to bet against him.

He’s the 2019 Double World Para Champion (1500m & 5000m) and multiple World Record holder but in Ep 78 of Running Matters we find out that Jaryd Clifford is so much more than an athlete.

Haddy chats to Jaryd about his road to the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the challenges of a postponed Tokyo games. We discuss the practicalities of Blinky (vision impaired) racing and the incredible skill Jaryd possesses to mix it at such a high level in open racing (Jaryd was also a National able body champion!).

Jaryd opens up about life as an elite athlete, goggle theft and keeping the elbows sharp in the pack. We also get a celebrity question in from Ed Sheeran (big fan of the show)!

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Oliver “Olli” Hoare started out his sporting career as a competitive swimmer in Cronulla. Soon realising he was more suited for the track, Olli switched discipline and continued to run all through high school, landing him a spot on the track team for the University of Wisconsin. He was the 1500m NCAA champion in 2018, an eight-time All-American and nine-time Big Ten champion over cross country, indoor and outdoor track. He has recently run an ‘A Qualifier’ for the Tokyo Olympics and smashed the 4 minute mile (3:53). A true Aussie Young Gun!

In Ep77 of Running Matters, Haddy delves into Olli’s transition from Winconsin Badger to professional runner with the On Athletics Club. They about the challenges of training in quarantine, adjusting to altitude in Boulder Colorado and the battle for spots on the Aussie 1500m Team for Tokyo.

They also pick apart the finer details of American College life, review the coveted Michigan Steamer and field a couple of celebrity listeners questions from Running Matters fans Bill Murray and Rodger Federer.

Please subscribe or follow Running Matters to be notified when each episode is released.

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Mel is one of the truly great runners of Australian athletics history.

In the 2017 Australia Day Honours List Mel was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for her significant service to athletics as a sprinter, at the national and international level, and as a role model for young athletes.

Mel is a three time Olympian and is the current Australian Record Holder in the 200m.

Mel shares what she has adapted from her experience as an elite athlete to that of a coach.

She chats about mentoring her athletes through her group sessions, encouraging kids to be their best and lead a healthy and active lifestyle. We also discuss managing longevity, overcoming injuries, staying motivated, competing internationally, structuring training, the Sydney Olympics, drug tests, body hair and sprinting with bling! The Anchorman, Ron Burgundy gets in on the action with a listener question.

Mel’s relaxed and outgoing personality shines through in this interview, enjoy.

Please subscribe or follow Running Matters to be notified when each episode is released.

Feel free to use the online discount codes below:

• GU Energy Australia (15%): RUNNINGMATTERS

Imagine your workplace offering to pay you to run around Australia with your mates for three months to raise funds ($500K) for the Cancer Foundation. In Ep 74, Rob shares his experience of this journey, including some of the shenanigans they got up to, while repeating the same distance every day at 4min km pace. It sounds easy enough, until you throw in a beer company as a major sponsor, let’s just say they were well hydrated along the way!

Rob is also an accomplished  marathon runner, he has completed 30 marathons in under 3hrs, no easy feat. He shares valuable running advice, plenty of funny stories and we learn they used to run pretty well in Dunlop Volleys back in the day.

If you enjoyed the Podcast, please subscribe or follow Running Matters to be notified when each episode is released.

Feel free to use the online discount codes below:

• GU Energy Australia (15%): RUNNINGMATTERS