Claudia Burrough started running regularly after attending Bushy parkrun as part of a 'This Girl Can' event - but she didn't particularly like it.

Over the next year she attended the 5k run every week, gradually improving her time.

But it was only when unsteadiness in her legs meant she had to start using crutches, that she began to enjoy the famed parkrun community spirit.

As her condition deteriorated, she continued to go to parkrun, eventually having to swap her crutches for a wheelchair.

Undaunted, Claudia has gone on to embrace a new journey, one that involved the heat and hills of the Comrades Ultra, as well as a London Marathon experience that she calls the best day of her life.

Running Tales spoke to Claudia about getting too fast for guide runners, the privilege she felt racing at Comrades and training with David Weir...

 

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The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Lorna Cullen has recently returned from an incredible adventure run across the length of Scotland, England and Wales.

Despite not starting running until later in life to counteract mental health problems, Lorna has been planning an extreme challenge.

It was something which came into reality this year in the form of a JOGLE, with a twist.

Lorna loved the idea of completing the John O'Groats to Lands' End run, but didn't want to do the organised event and was keen to add her own mark.

She decided to add in running to three peaks: Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden, raising money for The Menopause Charity and Mind along the way.

Running Tales spoke to Lorna about her incredible journey, battling dodgy trainers, enjoying the wilds of Scotland and Wales, and beating the menopause...

 

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You can sponsor Lorna to raise money for The Menopause Charity and Mind here:

Mind - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lorna-D-Cullen

The Menopause Charity - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lorna-Cullen

If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tony Collier was a late starter when it came to running, but he made up for lost time.

Despite being in his 50s, Tony achieved an impressive series of running goals - from sub-20 parkruns to a host of completed marathons, including all six majors.

In 2016, he finished the 55-mile Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa. And despite originally vowing not to do it again, he was soon preparing to return for the 'back-to-back' event.

It was a race he never reached.

Almost a year after conquering the Comrades, Tony was diagnosed, out-of-the-blue, with incurable prostate cancer.

Shocked, his first question to the doctors was whether he could carry on running. The emphatic answer was yes - and Tony has done just that.

Despite facing several medical challenges, he's completed races from the London Marathon to a two-day ultra.

And he's currently nearing the end of this year's challenge - completing a 5km run or hike every day in 2022.

Perhaps even more importantly, Tony has become a prostate cancer ambassador, raising awareness of the disease in the hope he can help others to get an earlier - and better - diagnoses than he did...

 

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You can sponsor Tony to complete his challenge to run or hike 5km every day in 2022 here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/5k365days

If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Denny Krahe is a qualified athletics trainer and running coach, as well as being an ultra runner himself.

For Denny, getting one of his clients over the line or seeing them improve their performance is every bit, if not more, important than his own performance.

Denny is also a specialist in injury prevention, with the goal to eliminate and prevent those common injuries which plague runners.

Running Tales spoke to him to garner some top tips on how to improve your running while staying injury free.

But that's not all Denny does. He's also a podcaster in the world of running - much like Running Tales.

His podcast, Diz Runs, revolves around the idea that every runner has a story and it's great to talk about them - and he's already recorded more than 1,000 episodes.

Running Tales set out to discover the man behind the microphone...

 

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You can learn more about Denny Krahe, his coaching, blog and podcast on http://www.dizruns.com/

If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week we have some really good news about one of our previous Running Tales guests and the charity he and his family run.

Back in October 2020, we spoke to Wayne Chalmers about Team Daisy, a charity formed after his baby daughter Daisy sadly passed away just an hour after being born.

It has now been revealed that Northampton Hospital, where Daisy was born, has launched a fundraising appeal for a new bereavement suite for families who experience the devastating loss of a baby.

It is to be called The Daisy Suite in memory of Daisy Chalmers.

There is still a lot of work to be done, with tens of thousands of pounds needed to be raised, so Wayne - not always the keenest of runners - is set to pull on his trainers again.

Along with a group of friends he will be taking on the gruelling Isle of Wight Challenge in 2023 - quite the endeavour for someone who only started running to pass referee fitness tests.

Running Tales spoke to Wayne about Daisy, his fundraising and his love/hate relationship with running...

 

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You can follow Team Daisy on:

Twitter: Twitter.com/Daisysuitengh

Facebook: Facebook.com/teamdaisychalmers

Instagram: instagram.com/teamdaisychalmers

To sponsor Wayne and Team Daisy to run the Isle of Wight Challenge, click here: https://northamptonshirehealthcharity.enthuse.com/pf/team-daisy

To donate to Northampton Hospital's fundraising efforts towards the Daisy Suite, click here: https://northamptonshirehealthcharity.co.uk/appeals/daisy-suite-appeal-ngh/

 

If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

After suffering a serious injury to his ankle, Damian Lai's fitness got progressively worse.

Overweight, eating the wrong things and constantly out of breath he was given a serious warning when he nearly died after contracting a virus and ending up in hospital.

Realising things had to change, Damian joined a beginners' running group at his local club - and his life changed.

This weekend he completed his 49th marathon, including finishing London five times - the last of which saw him narrowly miss out on a World Record for the fastest ice cream!

He is currently running to raise funds for Ukraine, while helping new runners complete the same course that started him off on his journey.

This is his running tale...

 

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You can sponsor Damian for his 1,000 mile challenge to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee to help people in Ukraine at this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Damian-Lai

If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Simon Hollis has run a lot of miles - but its debatable whether or not he's spent more time organising other people to run even more!

As the man in charge at Go Beyond Challenge, he is Race Director of a host of events including Northampton Half Marathon and the Shires and Spires Ultra Marathon.

Simon spoke to Running Tales about the challenges - and rewards - organising such large scale events required, as well as his own running story which includes completing several of the world's most gruelling ultras, not least the Marathon des Sables.

And for those of you who love the Northampton Half Marathon, we also learnt a little bit more about the soon to be revealed, new course for what, in years to come, will be the 'Great Northampton Half'...

 

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If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Anyone who knows anything about running knows about the brilliant Couch to 5k app, but Patrick Howard went more than one step further when going from Couch to Ultra in just 18 months.

Struggling with his weight, a former heavy smoker and looking to boost his confidence, Patrick started running to get fit.

His first 1.8 mile jog round the block was a painful run/walk, but he knew straight away he loved running.

He soon graduated to parkrun and then half-marathons, before completing the Milton Keynes Marathon and quickly announcing he was taking the huge step of moving on to a 40 mile Ultra - he did it of course!

Running Tales talked to Patrick about why he loves running, how it has transformed his life and how an Ironman Triathlon is his new goal...

 

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If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Running has been a double-edged sword for David Swales.

He first took up the sport in an attempt to counter type 2 diabetes, but it was after sprinting to the finish in a 10km race that he had his stroke.

It has left him facing daily challenges, all of which are chronicled with striking honesty in his blog, 'It doesn't get easier, you just get stronger'.

David has a fascinating relationship with his stroke, refusing to beaten by it and using it to achieve faster times and longer distances, including completing the actual London Marathon once and its virtual version twice - including on Sunday.

Running Tales spoke to him about everything from why he doesn't set out to be an inspiration to knowing every tree stump and trip hazard on his home parkrun...

 

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If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Running Tales spoke to Mark Kennedy way back in Series One, Episode Three about how he has benefitted from running after suffering a serious brain injury while on the holiday of a lifetime.

Since then Mark has gone on to complete an ambition 14 years in the making - to become a member of the 100 Half Marathons club.

To celebrate he has written a book about his incredible achievement.

'Half Man, Half Marathon' explores Mark's journey, as well as acting as a self-help journal and looking into the stories and experiences of fellow runners.

Running Tales spoke to Mark about why he wanted to run so many half-marathons, the mental health benefits of running and being given a massive bag of salt as part of a race goodie bag...

 

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'Half Man, Half Marathon' is set to be published in early October, and will be available from Amazon as well as the Kennedy Authors website

If you like this episode please consider donating to help us keep going: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/stepforward

The music in this podcast is:

"Fearless First" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/