Running Tales

As one half, alongside wife Louise, of Phoenix Running, Rik Vercoe has created a hugely popular and inclusive race organiser.

Phoenix offers a wide-range of races and was a pioneer in the creation of lapped events, encouraging runners of all abilities to feel comfortable at organised runs and achieve goals they often never even set out to do.

Rik's own running career has certainly seen plenty of incredible goals smashed, from running a then record 152 marathons/ultras in a year to completing some of the toughest events around, including the North Pole Marathon and the Marathon des Sables.

Running Tales also spoke to Rik about breaking the record for the fastest aggregate time to complete 10 marathons in 10 days, and discovered he has one last marathon ambition left.

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Damon Fox ran to take part in this week's Running Tales Podcast - after all, he can't afford to miss any runs right now.

The business development manager for Northampton Town FC Community Trust is currently in the midst of a challenge that will see him run 750km (466 miles) in 12 weeks.

There are 7,500 children in poverty across Northampton (hence the number of kilometres), and Damon is fundraising to support them in their school and home life, and give them opportunities to be involved in activities in the town.

Running Tales also spoke to Damon about his love of parkrun and completing the London Marathon in 2017.

Be warned, this week's episode also features a screaming cat and an unusual interjection about naked sunbathing. You've been warned... 

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

You can sponsor Damon here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/damon-fox-1678696402252/

To learn more about the 16:15 Charity Run to raise funds to help Project 16:15 help rough sleepers in Northampton, visit https://runningtales.substack.com/p/running-for-rough-sleepers-fun-runners

To sponsor Craig to run for six hours at the event, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/craig-lewis-project-16-15

By the time this episode goes live on Tuesday, April 25, Colin McCord will hopefully have completed the London Marathon on Sunday - what will have been his fourth out of five marathons in as many weeks.

With the Great Welsh, Magna Carta and Manchester Marathons also behind him, Colin will complete his challenge next week by taking on the 26.2 mile distance for one final time in April - only his opponent then will be the dreaded treadmill!

Colin is taking on this very personal challenge to raise money for Dementia UK.

His mum, Susan, was diagnosed with mixed dementia in 2018 and Colin is fundraising to help Dementia UK provide information, support and Admiral Nurses to those with dementia and their families.

Running Tales also spoke to Colin about how running has helped him cope with PTSD, something he has suffered with as the result of a traumatic robbery.

Embracing the sport and the running community - including his friends in the Running Punks - has helped Colin with his mental health, and now given him the strength to run for his mum.  

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

You can sponsor Colin to run five marathons in five weeks for Dementia UK here: https://2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/5in5

Pete Moor is a stalwart of the local running scene in Northamptonshire.

With approaching 250 parkruns to his name, the Northampton Road Runner is a regular at events up and down the county - as well as in neighbouring Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.

Pete is a real all-rounder, taking on races from 5k to ultras with 15 marathons to his name.

But it's not just local events that attract Pete, who combines his love of travelling with that of running.

He's completed three - Boston, Chicago and London - of the six marathon majors, with Berlin, Tokyo and New York firmly on his wishlist.

And despite having the pace to qualify for Boston, he once finished dead last in a gruelling Faroe Islands ultra which took place on landscape, he says, only the resident old ladies could cope with!

Running Tales spoke to Pete about not being able to sleep at Endure 24, his love/hate relationship with marathon running and why he loves being a Northampton Road Runner... 

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

Trail runner Kim Levinsky is preparing to take on the biggest challenge of her running career - the 358-mile Long Path.

Starting from the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City, crossing George Washington Bridge and running across the Catskills all the way to Albany, the Long Path combines woods, a series of 2,900 foot peaks, and trails that pass lakes and streams - it is a beautiful and challenging route.

Kim, an experienced trail and ultra runner who recently completed the Tahoe 200, is hoping to achieve a fastest known time on the route.

Running Tales spoke to Kim about everything from nutrition to why she is taking on the challenge, as well as her role as a race director with Sassquad Trail Running...

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

You can find more details about, and donate to, Kim's charities for the Long Path FKT at:

Bigger Than The Trail Fundraiser: https://biggerthanthetrail.networkforgood.com/projects/160786-kim-levinsky-s-fundraiser-to-provide-free-counseling 

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Fundraiser: https://www.nynjtc.com/supportkim 

Ady Pendred was a latecomer to the world of running, but he has gone on to complete several sub-three hour marathons and find a love of trail and ultra marathons.

In recent years, he has stopped chasing times and learned to enjoy running for fun - not that it has slowed him down.

Running Tales spoke to Ady about how time isn't his be all and end all, his love of Lidl trainers and how his body didn't shut down at 50 as we was being told to expect... 

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

Ali Hall first started running when she was at boarding school, finding a love of the sport while escaping mental health challenges.

It's a passion she has never left behind, competing in everything from adventure racing to ultra marathons and moving in to the world of coaching with Pyllon.

Along the way, Ali has formed a number of running communities, including setting up a group putting on city running tours and the hugely successful Cani-Sport Edinburgh.

This latter endeavour combined her love of dogs with running - and did her 5k time no harm at all either!

We spoke about everything from sports psychology and the mental health benefits of running to her dream of finishing a 100-mile race... 

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

Back in 2015, Mike Harley decided he wanted to raise money and awareness for Invest in ME, an independent charity which funds research into what is a severe and debilitating illness.

Mike was inspired by one of his oldest friends, Ian, who has been suffering from ME for over 15 years, and instead of simply running a local marathon he decided to combine his love of travelling with a growing desire to run, and complete a marathon in every member country of the European Union.

Ultimately - thanks to a Mr B Johnson and a certain referendum - that ended up being one less race than he had intended, but it still meant completing 27 marathons in places as varied as Cyprus, Estonia and France.

Running Tales spoke to Mike about why he took on the challenge, the logistics of doing marathons across Europe, his favourite races and how he was inspired by talking to people with ME in the cities he visited... 

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

You can learn more about Mike's challenge at his Mike's EU Marathons website, about the Invest in ME Research charity on their website, or sponsor him at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mikeseumarathons

Every day, in every part of the world, women are being harassed and abused by men while out running. 

A recent survey commissioned by Adidas and taking in 9,000 people from the US, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, United Arab Emirates, China, Japan and South Korea, found nine in 10 women are concerned about their safety while running. 

The list of issues women can face ranges from cat calling, body shaming, wolf whistles, verbal abuse and heckling to indecent exposure, sexual attention and physical contact. 

Worse, women all too often face the daunting prospect of being approached or followed by potential predators, or of being attacked while out running. 

In the very worst cases, women have been raped or killed for committing the 'crime' of exercising near a man. 

High profile cases such as those of Ashling Murphy in Ireland and Eliza Fletcher in America, both tragically murdered while out running, have garnered media attention - but is the world any closer to solving the issue, and who's job is that anyway? 

This roundtable discussion features three women runners who have all experienced abuse and harassment while out running: 

Michele Heller: From Illinois in the US, Michele is a keen runner who has completed marathons included Boston, Chicago, New York and London. As a mother with a young child, Michele often runs very early in the morning, when it is dark, in order to be ready for the day when the rest of her family wake up. 

Dr Ashley Morgan: From Cardiff in Wales and AKA The Doc from The Running Punks, Dr Ashley Morgan has been running for 35 years - and has experienced male harassment throughout that time. The Doc is a regular commentator on women's safety and the patriarchy, and one of those behind the Twitter hashtag #changethediscourse, which attempts to get people to think and talk about the issue differently. 

Angie Skinner: From Chattanooga in Tennessee, America, Angie started running in 2014 for mental health benefits. She is originally from Memphis, close to where Eliza Fletcher was killed, and regularly receives harassment while out running - to the point where she will arm herself with pepper spray and a go guarded ring (a plastic serrated-edge self-defence weapon) for her own safety. 

In this wide-ranging discussion, we spoke about everything from their own experiences of harassment and abuse, victim blaming, the potential for women runners to arm themselves for protection, whether it is safe to run in the dark, how men should behave towards female runners and what men can do to be an ally. 

This podcast is aimed at provoking discussion, so we would love to hear your experiences and comments.

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.

Rachel Heley is a self-proclaimed fun runner.

While the sport has been with her for most of her life, she's always fell tantalisingly short of any goals - but loved it nevertheless.

However, you are more likely to find Rachel, a born adventurer, in the water.

She discovered wild swimming - or as she simply calls it 'swimming' - during the pandemic, but has always been at home in the water, including taking part in swim/run events.

Running Tales spoke to Rachel about the benefits of cold water swimming, including mood enhancement and muscle recovery - as well as how to take part in the activity safely.

We also spoke about her adventure clothing line, and why she called it Wild Moose... 

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Visit Running Tales on Substack: ⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠

Search for Running Tales wherever you listen to podcasts to find our audio version of episodes.