After 18 months of everything and anything being cancelled, races being rescheduled and us all getting used to the 'virtual run', at long last we are seeing the return of actual organised running events and this weekend it’s The London Landmarks Half Marathon.

In this episode Jenni speaks with the woman in charge, race director Lia Fyles, about the build up to the big day as well as chatting about the impact Covid has had on running events in the UK.

Even if you are not taking part in this particular half marathon, it’s a great listen and will get you fired up and excited about the prospect of signing up for a race in the coming months. You’ll also get plenty of great race day tips.

Races are so much more than just getting a PB, they’re about the camaraderie, the atmosphere and uniting with the running community and this episode certainly celebrates that. Enjoy.

It’s been said many times, everyone has their own reason to run - whether that be for fitness, mental health, weight loss, a personal challenge or for some, it is a mechanism to help cope with grief.

In this episode of RunPod, Jenni is joined by Will Goodge whose first run was only a few years ago along a boardwalk in California. It was a pivotal moment in his life, one that he associates with extreme joy. Within a year, life had done a complete u-turn. His mum had lost her battle with cancer and he was looking for something to help him cope with his grief. This is where the running comes in….

Will started running on days that meant something to his mum, Christmas, her birthday and then progressively he challenged himself a little more until he was running the length of the country, raising money in her honour.

It’s a truly inspiring story of someone who’s reason to run was to partly escape, yet by running, he’s found something that’s now become a huge part of his life.

Enjoy.

This week on RunPod, joining the RunPod Run Club is a comedian, podcaster, radio host and runner Ed Gamble!

Ed talks to Jenni about his eureka moment when he lost weight and found out he liked to exercise at 23, running smugness, identifying as a plodder, coming up with ideas for jokes whilst running, not being a vegan, eating to run or running to eat and how his diabetes affects his running.

A really entertaining listen. Enjoy!

This week joining Jenni in the Runpod Run Club is someone who knows something about motivation...and he's made a name out of it. It's Derrick Errol Evans MBE, a.k.a Mr Motivator!

Derrick talks about the curative power of exercise, how he became Mr Motivator, adopting lessons from the past year, how its never too late to take up running, becoming more disciplined and how the healthier you are the better it is for everyone who matters in your life.

Hopefully he can give you the motivation to put your runners on and get out there! Enjoy!

The new recruit this week is known more for the cha cha, the rumba and the salsa, than the jog, the sprint or the tabata.

She’s a World Dance Champion and a regular on Strictly, in this episode Jenni is joined by the uber fun and incredibly talented Katya Jones!

Now Katya took up running to maintain her fitness levels when she’s not dancing, which was most of lockdown. She quickly realised that although she is very much ‘dance-fit’, she really needed to get ‘run-fit’.

Jenni and Katya discuss how fitness requirements for different sports vary so much; Katya explains why she never did any running whilst growing up in Russia. They also talk about how you can do decent dance training on a treadmill and why running is such a great way to get to know your local community.

It was a lot of fun recording this episode - so we hope you enjoy listening.

In this week's episode of RunPod Jenni speaks to the lady who coached Jenni to her marathon PB. Yes, if you're in training for one of the many races coming up this year, this is definitely one for you.

Karen Weir is a running and triathlon coach and PT, as well as being a parkrun ambassador and pioneer. She chats Jenni through the steps we all should be taking to help us achieve the goals we set, how walking can actually help us get that PB, the importance of weight training as we get older and she walks us through the different types of runs we should be incorporating into our running schedules. Enjoy!

Colin Jackson’s been in the public eye since he was a teenager, he’s had a hugely successful career as a sprinter and hurdler with some incredibly impressive world records.

In this episode Colin explains race start-line tactics, the ‘dip’ at the finish line and how it can all go very wrong with a touch of over-confidence.

Jenni and Colin take a look at some of the real issues affecting athletes heading out to Tokyo for the Olympic Games and touch on the pressure of being at the top of your game. They also discuss the negative impact of all that training and the upcoming medical treatment Colin now requires.

Throughout the episode Colin offers great tips from his years of experience not only as a phenomenal athlete but also as a top trainer and coach.

A truly wonderful listen with a lovely man, a brilliant coach and someone who remained unbeaten for almost 3 decades. Enjoy

For all runners, there is a distance that you dream of running. It could be a 5k, a 10k, a half or a full marathon. Or perhaps after hearing people enthuse about even longer runs, you’ve been tempted by an ultra.

Well in this episode, mum, lawyer and runner, Anna Rutherford does a brilliant job at describing a race she completed a couple of months ago.

Anna ran over 200 miles, smashing the race record in the process.

Her story is incredible. She’d just given birth a few months earlier, she napped in 11 minute bursts and her secret weapon is something you may want to try yourself….it’s a food (of sorts) and was a huge help on her journey.

After hearing Anna’s account of this epic run, I would be surprised if you don’t ask yourself ‘Could I do an ultra?’ Or perhaps you’ll ask, ‘When can I do an ultra?!’

Enjoy this hugely inspiring episode with a superwoman who said she’s 'nothing special’. I beg to differ. Happy running!

Returning to RunPod this week is Colson Smith, aka Craig from Corrie! He found running during lockdown and ever since it has quite literally changed his life for the better.

He has documented his running journey in a new film, which is out now. ‘Bored of being the Fat Kid’ follows Colson as he embarks on a new health and fitness regime which has now become a way of life.

Colson’s commitment to running is so inspiring and will absolutely motivate you to get off the sofa and head out for a run. He offers tons of brilliant tips and advice for new runners or anyone keen to improve and discusses at what point you can officially refer to yourself as ‘a runner’.

A great episode with someone who has truly been bitten by the run bug. Enjoy.

Do you consider yourself a runner, a jogger or a plodder? In this episode of RunPod, the guest is adamant he’s a plodder! He also fully expected to have exhausted all running chat in approximately 5 minutes, then surprised himself by enthusing about the feelgood of running for a good 40 minutes.

Journalist, quiz show host and former presenter of the ‘Today’ show, John Humphrys, is known for asking questions, yet for a change, here you hear him answer them.

John’s been running for almost 50 years and started whilst in Washington DC reporting on the Watergate scandal.

Despite his reluctance to admit he truly loves running, he gives a passionate account of exactly what he enjoys about it. He represents anyone who believes they’re ‘not really a runner’....but soon realises that actually, perhaps they really are!

A great listen with the longtime Mastermind quizmaster. In this episode his specialized subject is running.

Enjoy.