Sam sits down with Chloe to unpack her recent racing success. Chloe reflects on her breakout 5K at Sandgate parkrun, where she surprised herself with a 16:26, boosted by the energy of 800 runners and a smooth staggered start. She also shares the story behind her win at the Sunshine Coast 10K in 34:40, a race where she focused on keeping a steady rhythm and delivered a performance she’s proud of.

In this episode, Sam shares exciting updates for Tales from the Valley — from setting up merchandise (including new crewneck jumpers and a launch discount) to expanding podcast coverage into the Canberra/ACT region and refreshing the club shout-out segment with race updates from past guests. He also talks about continuing the Down-the-Track Feed mini-series to follow up on guests’ progress.

Katie ran 40 km this week while resting her Achilles ahead of upcoming training weeks. Sam logged his biggest week of 2025, hitting 112 km with sessions including a treadmill Moose Fartlek, hill repeats, and a 3k-2k-1k workout on Saturday.

This week’s Café Kit of the Week features Milo products as a go-to fuel for training runs, and there’s plenty of chat about the upcoming Sydney Marathon, including a few locals set to hit the start line.

James Alexander’s Triathlon Journey

In this episode, Sam sits down with James Alexander to unpack his impressive endurance sports career. James first joined the Savvy Running community around 2012 before making the leap into triathlon in 2013–2014, inspired by watching top athletes train locally. Since then, he’s built a strong résumé that includes a 9:12 personal best at his debut Ironman in 2019, a World Championship finish over the Olympic distance in 2018, and running PBs such as a 3:06 marathon in 2016.

James takes us inside what 12 hours of triathlon training looks like across swim, bike, and run—including a key brick workout at the Unanderra crit track: 20 minutes of varied intensity on the bike, straight into 5 x 2km run reps. He also shares his thoughts on a possible return to marathon running in the future, while keeping triathlon as his main focus.

Sam rounds out the episode by reflecting on his own training week—backing up after City2Surf with 400m reps on Tuesday, grinding through fatigue, relying on the treadmill for two threshold sessions, and hitting 106km in total.

Café Kit of the Week

Die Guilty album by LOW

Step-up box for plyos

Round the Club Shoutouts

Gavin Campbell – Illawarra Tri Club

Doug Simpson – Illawarra Tri Club

Bravehearts Marathon Challenge – Glenn’s 7 Marathons in 7 Days

In this episode, we celebrate Glenn’s incredible achievement in the Bravehearts Marathon Challenge, where he completed seven marathons in seven days across seven states – raising an impressive $47,000 for child protection.

We dive into the story behind the fundraising, from the community-driven “Glenathon” hosted by Sapphire Coast Runners that contributed over $4,000, to the weekly cooking nights at the Bega Country Club where Glenn and his team of volunteers served 120 meals every Friday.

Glenn shares insights into his training, the role of cross-training in his preparation, and the mental battles he faced in the lead-up – including moments of doubt just two nights before the challenge began. Despite the hurdles, his determination carried him through to the finish line, leaving behind a powerful message of resilience, community spirit, and the impact one person can make.

Sam & Katie sit down with Phil & Ady, the founders of Parola Run Club. Since summer 2023, the crew has been meeting at the North Gong Kiosk every Tuesday at 6 am – rain, hail or shine. What started as a way to keep their uni friend group connected and accountable has grown into a thriving community, with 30 runners turning up to the very first session. Phil shares how the club boosted his basketball fitness and led to a half marathon, while Ady talks through running a sub-4 marathon time trial around Wollongong and balancing her training with strength and HIIT work.

Training Weeks

Café Kit of the Week

Round the Club Shoutouts

Down the Track – Episode 1: Lucy Holman

We're kicking off the very first episode of Down the Track with none other than Lucy Holman — a powerhouse on the local distance running scene.

Lucy stamped her authority in 2024 by winning both Shellharbour Marathons — in April and September — and clocking a rapid 2:56 marathon in the process. But she didn’t stop there. Just recently, she took on the Huskisson Ultra, running an incredible 110km in 10 hours and 13 minutes, winning the women’s race and finishing 2nd overall.

We chat about her evolution as a runner, the mental and physical demands of ultras, and what keeps her chasing the next challenge. A perfect guest to launch our new series and set the tone for what’s to come.

This week, Sam & Katie chat with James Constantine — a well-known face in the running scene as the Digital Marketing Manager for Pont3, the team behind Sydney Marathon’s push for World Major status. James shares insights into the campaign, his personal running journey, and how he’s now balancing training with family life. With standout PBs including 16:06 for 5K (solo lockdown TT) and 2:52 for the marathon, James is setting his sights on Ballarat Marathon 2026 with a new PB in mind.

James also takes us back to a memorable training week from two years ago, packed with solid sessions alongside his run crew.

Training Recap

☕ Café Kit of the Week

Nike Trail Pegasus

Meteo Weather App (for runners)

Arm Sleeves by One Running

🏃‍♀️ Round the Club Shoutouts

Kaitlin Gleeson

Alex Bergan

Lauren Reid

Katie and Sam chat with Liam Henderson, a talented runner with standout PBs including 3:56 for 1500m and 15:11 for 5000m. After a 4-year hiatus, Liam returned to racing with a 32:00 at the Sydney 10 and a 74-minute half at Gold Coast. He shares proud moments from his junior career, including a 3rd place at National XC, and reflects on his time training alongside Olympian Jess Hull in Europe.

Liam also breaks down his best training week of the year, featuring a track session with the Hince stable, 3x2k reps on a cross-country loop, and 6x1k at 3:12 pace.

Katie gives an injury update — staying active with the bike, gym, and pilates — but still sneaks in 14km for the week at a good clip. Sam recaps a down week and his run at the Sydney Harbour 5K.

🎒 Café Kit of the Week

Nike Vaporfly 4

Asics Novablast 5

Chin-up bar ("You got a door? You got a gym!")

🎉 Round the Club Shoutouts

Mack Hunter – JT Running

Holly Howell – JT Running

Tim Barnett – Wollongong Track Club

In this episode of Tales from the Valley, Sam and Katie catch up with Darwin-based distance runner Darcy Hennessy, who recently clocked an impressive 1:10:39 at the Gold Coast Half Marathon.

Darcy shares his journey from growing up with the Kembla Joggers and being coached by his grandfather Jim Hennessy, to stepping away from running to pursue AFL — and eventually finding his stride again in the Top End. Now self-coached and training with Rapid Creek Track Club, Darcy walks us through his current marathon prep, his weekly structure in the Darwin heat, and how community, coaching, and old-school inspiration have shaped his return to the sport.

We chat about:

A genuine, down-to-earth chat with one of the rising names in distance running.

Café Kit of the Week

YESOUL Exercise Bike

Adidas Evo SL

Victus Gel

Asics Metarun Shorts

Round the club Shoutouts

Pat Miller – JT Running

Brendan Smith – JT Running

Colt Phillips – Kiama Running Club

This week, Sam & Katie catch up with Mel Hodges — founder of the Bermagui Run Club and a passionate community builder on the South Coast. Mel first laced up while working a desk job in Canberra, and since then has completed four half marathons and is now deep into training for her debut Sydney Marathon.

We dive into:

Her 28km long run from Narooma to Dalmeny

How she's balancing strength work, run programming, and nutrition

Getting coaching certified and supporting others in her club

What it’s like growing a coastal run community, with Bermagui Run Club meeting Sundays at 7am from Honorbread for 2.5k or 5k options.

Also in this episode:

Katie reflects on her Hyrox recovery and a tough knee update.

Sam logs his biggest week back, hitting 105km with 12x400s, a hilly tempo, and some longer intervals — all while shaking off a cold.

Café Kit of the Week:

Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 – Mutant White

Asics Glideride Max w/ custom insoles

Nike Pegasus Plus

Round the Club Shoutouts:

Alex Bui – Wollongong Track Club

Rede Carney – JT Running

Will Page – Never Lazy Run Club

Frances Matters – Bermagui Run Club