The Big Run

Welcome back to TBR. 

As a cold snap pushes across the UK what better way to build fortitude and inspiration than a conversation with top trail runner Ricky Lightfoot. 

Ricky joined me a few weeks back to share where he's at with running at the minute, reflect on some key races and share tips of cultivating a mindset to get out the door when it's the last thing you want to do.

TAKEOVER 

Welcome to this takeover episode hosted by Phily Bowden, Jip Vastenburg and Ciara Mageean from team New Balance Manchester.

Last weekend I headed up north to hand over the mics to the athletes and asked them to take over the podcast.  

On the menu was a long run followed by pancakes and conversation courtesy of Phily’s partner Daniel.

In this conversation, the teammates talk about mindset, their different distances, the team culture, the future of the sport, toilet breaks and mega hot takes. 

Thanks to all three for being willing participants and to Daniel for cooking the feast and taking some stills.

Hello and welcome back to TBR today's episode is with the new holder of the British 1500m record Neil Gourley

We recorded this conversation a few days before his run at Birmingham and it’s a great insight into his journey over the past few years. From his background and training, he why there is strength in saying your goals out loud, how setbacks have fortified him and why faith from those who are essential can lead you to success.

A big thank you to Neil for coming on the show and congrats on an incredible run, I look forward to watching him toe the line in Istanbul for the world indoor championships

Hello and welcome back to TBR 

Roger Robinson is a New Zealand academic, essayist, editor, runner, sportswriter, and sports commentator.Roger has won several national and world masters titles, including age-group records in marathons. He is also emeritus professor of English from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. He is married to celebrated Boston marathon runner Kathrine Switzer. 

He is still running at 83 having recently taken the gold in the 80-plus category at the world cross-country championships in Bathurst Australia. On two new knees no less. 

In this conversation we talk about his running and his new book Running Throughout Time: The Greatest Running Stories ever told that track from 800bc to the present day with extraordinary tales of running through history. 

You can pick up a copy here

Hello and welcome back to the big run today's guest is Rachel McArthur

Rachel is an 800m, 1500m and mile runner who had an incredible run back in march of last year at the NCAA Div 1 indoor championships with a 4:33 for the mile. However injury has caused some setbacks and she has been building back safely and slowly ready to return and show what she is capable of.

In this conversation, we track through her running journey, why the mile is one of her favourite disciplines, why injury can be a lonely place and why running on a treadmill when the weather is nasty does not make you weak!

Today's guest is adaptive athlete and On trail runner Zach Friedley. 

Zach entered the world of trail relatively recently after going on a journey of self-discovery from the redwoods of California to an ashram in India.

He is now a fully-fledged professional trail runner for On and is leading the way for inclusion and visibility for adaptive athletes by running his own trail events and setting up a non-profit to help raise awareness and support for other adaptive athletes out there.

You can find out more about Born to adapt @ https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=101551

and the non-profit Zach runs The Mendocino movement project https://www.mendomovement.org/

Podcast imagery by photographer @mountainslegacy

Hello and welcome back to TBR...

Today we are joined by Allie Ostrander.  Allie Ostrander is a professional distance runner specialising in middle and long-distance events. She competed for Boise State University in college and has since gone on to compete internationally, including representing the US at the 2019 World Championships in the steeplechase.

In this conversation, we track through her running journey, discuss PR versus PB and why she's approaching her goals from every angle in 2023.

You can follow Allie @ where you can find links to her YouTube channel

On Thursday (9th of Feb 2023)  TBR was invited down to a busy regent street for the opening of On runnings brand new store in London,

The store is a hi-tech interactive space with incredible design…I spent some time with On athletes before heading out on the run from the Swiss Embassy back to the bricks and mortar.

This episode features interviews with Chris Thompson, Aimee Pratt, Georgie Hartigan, Amy Eloise-Markovc and Olly Laws

Head over to https://www.on-running.com/en-gb/  to find out more about the store...

Thanks to Vikki at Aspire for helping so brilliantly to coordinate these chats.

Photo's by Arran and Jerry from Curated for Runners

On today's episode, Im joined by author, journalist and podcaster Adharanand Finn. 

Adharanand Finn is the author of Running with the Kenyans (2012), The Way of the Runner (2015) and The Rise of the Ultra Runners (2019).

He has travelled the globe documenting all facets of running culture and crafting them into compelling and award-winning books.

A keen runner himself, Adharanand has absorbed and witnessed running techniques and practices from around the world and explored them through his own running. 

In this conversation, we discuss his books, what each period taught him and why his latest journey into the unknown may be his toughest yet...  

You can follow Adharanand @ 

or head to his website for more information on his books and podcast

https://www.adharanandfinn.com/

Hello and welcome back…

Todays episode is with David Kilgore, ultra distance runner, lost boys track club member, US trail team athlete, head of Outdoor Athlete innovation for On, a red bull athlete -  the list goes on…

And the list that David is currently working through is the 2023 World Marathon Challenge. A logistical and physical feat to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.

The first marathon is scheduled to begin at Novo (Antarctica). It is followed by marathons in Cape Town (Africa), Perth (Australia), Dubai (Asia), Madrid (Europe), Fortaleza (South America) and Miami (North America).

We recorded this conversation a week or so before David set off for his first race

As of publication...

David won the Antarctica marathon in 3:23

David won the cape town mara in 2:58

and won the Perth marathon event in 2:55

In this conversation we dive into David’s story, his love for the trails, curating On’s trail athlete roster and getting an insight into his preparation for this huge challenge.

A big thank you to David for coming on

you can follow the race via Davids instagram or on worldmarathonchallenge.com where they post live updates for all the events