WA Running Podcast

Monday 6th April 2026

The gang is back together with our regular programming as we gear up for our respective pacing gigs at Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival this weekend with Chris pacing 3 hours, Vici pacing 4hr30 and Simon pacing a couple of pals in the half marathon.

In local results we had the WA Coastal Running Festival Whitfords Nodes, XTERRA Dunsborough, PTS Stay Puft , the last Strive Program meet of the season and we preview the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival.

Shane Johnstone, Michael Edgar, Mackenzie Burgoyne and Mark Peterson feature on this week’s Weapons of WARP.

Reach out and connect!

Instagram: @warunningpod

Email: [email protected] 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WARP

In Episode 5, Chris chats to the official marathon pace team ahead of the Bunbury 3 Waters Festival on Sunday 12th April 2026. As part of our discussions with Bunbury Runners Club last year during the planning phase for 2026, we agreed to aid the club in sourcing pacers for the marathon which would be a first for the event.

We have:

- Joel Gray and Chris Shaw steering the coveted 3hr bus,

- the reliable Ashlee 'Ritto' Ritson and Uncle Audwin Lee for 3hr30

- Jake Beacock and Noah Simpson with their casio watches calibrated for the 4hr bus, and

- Vici Richardson and Bryan Bourke singing and yapping for 4hr30 straight.

From Joel's 150g/hr carbs consumption, Ritto's family discount, Audwin's $60 unofficial marathon, Jake's Imodium obsession, Vici's feet post Herdys and Bryan's love of Yokine Reserve, we get to learn more about our marathon pacers and what draws them to the marathon and what makes them weapons in their own right. 

This episode is brought to you by the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival. Famous for its beautiful, flat, and fast course, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival offers ocean views up Ocean Drive, dolphin spotting in Koombana Bay, fast racing around Big Swamp and the challenge of the infamous Bunbury lighthouse - or as we like to call it - THE CHECKERED BASTARD.

With personalised drink stations, on-course entertainment, and a finish line vibe that captures everything great about the regional WA running community, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival delivers an experience you’ll remember long after your legs stop aching.

So lace up, set your sights south, and make Bunbury your next race destination in April 2026.

Reach out and connect!

Instagram: @warunningpod

Email: [email protected] 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WARP

Welcome to Episode 4 of The Road to the Checkered Bastard, the WARP training series following the 2026 Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival.

Last episode in our chat with Ian and Megan, you will have heard us reference the second seminar hosted by the Bunbury Runners Club in the lead up to 3 Waters, featuring inspirational runners from within the region talking through their stories and the challenges they have overcome in order to achieve great things in their running endeavours and beyond.

First up we have Dennis Deveraux who shares his story of loss loved ones, a near catastrophic injury, and the determination to take on just about any endurance event that you can imagine in the years that followed.

This episode is brought to you by the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival. Famous for its beautiful, flat, and fast course, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival offers ocean views up Ocean Drive, dolphin spotting in Koombana Bay, fast racing around Big Swamp and the challenge of the infamous Bunbury lighthouse - or as we like to call it - THE CHECKERED BASTARD.

With personalised drink stations, on-course entertainment, and a finish line vibe that captures everything great about the regional WA running community, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival delivers an experience you’ll remember long after your legs stop aching.

So lace up, set your sights south, and make Bunbury your next race destination in April 2026. Find out more and enter now at runbunbury.com.au

Reach out and connect!

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Road to the Checkered Bastard where Chris chats to Ian Gibbs and Megan Gianfrancesco from the Bunbury Runners Club ahead of the 44th edition of the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival on Sunday 12 April 2026, chatting race logistics, course records and what makes Bunbury a special race on the WA running calendar.

With all distances officially sold out, we dive into why this 44-year-old event is such a massive staple in the WA running calendar. From tackling the infamous lighthouse hill to the incredible local legends toeing the line this year, this is a must-listen before you head down that weekend. 

This episode is brought to you by the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival. Famous for its beautiful, flat, and fast course, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival offers ocean views up Ocean Drive, dolphin spotting in Koombana Bay, fast racing around Big Swamp and the challenge of the infamous Bunbury lighthouse - or as we like to call it - THE CHECKERED BASTARD.

With personalised drink stations, on-course entertainment, and a finish line vibe that captures everything great about the regional WA running community, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival delivers an experience you’ll remember long after your legs stop aching.

So lace up, set your sights south, and make Bunbury your next race destination in April 2026. Find out more and enter now at runbunbury.com.au

Reach out and connect!

Monday 16 March 2026 

With Chris on annual leave downing ice cream sandwiches, Vici & Simon are joined by Savannah Rayner - who wears many hats in the running community, is one of the coaches of the Ogging Track Club, and on the comeback, trail following a big injury last year and hoping for big things in 2026. 

Vici & Simon recap their Herdys Frontyard Ultra experience after Vici breaks her PB and runs 25 yards, while Simon fights some demons to make it to 16 yards, past the 100km mark and 16 soft serve ice creams for Chris when he returns from holiday. 

In other results we had the Canning River Runningworks Festival with Alex Vickery providing us a quick recap of the event and his race (a podium in the marathon), as well as the Darlington Half and 8km with Oliver Jamieson and Jess Byrd also giving us a recap of their 8km wins for Ogging Track Club. 

Chartt Miller, Alexander Schult, everyone who competed, crewed, volunteered or part of the organising team at Herdys, and the latest Margie Hadley update feature in this week’s weapons of WARP. 

Reach out and connect!

Instagram: @warunningpod

Email: [email protected] 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WARP

Monday 9 March 2026 

The gang are joined by Front Runner Performance coaches Zander Mostert and Raf Baugh to talk through the science of running and in particular lactate threshold testing, training zones and using data to help with your training goals. 

We had the State Senior Track & Field Champs that featured the 1500m, WA runners running Shizuoka Marathon over in Japan and we talk Herdys Frontyard Ultra that begins this Friday. 

Chris runs 38km before turning 39, Vici wraps her legs up with cling film and Simon runs a sneaky sub 18 parkrun.

Adam Kopp, Jess Byrd and a Margie Hadley update feature on this week’s Weapons of WARP.

Reach out to the guys at Frontrunner Performance via the Front Runner Sports website (including coaching blog) https://frontrunnersports.com.au/ 

Reach out and connect!

Instagram: @warunningpod

Email: [email protected] 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WARP

Monday 2nd March 2026

Chris, Vici & Simon are joined by one of the most positive guys in the WA running community, Ashul Shah who recently won the WAMC’s inspirational runner of the year with Bryan Lip a couple of weeks back. We chat about Ashul’s love of running and one of his favourite quotes - “It’s never too late to start, and clearly, you can’t keep a good cockroach down”

In results we had the Perth Trail Series' Chitty Chitty Run Run, the Runningworks Lark Hill Party Ultra featuring a recap from Mark Griffiths (casual kudos), the WAMC Peninsula Twilight Run, and a local recap from Lauren French and Ashleigh Yee at the Tokyo Marathon.

Lauren French, Kat Watt and her son, the weekend’s Surf Life Saving 2km state champs and the latest update on Margie Hadley feature on this week’s Weapons of WARP.

We love you Laura!

Reach out and connect!

Instagram: @warunningpod

Email: [email protected] 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WARP

Monday 23rd February 2026

Andy Carrington joins Chris, Simon & Vici as we chat all things backyard ultras ahead of Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra that starts on Friday 13th March.

In local results we had the Yaberoo Twilight Trail Ultra on Saturday 15th February, and Olivia Holmes and Daniel Ma help us recap the WAMC Point Walter Run.

Is Chris a running coach? Is Simon training for a secret marathon? Did Vici make it to Yo-Chi in time?

We have the upcoming HBF Run for Reason Community Run this Wednesday at 5:15pm with the guys from The Running Centre with giveaways and maybe some free tickets. WARP's Community Run is the following Wednesday with a chance to try out their new shoes pre official release. Justin Mulhair, Emma Haak, Matt Neves, Mitch Grey and an update on Margie Hadley feature on this week’s Weapons of WARP.

Reach out and connect!

Instagram: @warunningpod

Email: [email protected] 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WARP

Chris travelled down to the Bunbury Runners Club last week to record Sean Cowan & Ashlee Ritson of Koombana Physiotherapy present a live seminar to the members of Bunbury Runners Club entitled ‘Going the Distance’, talking all things brain, body, fuel and how these work together in endurance training. Apologies for the first 7min with audio issues which are resolved shortly after. 

Follow the Koombana Physiotherapy guys on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koombanaphysio

This episode is brought to you by the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival. Famous for its beautiful, flat, and fast course, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival offers ocean views up Ocean Drive, dolphin spotting in Koombana Bay, fast racing around Big Swamp and the challenge of the infamous Bunbury lighthouse - or as we like to call it - THE CHECKERED BASTARD.

With personalised drink stations, on-course entertainment, and a finish line vibe that captures everything great about the regional WA running community, the Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival delivers an experience you’ll remember long after your legs stop aching.

So lace up, set your sights south, and make Bunbury your next race destination in April 2026. Find out more and enter now at runbunbury.com.au

Reach out and connect!

Monday 9th February 2026

Chris & Simon are joined by the new Queen of Busso - Ash ‘Ritto’ Ritson taking out the women’s marathon in what some people call the hottest event in the WA Running Calendar, the Busselton Bay Run.

Some impressive performances across the marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km distances in mint conditions. We had foreign correspondents Ella Eastaugh and Matt Smith recapping their day along with some very important around the ground interviews with Brodie Clark, Michael Edgar, Jeremy Ng and Liam Phelps

Closer to Perth we had the WAMC John Forrest Run with Uncle Audwin Lee, Bec Bolster, Margie Hadley, and the man pissing mid race running 4:15min/km’s feature in this week’s weapons of WARP.

Reach out and connect!

Instagram: @warunningpod

Email: [email protected] 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WARP