Our much-anticipated Running Rants episode has landed.

Join hosts John and Steven for a golden 90 minutes of lively discussion in this episode of the Young Hearts Run Free podcast.

This episode dives deep into the world of running annoyances and frustrations.

John and Steven wade through a plethora of listener contributions, sharing and dissecting the most common (and some not-so-common) gripes that runners face. What gets on your tits, pisses ye off or grinds your gears?

In the episode, they particularly focus on the frustrations of dealing with dog leads that seem to stretch across the entire path, fellow runners and pedestrians who ignore friendly greetings, and the ever-present challenge of cars parked on pavements. They also discuss the lack of consideration from some car drivers, making the roads a dangerous place for runners!

Tune in for a mix of humour, empathy, and practical advice as our hosts navigate the ups and downs of the running world. Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or a casual jogger, you'll find something to relate to and laugh about in this entertaining and cathartic episode.

This week we welcome Fiona Russell to the podcast; you may know her better as Fiona Outdoors!

Fiona helped us open many doors when we both started out ultra-marathoning. Her always entertaining takes on events and routes on her website doing more than enough to inspire us in to action!

She’s become a constant voice of support and positivity for not only running but outdoor activities in general, especially across Scotland.

We’re delighted to hear about Fiona’s own running journey, her passion and desire to motivate others evident throughout. Fiona let’s us know about her next running adventure too, an exciting trip to Italy later in the year beckons for that one!

This episode is much more about just running though, Fiona’s repertoire in the outdoorsy world is huge after all, so from learning navigation, to bagging Munros, skiing and canoeing are all covered.

We hear about how Fiona has changed her own running to adapt to advancing years and how age is no barrier to exploring and adventuring.

Oh, and we’ve a couple of dialect dictionary words that require parental advisory warning!!

Enjoy our chat with the legendary Fiona Outdoors cos we certainly did.

Check out more (much much more) from Fiona on her website here FIONA OUTDOORS

Not all is black n white when you're in conversation with Damian Hall. Want to find out more? Listen in.

Damo makes a overdue and welcome return to the podcast this week as we catch up on what he's been up to and what lies ahead around the corner.

Fresh off supporting many pals on the Winter Spine races and indeed test running a brand-new race to be introduced on the Spine he's s in usual cavalier mood.

First, we find out a switch up in his sponsorship as he moves away from his historical association with Inov8 and over to something less normal.

Then it's a crusade through a whole heap of stuff he's been up to and involved in. As you can imagine nothing sits still for this fella so we've much to discuss and muse upon.

National Running Show appearances, training updates, upcoming races and plans. The big news, for us anyway, the revelation that we'll get an oppo to meet the man himself in Conniston come the end of July!

We cover 'controlling the fade', the fade of what though? Intriguing enough to tune in to find out just what we are whittling on about on that one!

We spend time discussing Into Ultra (see link below) an initiative Damo is a founding member of to give people access to participate in Ultra Marathon who may otherwise not be able to!

And lastly, Damo is allowed not 1 but 2 songs into the famed YHRF Playlist, and both them are absolute belters!

We could talk to this man all day long, but we manage to limit it to a solid hour or so, now quick, go a get yir lugs wrapped right roond it!

Learn more about Into Ultra on their website ⁠https://intoultra.org.uk/home⁠https://intoultra.org.uk/home⁠

It would be amiss of us as part of our Winter Spine mop up not have a debrief with one of the winners, right?

Step forward Lucy Gossage to fulfil that role. The ex pro triathlete and now (accidental) runner took the win after the toughing it out on the famed 268 mile race up the Pennine Way.

We're mighty chuffed to hear her tell her tale of triumph through adversity as she nailed the race of her life at her 2nd attempt at the Spine, after all 2024 is so last year.

Lucy picks up her tale of finding running during the covid pandemic, at a time when the world was a strange place and, for her personally, the end of a magnificent career in triathlon was drawing to a close.

We're astounded to hear how much she's managed to raise for her charity Move Against Cancer and find out more about some of the magnificent work being undertaken to promote physical activity.

Of course the 2025 Spine Race is the headline act and Lucy regales her journey through training, to the start line in Edale and on to a victorious conclusion in Kirk Yetholm.

She's candid and open of the role personal heartache and betrayal played, on closing that chapter she's already started an exciting new one that she is evidently buzzing about.

It's a terrific insight into the mind and motivation of an elite athlete who is so in touch with her own mindset. A story of transferring strength and resilience built through years of triathlon racing and applying it to a new discipline, just so happens that discipline is ultra marathoning.

And aren't we the lucky benefactors of welcoming such prowess to the wonderful running community.

Now, go get your lugs around this cracker, it does not disappoint.

Find out more and make a donation to Lucy's charity MOVE AGAINST CANCER here

We catch up with our Yorkshire Correspondent Mel Sykes to talk all about her 268 mile traverse along the Pennine Way during the Montane Winter Spine Race 2025

Think 'challenging' weather, think sleep deprivation, think sleeping in public toilets and churches.

Think Alston Lasagne!

Mel replays her pre race thoughts and preparations, takes us on a detailed journey from Edale to Kirk Yetholm and reflects on the challenge and adventure of such an undertaking.

This is an absolute belter of an episode, Mel done it for Yorkshire, Mel done it to inspire, Mel done it because..she is Mel Sykes, our Yorkshire Correspondent.

Winter Spine Race...completed it mate.

It's taken a wee bit of organising to get Dr Jamie Pugh on the podcast. Jamie is a senior lecturer and researcher at Liverpool John Moores University, Jamie is also a coach at Centurion Running.

An expert in nutrition and all things to do with the gut, Jamie shares golden nuggets aplenty that will benefit runners and athletes of many disciplines. Coached by Robbie Britton, Jamie has a wealth of running expertise under his belt too, from a first marathon (Nottingham Robin Hood marathon) to training simply for fun, Jamie now is more interested in the world of ultramarathons, and has his sights set on some big things.

How do you run when you have ankles made of Weetabix as a result of football injuries? Jamie talks us through ankle rolls and how he copes with these and how the technical trails bring that heady mix of joy and challenges.

Being a coach and having specific information is one of Jamie's passions, coaching for Centurion Running since 2023, Jamie looks to bring and share knowledge from academia and his own experiences to invest in athletes across an array of distances to help them achieve their dreams, this is a fascinating listen.

Jamie's work at Liverpool John Moores University is all about understanding what can be done to make improvements (big or small) to athletes at all levels. We also talk a wee bit about muscle biopsy, say what? Find out more by listening in...

Testing what works for himself and athletes takes us to chatting about what we put in our gut to fuel us during our running activities, does what we put in deliver what we need? Jamie explains it all perfectly, you may listen to this section more than once!

The chat is a latest product up=to-date conversation full of golden nuggets from someone in the know, we talk about athletes aid station management, how to deal with nausea, do you remember the cartoon the Numbskulls, maybe a first ever mention on a podcast?

Lots of food (pun intended) for thought in here in a perfectly timed episode as we move towards the running season to come. See what others are doing, that's cool, but it might not work for you, there's so many things to think about and it's all discussed in our chat with Dr Jamie Pugh.

How much has sports science changed in the last decade, and what's to come for sports science in the future...we get Jamie's thoughts. There's chat too about Jamie's recent running and his tinkering with shoes to find out what works for him, and Jamie's dialect dictionary entry, a belter...

It's only the long awaited, much anticipated (and somewhat inevitable) appearance of Scottish track sensation Laura Muir!

Yeh, your boys have had a helping hand to hook us up and we were honoured to spend an hour in Laura's company.

Do we make the most of it? Course we do!

From early beginnings right up to present day and beyond we find Laura in great spirits as she embarks on what will be another huge year for her both indoor and outdoor.

Detailing some of her heroics on the world's biggest stage gives us a magical insight into some of the highest moments of her glittering career. Goosebumps guaranteed.

We find out about training, nutrition as well as inspirations. Laura also adds some of those golden nuggets we all adore, most notably about how she handles pressure.

It's a refreshing chat with a lady who stole the hearts of a nation as her own national pride beams through when chatting about representing Scotland.

Whether it's Team GB, Team Scotland or competing for herself one things for sure Laura's determination and will to win never falter.

Enjoy this extra special episode as we get 2025 off to an absolute flyer.

It's time, you've had your say. New categories and some favourites too. The UnAwards 2024

Grab a cuppa or a beer, settle down and get tore in. Merry Christmas fae Stevie Boy and JC ❤️

Our final guest of 2024. And we’re off on our travels, the destination this episode is India. Bangalore to be exact, host city of the recent IAU 100k World Championships.

Chris Richardson joins us to regale his epic Asian adventure

First stop though is some where much more familiar as we get the lowdown from Chris on his performance at the 2024 Anglo Celtic Plate on the North Inch of Perth that clinched him a spot on the GB and Northern Ireland team for the worlds.

We learn about what attracted Chris to turn his focus on the 100k distance, the dedicated training it take and find out how measured he is his race strategizing.

With an impressive marathon PB tucked neatly in his back pocket Chris gives us a great insight in to the differences he’s made to adjust to going for the 100k difference, the patience it takes and the mindset it requires.

Of course we focus most of our time hearing from Chris as to how events unfolded in the heat of Bangalore. A scintillating team performance made for a hat full of accolades across the men’s and women’s teams. An individual performance from Chris equally as stunning.

From overloading on curries to stumbling to the finish line and everything in between this is an epic listen from an honest, humble and authentic racing machine.

Sarah Perry makes her 2nd appearance on the podcast and we’ve plenty to catch up on

Although Sarah feels most comfortable on hills and fells, she excelled at the Backyard Ultra during October’s UK Team Championships.

Sarah details her outstanding performance, starting from the beginning of the race alongside 14 teammates and concluding 59 hours later to secure victory. Her exceptional effort not only earned her the title of Team UK champion but also a spot in the Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra Individual World Championships in 2025. Sarah will be heading to Tennessee for this prestigious event. In our chat, she outlines her strategy, hints at some personal tactics, and describes how her resilience was pushed to unprecedented levels. Could she have gone on longer though? We find that out from the horse’s mouth.

We also look back at some of her other 2024 adventures, focussing on a formidable personal challenge of setting a FKT on the South West Coastal Path. A staggering 630 miles journey! Just short of a fortnight’s worth of running from Poole in Dorset to Minehead in Somerset. It’s not flat either with an elevation amounting to 4 times the height of Mount Everest.

Not one to shirk at challenges thathttps://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6dxqdyZdSUeiAvCf7-EFkE4edRV4uY9Ph0p68YF2oY9UNVFCNTNaNlMyMkVDREtKSFFWVFIwVUpKRi4u&route=shorturlhttps://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6dxqdyZdSUeiAvCf7-EFkE4edRV4uY9Ph0p68YF2oY9UNVFCNTNaNlMyMkVDREtKSFFWVFIwVUpKRi4u&route=shorturlhttps://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6dxqdyZdSUeiAvCf7-EFkE4edRV4uY9Ph0p68YF2oY9UNVFCNTNaNlMyMkVDREtKSFFWVFIwVUpKRi4u&route=shorturl human capability Sarah is in fine form as she tee’s up 2025 with some juicy hints!

Just a top top episode from a world class athlete. Sarah Perry is only getting started.