Marathon Talk

The TCS Sydney Marathon took place this past weekend, and we have all the news from a momentous day in marathon running as Sydney arrived as an Abbott World Marathon Major! Joining Martin on this week's show, we have Abbott World Marathon Majors Chief Operating Officer Danny Coyle, who was on the ground, in the shadow of the Opera House, to give us his thoughts on both the race day, the city, and also the performances of Sifan Hassan, Eliud Kiphcoge, and the winner of the men's elite race, Hailemaryam Kiros. We're also joined by Simon Bolton, who is now a Seven Star athlete, who will give us his participants perspective of the race and we're also very pleased to welcome Michelle Weltman MBE, head of disability at London Marathon Events, who also joins us from Sydney, to talk to us about wheelchair racing, her thoughts on Sydney, the current series championship and some wider commentary on where wheelchair racing can go in the future. We've got a jam-packed show for you, and we hope you enjoy it. ‍In this epis

Our first episode back after our summer break, and we have a TCS Sydney Marathon Special! On this show, we’ll have a preview of the elite field for the race and hear from Deena as she prepares for her first run in Australia in 20 years. We have a quick check-in with race director Wayne Larden, as Sydney prepares to welcome the Majors, and we’re joined by UK based runner Simon Bolton who is heading to Sydney to collect his seventh AbbbottWMM finish.  Our main guest is James Constantine, who is here to talk to us about all things running in Sydney, how the city and its runners are looking forward to the race, things to experience in the city, and for Deena, as she stays on a little longer in Australia, a few suggestions for things to do while she’s Down Under. ‍In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We're back after our break with a TCS Sydney Marathon Special Preview 10:20 - TCS Sydney Marathon Race Director Wayne Larden joins us to give a quick update on how Sydney is prepared for the big race on August

Who’s the host with the most, the quiz whiz, the mastermind with the mic? There’s only one way to find out… This week’s very special Marathon Talk pits Martin and Deena against each other, with a trivial roundup of the running season’s greatest times! We also cover all the latest from Sydney’s elite field announcements, the packed ballot for the London Marathon, and Tokyo’s international ambitions. In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We kick off with tales of Deena’s gigging adventures and Martin’s negotiation with injury 5:30 - The latest from the running world includes Sydney’s elite women’s field announcements, Faith Kipyegon’s Breaking4 attempt, and ballot news from London and Tokyo 18:00 - The main event: Martin and Deena face off in a battle of brains across 4 rounds of quizzing - play along at home and see if you can beat our hosts with the most 42:30 - Before we sign off for July, we look to our community for runners to join the Global Run Club challenge, and share your plans for getting

Nobody squeezed more life out of 24 years than Steve Prefontaine, one of running’s greatest icons.   Fresh from penning a biography of Prefontaine, Brendan O’Meara joins us to share the impact of his legacy, and what we all stand to learn from Steve’s unparalleled mindset.   Tune into Marathon Talk this week as we also get the inside track on Boston’s new qualifying stipulations, and the great Martin vs Deena showdown, the outcome of which is in YOUR hands…   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We kick off this week with a roundup of father’s day fox-spotting and Martin’s gradual mileage increase 8:10 - Boston Marathon have made changes to their qualification criteria, making things an uphill struggle for downhill runners… 16:15 - Martin & Deena debunk the ‘no pain, no gain’ approach to training, and laud the benefits of implementing real discipline in your running 25:30 - Brendan O’Meara gives us a glimpse into the short-yet-stellar life of Steve Prefontaine, and how his presence changed run

There’s nobody on earth quite like Dean Karnazes, a man with more human-powered mileage than perhaps anyone else…   He’s proof of the extreme lengths to which you can push the human body, so if you’re looking at your next running challenge, his interview on Marathon Talk this week is pure gold.   Join us as we also share Deena’s tips for taking on an unknown marathon course, and unveil the three lucky winners of Jamie Ramsay’s book!   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We catch up with Martin’s tips for tackling an injury he’s currently nursing, and Deena looks ahead at her race in Sydney, sharing her advice for conquering a course you’ve never seen before 16:10 - Dean Karnazes, THE quintessential ultramarathon man, talks about his running career, staying in shape as you get older, the power of Ultramarathon running, and much more 48:00 - In the community notes this week we share the three lucky winners of Jamie’s new book, and set the stage for an EPIC Martin vs Deena showdown, in which you deter

It’s 17,000 kilometres from Vancouver to Buenos Aires - anyone fancy running it…?   Jamie Ramsay covered the two continents in 367 gruelling days, and joins us on Marathon Talk this week to detail his masterclass in resilience, pushing boundaries, and what he learned about himself!   Tune in this week as we also pore through the finalised stats from THAT brutally blistering London Marathon, and talk about how you can best prepare for the heat on your next summer run…    In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - Martin and Deena catch up on Deena’s trip to the Museum of Tolerance, parse through London Marathon’s finalised statistics, and dive into the ins and outs of training for heat 20:35 - Jamie Ramsay talks us through his 17,000km, 367 day trek across The Americas 51:00 - Our listeners talk us through their ambitious training plans for the summer head Marathon Talk is proudly powered by Abbott World Marathon Majors, who create, build and support opportunities for all to discover the power of the ma

Swapping guitars for trainers last week, Rou Reynolds was one of a record-breaking 56,640 finishers in London - the biggest ever!    From his maiden marathon, to an exhilarating elite field, to an exciting announcement from the Cape Town Marathon, we’ve all this and more on this week’s unmissable Marathon Talk!   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 4:15 - The huge news this week comes from London and Cape Town, with huge performances from Sebastian Sawe and Tigist Assefa, 5-on-the-bounce for Marcel Hug, and South Africa’s biggest marathon taking on the Age Group World Championships 18:00 - Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds talks us through his 26.2 miles, how he balances running with a rockstar lifestyle, and the magic that’s unique to marathons 43:30 - We crown a winner from our community for the closest prediction, and cover some of your greatest performances Marathon Talk is proudly powered by Abbott World Marathon Majors, who create, build and support opportunities for all to discover the power of the m

Welcome to a truly jam-packed episode of Marathon Talk this week, where we bring you all of the news from a thrilling weekend of racing at the Boston Marathon. From John Korir’s incredible comeback after a shocking start-line tumble to Sharon Lokedi’s course record.   We then head across the Atlantic to a preview of this weekend’s TCS London Marathon, featuring an insane elite field that includes Eliud Kipchoge, Sifan Hassan and a potential world record showdown.    Plus we have an exclusive interview with Spencer Barden, Head of Elite Athletes at London Marathon Events, the mastermind behind assembling these Marathon stars.    In this episode of Marathon Talk:   0:00 - Martin & Deena share their personal running updates including spring weather, stargazing and hill-training 4:31 - Boston Marathon Review: We discuss the unique features of Boston such as the finish line area, pop-up shops and competitive nature.  11:21 - Men’s Race Highlights including John Korir’s back-to-back wins. 13:03 - Women’

It’s race week for the Majors, and we’re kicking off a stellar double header with a trip to the fabled grounds of Boston!   We have the lowdown on defending champions in Hellen Obiri and Sisay Lemma, Catherine Debrunner’s potential course record clean-sweep, and former Boston Champion Meb Keflezighi shares his top tips for taking on the Boston course.   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - Martin & Deena catch up on their spring motivations, and preparations for Boston & London 5:00 - We round up the big stories ahead of Boston, from the defending champions and a potential clean sweep of course records, to Marcel Hug’s 8th possible win at Boston 13:35 - Statman Stew joins us for some exclusive statistics for the Boston race, including the 1,585 6 Star hopefuls, 3 birthday runners, and 2 new countries to give us first-time 6 Star Finishers 24:45 - ‘Marathon Meb’ recounts his experience with the Boston course, and shares his top tips on how you can make your way to Boyleston Street running y

Rethink your marathon nutrition, because we’re debunking some of the biggest fueling myths with Six Star Finisher and Nutritionist, Meghann Featherstun!   She joins us in a packed Marathon Talk to help you unlock your full potential on your next long run, plus we cover the running world’s biggest news from London’s 56,000 strong lineup, to the GOAT’s return down under, and a race for our robot overlords in Beijing…   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 3:30 - The big news this week features Eliud Kipchoge’s appearance at Sydney’s first Major, a ‘race that eats its young’, London’s record-breaking lineup, a robot race in Beijing, and much more 19:15 - Meghann Featherstun, nutritionist and Six Star Finisher, debunks the biggest carbo loading myths, guides us through proper fuelling, and shares recovery strategies to nail your next long run 46:30 - Notes from our community this week include Rome Marathon finishers Davina and Josh, and a statement of intent from regional listener Brian Marathon Talk is pro

An unseasonably hot 69 Farenheit couldn’t stop over 36 thousand athletes taking on Tokyo, and this week on Marathon Talk we’ve all the star-studded stories from the week!   Between the elite winners half a minute ahead of their rivals, Paula Radcliffe & Harry Styles’ stellar efforts, and this week’s guest Adele Roberts securing another star on her Six Star Journey, you won’t want to miss this jam-packed episode of Marathon Talk!   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We catch up with Martin’s tempo running, a dodgy achilles, and Deena’s run-in with a delighted Marathon Talk listener in Lake Tahoe 3:45 - All the big stories from Tokyo, from the elite fields beating the heat and the hometown hero in the men’s wheelchair race, to Paula Radcliffe’s majestic return and the >2.5k athletes receiving a Six Star Medal in Japan 10:00 - We play a game of ‘Higher or Lower’ with Deena, all based around one of the world’s biggest stars’ finishing time in Tokyo - Harry Styles’ 3:24:07 14:00 - Broadcaster, Ru

COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide, but that’s not stopped Russell Winwood from a stellar journey to his Six Star Medal.   He’s our inspirational guest on this week’s Marathon Talk, taking us through his battle with the relatively unknown lung disease.   Join us for this episode, as we also round up all the latest in the running world - from Jacob Kiplimo’s blistering half-marathon WR, to a milestone moment for our Six Star Finishers this weekend in Tokyo!   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We kick off this week with a catch up that takes us through cross country comps, birthdays, and Martin’s map-mishaps 7:40 - The London elite field is looking racier off the back of Jacob Kiplimo’s new half-marathon WR, so we look ahead to weigh up his chances, set our sights on Tokyo’s race this weekend, and share the huge milestone for AWMM’s Six Star Finishers 22:30 - Russell Winwood talks us through his battles with COPD, the third leading cause of death in the world, and how he’s overcome

From mental health advocate triathletes to parkrun romantics to World Record teens, we’ve an absolutely packed episode of Marathon Talk this week! On episode 63, Martin & Deena bring us the latest on World Indoor Records that have been shattered, a New Zealand teen taking on Jakob Ingebritsen’s milestones, and we share YOUR stories of matchmaking on the move. Meanwhile, it’s a privilege to hear from Raymond Braun, as he opens up about his mental health struggles, the endurance feats that are helping him overcome them, and his marvellous mental health work with Olympians. In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - Martin & Deena catch up on birthday celebrations, seasonal training, Deena’s discipline, and how to stay motivated in your training 7:40 - The latest news this week brings us a new World Indoor Record in the 3,000m, a new World Age Group Record for Sam Ruthie, and we share YOUR stories finding love on the run 18:40 - Training Talk is back! With Tokyo round the corner, we bring you tips on

With a huge marathon season fast-approaching, it’s time to ask: Are you Race Ready? Our special guest on Marathon Talk this week, Tim Good, is behind a new, free app that promises to help avoid the unfortunate circumstances that led to the loss of his brother in 2011, and the story behind its development is a remarkable one. Join us this week as we also dive into the latest announcements for Tokyo’s elite field, share a mind-numbing treadmill World Record, and weigh in on a socks-and-sandals race-winner… In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - Martin & Deena catch up on skiing escapades, the dire running weather in the UK, and the joys of heated running wear 10:30 - The news roundup this week features Tokyo’s elite field, which remains stellar even in spite of London and Boston’s fields, plus a new treadmill WR and Barnabas Kiplimo’s ‘super sandals’ 29:40 - Tim Good joins us to share the story behind the loss of his brother, and the long journey that the Matthew Good Foundation has taken to make ra

All-time best lineups, exclusive news, and Paula Radcliffe herself on Marathon Talk? We couldn’t start 2025 any better, could we… Paula Radcliffe MBE is our very first guest on the show, talking to us ahead of her majestic marathon return! She’s taking on Tokyo and Boston, the latter of which has a stacked elite field… or so we thought, til London unveiled their roster. Get the jump on two of the most anticipated races in a generation, with one of the most iconic runners of a generation, on episode 61 of Marathon Talk. In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We kick off the first show of the year checking in on Deena’s discipline, and set our goals for the year ahead 12:45 - Boston and London have released their incredibly competitive elite fields, so we sift through the contenders who might take victory in these stellar fields 33:50 - Marathon icon and former World Record Holder Paula Radcliffe MBE is our very special guest, sharing the first steps on her marathon return, Six Star ambitions, and what

It’s the last show of the year, so what better way to round off 2024 than with a look at 2024’s most memorable moments! In celebration of Sydney’s 7th Star status, we’ve hand-picked 7 standout stories; from remarkable Six Star Finishers to blistering records, we’ve been treated to a stellar year for the sport. Join Martin and Deena one last time, for the very best of 2024! In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - For the final time this year, we hear how Martin and Deena are rounding off 2024 and preparing for the Christmas period - training or otherwise… 15:30 - We run down the 7 biggest moments of the running year, from Ruth’s record-breaking race and Chris Nikic’s heroism, to Sydney’s finest hour and Sifan Hassan’s incredible gold medal Marathon Talk is proudly powered by Abbott World Marathon Majors, who create, build and support opportunities for all to discover the power of the marathon community. Learn more at https://www.worldmarathonmajors.com/  

Record-breaking debutants, speedy teens and iconic Six Star Finishers - we have it all in this week’s Marathon Talk!   Among all the world-best performances from the lilies of Sabastian Sawe and Gout Gout, we’re joined in this episode by the iconic Tommie Runz off the back of running all six Majors this year.   Tune in to catch his take on the Majors circuit and representing his community, while we also cover Valencia’s rapid performances, a thrilling cross country title, and much more…   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - We have a brief catchup with Deena and Martin on their discipline challenges, and an underwhelming USA vs England women’s match at Wembley 6:10 - We have a new fastest debutant, a new fastest teenager in the world, a new Female Athlete of the Year, and questions over Ingebritsen’s future 22:00 - Tommie Runz joins us to talk 6 Stars, which was his favourite, the hero that is Ted Metelles, his journey to sobriety, and representing so many communities Marathon Talk is proudly po

Sydney, Shanghai, Cape Town: what do all these new and prospective Majors mean for marathon running’s greatest prize? This week’s news roundup collides with the Q&A spotlight that we shine upon Abbott World Marathon Majors’ Danny Coyle! Cape Town and Shanghai are taking strides in their journey to become Majors, and Danny shares what this means for all the Six Star Hopefuls, and for those of you hungry for more… In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - Deena’s taking on a new challenge with discipline at its core, and Martin’s been easing back into the rhythm of running amid a snowy spell in the UK 17:30 - The big news this week is around Cape Town’s latest step towards becoming a new Major, while Shanghai gets its first assessment on the board, and Valencia’s marathon hopes to unite its people now more than ever 24:45 - Abbott World Marathon Majors’ Danny Coyle answers all your burning questions on the future of the Six Star Medal, and unveils long-term plans for a thrilling Nine Star Medal… Mara

One week on from the most incredible race in New York, it’s time to look back on our race in the five boroughs, and the top stories from the elite field.   In a packed show this week, we’ve also got all the numbers on this year’s Six Star Finishers, and following Sydney’s exciting news that it’ll join the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025, we catch up with the incredible Wayne Larden, Race Director for the newly minted Major!   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - Deena and Martin take another long look back at their magnificent experience in New York last week, sharing more of their favourite moments from the five boroughs 20:30 - A detailed look back on the elite results in New York, with a flying Dutchman’s first Major win, an upset in the women’s field, and our insider knowledge on Marcel Hug’s crash 28:20 - Wayne Larden, Sydney Marathon’s Event Director, joins us fresh from the news of Sydney’s newfound Major status, to share how the race has evolved and grown, and future plans for the 7th S

It’s crunch time for Martin and Deena - they took on the 5 boroughs together, but how did they fare?   They bring you a very special episode of Marathon Talk from on the streets of New York City, bringing to life the stories of those around them, and an impressive roundup of the elite field results… literally as they happened!   Join us for 26.2 miles of the infectious New York atmosphere, plus a bonus update on Sydney’s strides to become the 7th Major…   In this episode of Marathon Talk: 0:00 - Martin & Deena make their final preparations, and the early morning trek to the start line 7:30 - We hear from Achilles International guide Rosie from New Zealand as she guides fellow Kiwi Paul through his first international marathon, and the NYPD’s Russel as he lauds the way that the race brings us together 17:40 - At the 17th mile, we share the stories of some fabulous French volunteers, and an ambitious Brazilian 6 Star hopeful on their third punt at New York  21:20 - From the huge 20 mile mark, we pus