
The Women's Running Podcast
Running is the one thing that we all like talking about. Every week on the award winning Women’s Running podcast, we talk all things running, women, health and fitness with our own brand of happy, irreverent chat. Esther and Holly talk through their training highs and lows, and all the bits and pieces in-between. Every so often, we invite an expert to join us to help us figure out the confusing worlds of training, recovery, nutrition, health and more. And sometimes we get to talk to an incredible woman from the world of running, from Anna McNuff to Paula Radcliffe, Susie Chan to Nicky Spinks. So why do we do it? Because we realised that most of the running podcasts we listened to were full of blokes waffling on about quads and cadence (and we realised that we can do that perfectly well ourselves, thank you very much). Right here, we talk about all the things that affect us when we step out the door: sexism, hormones, menopause, food, pelvic floors, relationships, mental health, seagull attacks and wild weeing. But. BUT. We will also talk about races, PBs, shoes, training, starting running, enjoying running, finding the fun. And quads and cadence. This is the Women’s Running podcast, and it’s for women who love to run. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Feb 28, 2025 • 1h 26min
Ep 237. Feet, niggles, vintage marathons
Welcome to episode 237 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Coopah, the running appThis episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.NigglesRunning update first: In a bit of a shocker, Holly has been trying NOT to run. She’s picked up a little niggly feeling in her leg and is trying to be sensible with her mileage. We talk about how running has been affecting us physically – turns out feet is a big issue, and also cold hands; happily we have some lovely tips from you lot on the latter.1984 marathonAnd then I bring on my mum (virtually speaking) for a back to the future segment about training for and running the London Marathon in 1984. We want to do more of these, so give us a shout if you are someone who’s run a marathon many decades ago, or you know someone who has. Email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.ukPatreon!Before I forget to mention it, did you know about our Discord channel? This is an exclusive forum for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. To get a ton of support from new friends just like you, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month. It’s worth every penny.Lovely extra bitsThis episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.· Subscribe to Women’s Running – and you’ll save 50%Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDownload a FREE mini mag to help you run 5K! Go to womensrunning.co.uk/runBuy a Pod Squad t-shirt!Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 25, 2025 • 41min
Ep 8. Start to Run: Nutrition
Welcome back to the Start to Run podcast series. As part of the Women’s Running podcast, we’re sharing these special episodes every Monday to help you get yourself moving, and you can find the first 7 episodes now wherever you get your podcasts. Whether you’re a newbie or an old hand, welcome to the gang – let’s get back to basics, cut through the crap and make running simple again.What do I eat before and after a run?This week, we’re talking the basics of nutrition. We share all the things we wish we hadn’t had to work out for ourselves, including the best pre-run breakfasts, how long to wait for everything to digest and how much protein we need to be eating afterwards.How much water do I need to drink before a run?We also cover some hydration basics. When do we need to be taking water out on the run with us? What on earth are electrolytes and how do we make sure we’re getting enough of them? It’s all going on today.Here’s the handy nutrition guide written by an expert that we mention a few times in the episode: https://www.womensrunning.co.uk/health/nutrition/nutrition-for-beginner-runners/Lovely extrasIf you want more support with your running, join our Patreon where you can chat to other runners just like you. From total beginners to everyday experts, we’ve got a properly diverse group chat going where you can ask any burning questions, show support and feel the love. Head to patreon.com/womensrunning to subscribe now.And make sure to subscribe to Women’s Running magazine this February and you’ll get 50% off PLUS a free 5K beginner running guide. Just head to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer or hit the link in the show notes.We’ve also got a little email series to give you extra support too – weekly emails checking in and sharing some top tips. Sign up for these here: womensrunning.co.uk/beginners/learn-to-run-5k/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 20, 2025 • 1h 23min
Ep 236. Menopause ranting and injuries
Welcome to episode 236 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.This episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.Menopause rantWe’ve had lots of responses to my menopause from rant from last week, so we talk about some of those, and we want more! Do get in touch with anything you’d like to add to our massive menopausal list at wrpodcast@anthem.co.ukInjuriesHalfway through we talk to Jordan from Coopah about injuries, as she’s picked up a nasty one, and what we should do if a niggle threatens to derail our training. We talk about the emotional decision on whether to defer, and also how to recover after long runs so that the mid-week runs don’t feel quite so painful. Lots of brilliant advice here for anyone training for a race of any distance this spring.Join us on Patreon!Before I forget to mention it, did you know about our Discord channel? This is an exclusive forum for you, our gorgeous Pod Squad, to meet up, chat about running, TV, books, menopause, and anything else you like. To get a ton of support from new friends just like you, all you need to do is head to patreon.com/womensrunning and join us for just £2 a month. It’s worth every penny.Lovely extra bitsThis episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.· Subscribe to Women’s Running – and you’ll save 50%Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDownload a FREE mini mag to help you run 5K! Go to womensrunning.co.uk/runBuy a Pod Squad t-shirt!Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 17, 2025 • 33min
Ep 7. Start to Run: Injuries
Welcome back to the Start to Run podcast series. As part of the Women’s Running podcast, we’re sharing these special episodes every Monday to help you get yourself moving, and you can find the first 6 episodes now wherever you get your podcasts. Whether you’re a newbie or an old hand, welcome to the gang – let’s get back to basics, cut through the crap and make running simple again.Before we get into it, we’d recommend joining our Patreon if you want to chat to other runners just like you. From total beginners to everyday experts, we’ve got a properly diverse group chat going where you can ask any burning questions, show support and feel the love. Head to patreon.com/womensrunning to subscribe now.What do I do if I get a running injury?This week, we talk through the process of recovering from a running injury. Who do you speak to? How do you get in touch? And do you have to stop running altogether? We’ll help you with where to start.How do I know if I have an injury?The good news is you may not be injured at all – as well as chatting through the injury big-hitters, we also share some tips on how to know when you’ve just got a bit of muscle ache. Lovely extrasIf you want more support with your running journey, make sure to subscribe to Women’s Running magazine this January and you’ll get 50% off AND a free 5K beginner running guide. Just head to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer or hit the link in the show notes.Plus, we’ve got a little email series to give you extra support too – weekly emails checking in and sharing some top tips. Sign up for these here: womensrunning.co.uk/beginners/learn-to-run-5k/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 13, 2025 • 1h 8min
Ep 235. Supplements & menopause
Welcome to episode 235 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.Supplements for sleepFirst off I’m chatting about supplements: I’ve discovered magnesium – both in cream form (shout out Ancient Minerals) and also in tablet form, and think it’s been helping a lot with the whole perimenopausal sleep thing. More menopause chat at the end.Marathon trainingWe do talk about running, cos we’re in the middle of marathon training, so I’m afraid it’s very much part of our lives, so we discuss our boredom/ anxiety at being firmly in the middle of our training plans.Menopause symptomsThen I get properly cross about menopausal symptoms and I want to hear your pain as well. Email us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk if you’re going through anything broadly similar and if you’ve got any more symptoms to add it to the Big List. It’s a call to arms!Join us!If you actual inspo for your running, subscribe to Women’s Running magazine – right now you can save 50% and we’re also throwing in a 5K training guide absolutely free. Go to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer to find out more.Lovely extra bitsThis episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.· Subscribe to Women’s Running – and you’ll save 50%Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDownload a FREE mini mag to help you run 5K! Go to womensrunning.co.uk/runBuy a Pod Squad t-shirt!Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 10, 2025 • 34min
Ep 6. Start to Run: Strength
Welcome back to our brand new podcast series that we’re calling Start to Run. As part of the Women’s Running podcast, we’ll be sharing these special episodes every Monday to help you get yourself moving. Whether you’re a newbie or an old hand, welcome to the gang – let’s get back to basics, cut through the crap and make running simple again.Why do I need to do strength training?Notoriously, us runners avoid strength training like the plague. But we absolutely need to be doing it. And the good news is, there are numerous ways you’re going to see the benefits in your running in no time. We take you through the reasons we need strength sessions, share our own experiences and highlight the target areas to work on.What strength exercises should I do?We talk you through a basic plan that we both used to get started, how to progress as you get stronger, as well as the equipment you might want to invest in.Lovely extrasIf you want more support with your running journey, make sure to subscibe to Women’s Running magazine this January and you’ll get 50% off AND a free 5K beginner running guide. Just head to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer or hit the link in the show notes.Plus, we’ve got a little email series to give you extra support too – weekly emails checking in and sharing some top tips. Sign up for these here: womensrunning.co.uk/beginners/learn-to-run-5k/We’d also recommend joining our Patreon if you want to chat to other runners just like you. From total beginners to everyday experts, we’ve got a properly diverse group chat going where you can ask any burning questions, show support and feel the love. Head to patreon.com/womensrunning to subscribe now. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 7, 2025 • 1h 18min
Ep 234. Toenails and runner's high
Welcome to episode 234 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running. Toenails & runner's highToenail trigger warning right from the start here, as we start off by talking about black toenails, so sorry about that. We also talk about runner’s high, and the fallacy that this is, and try to reframe it a little bit.Coopah trainingIn the middle of this episode we’re catching up with Jordan from Coopah, the training app again. We’ve got lots of worries that she has to sort out for us, from how to visualise the distance to how to keep distracted on the run. We also talk about the science behind the app algorithm and how to adapt our plans as we go along.If you want tons more inspo for your running, subscribe to Women’s Running magazine – right now you can save 50% and we’re also throwing in a 5K training guide absolutely free. Go to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer to find out more.Lovely extra bitsThis episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.· Subscribe to Women’s Running – and you’ll save 50%Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDownload a FREE mini mag to help you run 5K! Go to womensrunning.co.uk/runBuy a Pod Squad t-shirt!Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 3, 2025 • 37min
Ep 5. Start to Run: Training plans
Welcome back to our brand new podcast series that we’re calling Start to Run. As part of the Women’s Running podcast, we’ll be sharing these special episodes every Monday to help you get yourself moving. Whether you’re a newbie or an old hand, welcome to the gang – let’s get back to basics, cut through the crap and make running simple again.What kind of training plan should I use?Esther and I are talking training plans this week – what are they, what do they look like and how do you know which one to choose? Never fear, we’ve got a few answers for you – from intricate personalised plans designed by a coach to your classic Couch to 5K numbers, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Just stick with it and make sure you’ve got a reasonable goal.Tempo runs, threshold, steady runs and more explainedEven a relatively simple walk/run plan involves some interval running – well done, you’re already getting those technical runs in! But sometimes we’re guilty of using a a bunch of jargon to describe what really are pretty standard sessions, so we break down a few key terms for you.Lovely extrasIf you want more support with your running journey, make sure to subscibe to Women’s Running magazine this January and you’ll get 50% off AND a free beginner running guide for 5K. Just head to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer or hit the link in the show notes.Plus, we’ve got a little email series to give you extra support too – weekly emails checking in and sharing some top tips. Sign up for these here: womensrunning.co.uk/beginners/learn-to-run-5k/We’d also recommend joining our Patreon if you want to chat to other runners just like you. From total beginners to everyday experts, we’ve got a properly diverse group chat going where you can ask any burning questions, show support and feel the love. Head to patreon.com/womensrunning to subscribe now. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 30, 2025 • 1h 10min
Ep 233. National Running Show
Welcome to episode 233 of the Women’s Running podcast. I’m your host Esther Newman and she’s your other host Holly Taylor. On this podcast we talk about health, politics, stuff on TV and what we ate last night. Occasionally, we talk about running.This episode is sponsored by Coopah, the running app. Use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up for 2 free weeks and a further 20% off for a whole year.National Running ShowToday, we’re talk about the National Running Show, which we’ve just come back from. And we try to unpick why this year felt even better than ever. We give a few shout-outs to the people we met over the weekend – there were so many more that we haven’t, and I’m sorry if you don’t get a namecheck, as it all went by in a blur, but goodness me, it was life-affirming.Join us!And speaking of life-affirming, this is the perfect time to subscribe to Women’s Running magazine, to give you a hand maintaining the running habit – right now you can save 50% and we’re also throwing in a 5K training guide absolutely free. Go to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer to find out more.Lovely extra bitsThis episode is sponsored by Coopah. Coopah are offering all pod squadders a 2-week free trial of their app and then giving 20% off their standard annual subscription price. Just download the Coopah app and use the code WOMENSRUNNING when you sign up. Or visit coopah.com/womensrunning where you can find all of these details.· Subscribe to Women’s Running – and you’ll save 50%Setting up your own podcast? Try Zencastr – we’ve been using it for ages and LOVE ITDownload a FREE mini mag to help you run 5K! Go to womensrunning.co.uk/runBuy a Pod Squad t-shirt!Do join us on Patreon so you can come and chat in our new Pod Squad community on Discord! Go to patreon.co.uk/womensrunningEmail us at wrpodcast@anthem.co.uk with any questions or running stories Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 27, 2025 • 38min
Ep 4. Start to Run: Kit
Welcome back to our brand new podcast series that we’re calling Start to Run. As part of the Women’s Running podcast, we’ll be sharing these special episodes every Monday to help you get yourself moving. If you’ve missed the first coupe of episodes then don’t stress – you can find episodes one and two out now wherever you get your pods. We’re not following a specific plan together, so set yourself whatever goal you want to achieve – we’ll be checking in and catching up each week to support you as we get back to basics, cut through the crap and make running simple again.What shoes should I wear for running?This week, we’re talking kit! You really don’t have to spend a bomb on your running, but the one thing you should invest in a little bit is a good pair of running shoes that work for you. We share a few tips to help you get this right, from gait analysis to where to find the best deals. And I mention a cheap running shoe list online – it’s here! What sports bra should I wear for running?The other thing we have to prioritise as women who run is a decent sports bra – you don’t want to give yourself two black eyes. We talk cheap ones, extra supportive ones, ones for big boobs – take your pick.If you want more support with your running journey, make sure to subscibe to Women’s Running magazine this January and you’ll get 50% off AND a free beginner running guide for either 5K or 10K, your choice. Just head to womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer or hit the link in the show notes.Plus, we’ve got a little email series to give you extra support too – weekly emails checking in and sharing some top tips. Sign up for these here: womensrunning.co.uk/beginners/learn-to-run-5k/Lovely extrasIf you want more support with your running, make sure you subscribe to Women’s Running magazine over at womensrunning.co.uk/podoffer. We’re giving you a whopping 50% off, plus a FREE 5K training guide to help you over the finish line.We’d also recommend joining our Patreon if you want to chat to other runners just like you. From total beginners to everyday experts, we’ve got a properly diverse group chat going where you can ask any burning questions, show support and feel the love. Head to patreon.com/womensrunning to subscribe now. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.