Marathon Talk

In just over a week, British Ultra runner and World 100km champion Ellie Greenwood will taking on the mighty Comrades Marathon, just four weeks later she's also competing at the infamous Western States 100... Martin caught up with Ellie for some last minute long distance advice. Meanwhile, Tom spoke to John McIroy about his Comrades multi-sport challenge and learnt all about hydration from Dr Mark Hetherington and Tony told us all about his Manchester madness!

Sponsored by The North Face, British ultra-runner Ian Sharman just finished the Miwok 100k trail race, with 10,000 feet of ascent, in nine hours and a couple of minutes... in a full Elivs suit! In a little over two weeks he'll be on the start line of Comrades with his sights set firmly on a top ten finish in the World's most elite ultra event. Tom caught up with him for a chat about that, his recent 12:44 course record at the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile race, and pretty much everything else ultra. Martin joined Tom in taper mode follwing an epic 40 miles and Tony had his own ultra stuff going on... German style!

With individual and relay medals at World, Olympic, European, and Commonwealth level Iwan Thomas has more recently been having fun over 26.2 miles, Martin caught up with probably the fastest runner we've ever had on the show! Tom started his taper early, Tony rang the wedding bells and the Marathon Talk community was racing all round the World!

Since her first ever run over thirty years ago, 81 year old Sister Madonna Buder has completed a combined total of more than 80 marathons and Ironman triathlons. Last weekend she finished the Bston Marathon in just over five hours and later this year will attempt to open the 80-84 age category at the Hawaii Ironman. All that made Martin and Tom's moaning and groaning about their tired legs all sound a little soft! Tony meanwhile brought you Tony's Trials 'German Style'.

Fresh from achieving the Olympic A standard in this weekend's London Marathon Louise Damen talks all about her roller coaster year, from career threatening injury to 2:30:00 debut marathon, Tom and Martin discussed the London and Boston marathons in detail, including news of the fastest 26.2 miles in history, Tony brought us yet another weird and wonderful race report, and we heard from Marathon Talk listeners who'd run Paris, London, and Boston, and even Afghanistan!

It's race week of the London and Boston marathons, as well as many other of course, so we spent today's show talking to people who had just done a marathon, were just about to do a marathon, or in some cases both! Tony Audenshaw brought us his weekly Trials, Martin and Tom worried about impending ultra marathon doom and in between all that we crammed in as much news and gossip as possible from around the running World.

With the spring marathon season in full flow Martin spoke to one of the World's leading marathon coaches, Greg McMillan, Tom took his foot off the running gas, and Tony spent all week bonking!

The run / walk / run strategy was developed by Jeff Galloway over 30 years ago, in that time it's taken many thousands of marathon runners to PB performances, Tom caught up with Jeff to find out just how it works. Martin and Tom both ran further than they every have before, Tony set out his London Marathon plans and there was the usual ranting, raving, and winner of the week...ing.

We bring you news of Mo Farah's win in NY, the World XC champs and marathons in Rome and LA, Run for Japan is going super well. We have the first of a 'Tom two 2 parter' with 1972 Olympian, author of 20 running books, finisher of 150 marathons and the guy behind the run-walk marathon strategy Jeff Galloway. We get stimulated in training talk. There's Rate your Run and Marchvellous, rant, rave and winner of the week and Tony Audenshaw brings us another hilarious Tony's Trials.

Music for this long run episode of Marathon Talk was provided my AudioFuel with four 15 minute tracks spaced evenly throughout the show. All the usual stuff is there, Tony suffered from some serious man blisters, Martin arrived back in blighty, Tom's winning streak of one came to an end.