On this week's RunAlive Interval Ed is joined by distance runner and finance professional Steph McCall. Steph shares her running journey from sprinting as a kid to just recently tackling 2 Oceans marathon in South Africa (and coming 10th!)

She delves into the communal joy of running, the psychological shifts required for tackling ultra-marathons, and her ongoing passion project, the Five Miles Easy podcast, which she hosts with Rose Harvey.

This week we talk to Gill Bland, a seasoned marathon runner, soon to be mother for the second time, and self confessed running geek!

Join us as Gill shares her transformation from a non-athlete to a marathon winner, and how running is her "me time" in the busyness of life as a mother.

“If you’re ever losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon”

This is a very special episode if the RunAlive Podcast celebrating all that is great about the London Marathon! This week we are plunging into the stories of 4 runners from the London Marathon each of whom have very different experiences of running the race.

We talk to former Marathon Age Group champion and Founder and CEO of Coach Core Gary Laybourne

This week we dive into the life and insights of Brady Threfall, a distance runner, and the vibrant voice behind the Inside Running podcast. Through Inside Running Brady has brought the sotries and personalities of Australian distance running alive to millions around the world.

In this episode we talk about, Brady's most memorable and thrilling race day experiences, highlighting the rush of crossing the finish line and setting personal bests in the 5k and 10k races at iconic venues. He delves into the mental and emotional aspects of racing and gives us a deeper understanding of what it takes to thrive under pressure and the exhilaration of achieving what once seemed just out of reach.

We've seen Jasmin Paris become the first woman to finish the Barkley Marathons, and Catlin Clark tear up the stats in March Madness in the US the year, where the women's basketball games outsold the mens. However, but there's still a real battle for even coverage and equity between men's and women's sports, particularly in the media, despite the success of teams like the Lionesses.

We welcome back Season 1 guest Laura Siddall, to discuss a recent BBC study into the the state of women’s elite sport.

We're thrilled to welcome Marcus Brown, a runner probably most know for his impactful work in promoting diversity and inclusivity within the sport. Marcus shares his journey from a casual runner to completing the six World Marathon Majors and achieving multiple sub-three-hour marathon times, illustrating the transformative power of running in his life. Marcus delves into the significant role running has played in his personal development, revealing how the discipline, challenges, and community within running have contributed to his growth as a runner and in life beyond running. He discusses the inception and evolution of his podcast, "A Runner's Life," highlighting how it serves as a platform for deep conversations that transcend running, touching on themes of mental health, diversity, and personal growth.

We talk to Bryn Hassan, the 25-year-old founder of Race Day Prints and an avid trail runner with an inspiring journey from rugby and rowing to conquering ultra marathons and preparing for an Ironman.

Race Day Prints, stems from a personal desire to memorialise the hard work of training and the exhilaration of race days, offering personalised running posters that celebrate individual achievements in races, including all the major marathons. This innovative idea was born from his first ultra marathon experience and has since become a cherished way for runners to remember their journeys and achievements.

In this episode of the RunAlive Podcast, Ed and Jenny welcome Nick Kershaw, the founder of Impact Marathon, and Bexx Swainson, an accomplished athlete and frequent Impact Marathon participant. Nick shares the inception story of Impact Marathon, highlighting its mission to create running events that serve communities around the world and inspire runners to push beyond their limits. Bexx adds depth to the narrative by recounting her personal experiences in various Impact Marathons, illustrating the transformative power of these events not just for the runners but also for the communities they support.

Ed sits down with Andy Anstey, the Head of Business Development at England Athletics, to explore the intersection of passion, sustainability, and innovation within the realm of athletics.

Andy shares his personal journey from coaching his daughter's football team to witnessing his son surpass him in running, embodying the joy and fulfilment derived from sharing his twin passions for running and football. In his proffesional life he has strategic oversight for sustainability at England Athletics and shares some of the innovative steps being taken to commercialise sustainability in the sport.

This week we’re delving into the world of 17-year old middle-distance runner and climate activist Innes Fitzgerald. She tells us about refinding her love for running in secondary school and how that gave her the confidence to recognise that she’s a little different, and has grown up differently from others, but that’s ok.

Innes shares about the huge decision she made last year to prioritise environmental concerns over a coveted spot on the World Cross-Country Team, navigating the media storm that followed, and ultimately being recognised with the prestigious BBC Young Green Sports Award.

Innes inspires us talking about how she wants to portray Eliud Kipchoge’s famous saying "No Human is Limited" for female athletes, and inspire other young women to get into the sport.

And at such a tender age in the sport, Innes opens up about the challenges she faces such as age restrictions and academic commitments alongside her ambitions for the future.

Simon Freeman, editor and co-founder of popular running magazine Like the Wind, joins us this week to talk about storytelling, running and his love for books and the analogue that led him to create and launch a print magazine at a time where people were saying print was dead and digital media was taking over.

We discuss what it was like to launch a magazine as a publishing novice, focused on the stories behind running and the meaning that running has to so many of us. We talk about what it took to launch that first issue, and how it’s grown over the last 10 years.

We’re back for Season 3! And this week we sit down with Nicky Spinks, fell runner extraordinaire as she shares her journey from road running to fell running and setting the women’s records for the iconic major fell running challenges the Bob Graham, Paddy Buckley, and Ramsey rounds.

Nicky gives us insights into how she tackles ultra marathons and her enjoyment of seeing more women joining the sport. She speaks with candour about going through breast cancer and how running remained a lifeline for her during diagnosis, treatment and recovery. You only have one life: live it.

This episode is a celebration of resilience, community, and the transformative power of movement.

Join us as we chat with Hannah Beecham, the visionary founder of Red January, a movement that advocates for mental wellbeing through winter fitness goals.

Be prepared to be inspired as Hannah encourages us to embrace diverse physical activities in the upcoming year, fostering personal growth and supporting the broader Red January initiative.

Join us as we hear from Richard Askwith, a runner for 40 years and author of numerous books on the subject of running. This episode is full of fascinating stories about the world of running and writing, including the Bob Graham Round and Richard’s recent participation in the World Championships. Hear his reflections on the physiological and mental benefits of running in later life, and the importance of staying active and setting challenging goals whatever your age and stage in life.

In this episode we talk to Charlotte Purdue, a seasoned marathon runner who recently secured the second-best British Marathon time at the prestigious Berlin Marathon. Delve into the world of a dedicated athlete as she reveals the thrill of running faster, her goals for the future and the satisfaction she finds in her coaching business, Purdue Performance.

RunFest Founder and Race Director Tom Bedford sits down this week to tell his story. We hear about his early athletic career, and how he once ran a sub 2:20 marathon for a bet! We get a behind the scenes view of what it took to organise the Olympic trials marathon at Kew Gardens during Covid, and we talk about what happens when things don’t go to plan, and what it was like for Tom as RD for the recent Richmond Marathon, a day that he admits was one of the worst of his life.

Jenny Nesbitt, a professional runner for New Balance, gives an honest and vulnerable account of her running career so far, from struggling with an eating disorder in her teens to hitting success and the challenges which followed.