Runner's World Podcast

Joining us on the podcast this week is Coach Bennett, Nike Global Running Coach, the voice of NRC and now an author. We talk about his passion for running, how it has shaped his life and why he believes runners can help make the world a better place. We get into his attitude to coaching, why time goals are only a small part of the journey, the much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GB sprinter Zharnel Hughes joined us ahead of the European champs to talk about his passion for athletics growing up, his drive to win an Olympic medal, his love for flying planes, motivational chats with Linford Christie and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from her RW cover shoot, Jenni Falconer joins Rick and Rachel to talk about her lifelong love of running. From chasing PBs, overcoming injuries, why she loves to train and how she wants to never stop doing it, we cover off all areas of her running and discover she's still got speedy aspirations! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Shepard joins Rick and Ben to talk about his 16 year hiatus from marathons after an injury stopped him running, how he managed the fear of re-injury and started training again, why he continues to want to prove to himself he can do hard things and why running continues to his happy place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from her record breaking performance of setting a new FKT for the Via Alpina, ultrarunner Sophie Woods joins Rick and Ben to talk about this monumental run, what motivated her to do it, how it helped her fall back in love with trail running and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time ever, the European Athletics Championships are coming to the UK, continuing a fantastic summer of track and field. To guide us through the event, Lloyd Kempson joins us once again and makes us all feel very excited about the event and why it's bigger than just what happens on the track (although that will be excellent too). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's one of those phrases that pops up in running and seems to cover off a multitude of different things relating to training and injury, so we got Dr Richard Blagrove to come back on and explain all. We're talking hamstrings, glutes, calves and also a whole load of other muscles and how to train them for running. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just incase anyone is missing a trick and not trail running, Rick and Ben chat through the best ways to take the plunge and start running off-road. We discuss kit (it's the same kit you have already), why trail running is good for your soul and other non-performance based metrics like having fun. We do also think it makes you faster, but it's mainly just because it's nice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Running isn't for everyone, we get that, but we also think it can be brilliant and we wouldn't want anyone to miss out for any of the benefits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick, Ben and Rachel travelled to Leicester to meet the Kasabian front man, go for a run and record a special podcast where he talk about when he found running, how unexpected it was and why it's such an important part of his life now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS EPISODE and our guest is London Marathon boss, Hugh Brasher. Hugh joined Rick and Rachel for a special chat about the upcoming two-day London Marathon, how the idea became a reality, the logistics around the race, why it'll just be a one time thing and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick and Ben break down Rick's sterling performance at the Spine Sprint North race, where he finished in 6th place (much to his and everyone else's surprise). There's some tips about preparing for an ultra, my tech matters, some hydration mistakes and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining Rick and Ben this week is journalist and author James Witts, who has just written the book, Dope: How the cheats stay one step ahead, and what's being done to stop them. We discuss the ongoing threat of doping in running, the measures being taken to stop it (and whether they're working), what the future of the sport looks like with gene therapy and AI aiding dopers, the Enhanced Games and much more . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paralympic royalty joins Rick and Ben this week as Richard Whitehead MBE came in for a chat. We talked about how he continues to get faster with age, how is training is continually evolving and the key thing all runners need to do to keep improving. Plus we talk about the 2012 legacy and how he wants nothing more than for people with disabilities have access to the joys of movement and sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining Rick and Ben this week if Death Cab for Cutie frontman, Ben Gibbard. An accomplished ultra runner as well as a musician, Ben's journey into running is a fascinating one and he's so into it, he's even designed his own running shoe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining Rick and Ben this week is Sam Tomlinson, a runner who has completed some of the biggest races in the world, yet he's also DNF'd and DNS'd them all too. In the podcast this week, we talk about "failure" in running and why it's so important, misunderstood and treated with shame rather than as part of the natural process of improving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and comedian Paul 'Tonky' Tonkinson joins us on the podcast this week to talk finding his running mojo again, why he needed to race the MdS (and what he thinks about the race), training incidents with dogs, writing his new book, why running will always be part of his life and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He's written a book about ageing and running, so Damian Hall is back on the podcast to encourage us all to keep going as we age. We chat around the health benefits, but also how to continue to be competitive, the best approach to training, why the right attitude to age can make all the difference and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, Rick and Ben are joined by Hugo Fry, a running influencer who brings a much lighter and entertaining side to the world of 'runfluencing', whilst also being an undeniably fast runner. We chat about Hugo's route into running, his training, the best way to cook rice, why running is just a hobby and shouldn't be that serious and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A moment in history happened at the 2026 London Marathon as Sabastian Sawe became the first person to run a sub-2 hour marathon. Rick and Ben chat about this incredible run, the history behind this moment and what it means for the future of distance running, especially now that Yomif Kejelcha has also broken the two hour mark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices