The Marathon Podcast

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Kristian welcomes back "MEO the Machine" Martin Olesen, straight off representing Denmark at the European Championships marathon in Birmingham, for a catch up on altitude training, race day chaos, and what it might take for him to go full time as a runner.

Martin shares what an altitude camp with training partner Jimmy Whelan in Font Romeu actually looked like ahead of Birmingham, and how a security breach at the athlete hotel the night before the race left him running on just three hours of sleep. He breaks down the brutal, technical Birmingham course, finishing 34th as a full time employee alongside professional athletes, and reflects on the mix of gratitude and hunger for more that came with it. The conversation closes with an honest chat about balancing a demanding job with training at an international level, and whether going full time as a runner might be next.

In this episode:
- Racing the European Championships marathon in Birmingham
- Training alongside Jimmy Whelan at an altitude camp in Font Romeu
- A security breach at the athlete hotel the night before the race
- Racing on almost no sleep and still finishing 34th
- Breaking down a brutal, technical championship course
- Being a full time employee competing against full time professionals
- The mix of gratitude and hunger for more after the race
- Balancing a demanding job with training at an international level
- Whether going full time as a runner might be next

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome back, straight from the European Championships
02:11 Kristian's own rough week battling a fever
05:44 A nutrition update and finishing up work with his nutritionist
07:41 Introducing Martin and previewing the conversation
08:19 Training in Barcelona and altitude camp with Jimmy Whelan
11:24 A full breakdown of the Font Romeu altitude camp
18:59 What Jimmy Whelan taught him about training
29:44 Reflecting on his second European Championships selection
31:27 The marathon that first proved his potential
32:14 What it means to represent Denmark as a full time employee
36:48 His first real altitude camp experience
37:56 Long runs and track sessions alongside Jimmy
41:22 Whether the altitude or the lifestyle made the difference
49:03 How he felt physically after the altitude block
1:02:11 Race recap: finishing 34th at the European Championships
1:03:02 Comparing his grade adjusted time to his marathon PR
1:04:39 The security breach that cost him a night's sleep
1:07:01 The feeling of gratitude and hunger for more after the race
1:11:31 What his coach says about balancing work and elite training
1:13:48 Considering a future full time as a runner
1:14:46 Closing thoughts and what's coming up next

Martin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meothemachine/

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Kristian welcomes back Matt Smith, South Africa's Winter Olympic cross country skier known as the Snowbok, for round two of their conversation, this time diving into the messy reality of training through illness, breaking down the Oslo Marathon course, and flipping the format so Matt gets to ask Kristian questions too.

Matt shares how a chopped up training block full of sickness has tested him in a way his Olympic buildup never did, and the two compare notes on how to tell the difference between pushing through a tickle in your throat and actually needing to rest. Matt also picks Kristian's brain on hilly course strategy ahead of the Oslo Marathon, drawing on lessons from over 200 podcast episodes and Kristian's own marathon experience. If you haven't listened to their first conversation yet, this one builds directly on it and stands alone just as well.

In this episode:
- Training through a chopped up block full of sickness
- How to tell the difference between pushing through and needing rest
- Using resting heart rate as the one metric that matters
- Lessons in patience from athletes who've dealt with stress fractures
- Matt turns the tables and starts asking Kristian questions
- A full breakdown of the Oslo Marathon course, hill by hill
- Race day nutrition strategy for hilly courses
- Why negative splitting hilly marathons is so tricky
- Sending in listener questions for a future Q&A episode

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome back and what this episode covers
01:35 Kristian's biggest training week since his professional days
17:11 What actually makes being sick or injured so hard
19:36 Matt's sickness free Olympic buildup, then a rough patch since
20:32 The mindset shift: being really good at being sick
24:12 Learning patience from stress fracture recovery stories
26:49 The cross country skier stereotype around getting sick
29:43 When listening to your body stops giving clear answers
35:52 Comparing notes on staying healthy through a training block
38:57 Diving into the hilly Oslo Marathon course
40:29 Starting at Radhusplassen and heading into Vigeland Park
46:26 A full course tour: hills, forest, and the finish
47:12 Why the course offers such a unique city experience
1:00:52 Gear tips: half tights built for carrying race nutrition
1:02:47 The risk of relying on friends for on course nutrition
1:05:01 Closing thoughts and send in your questions

Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcsmith_/

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Kristian sits down with Ryan McLeod, a Puma Project 3 athlete with one of the most remarkable comeback stories the podcast has featured: a former sub elite British runner who trained alongside Mo Farah, quit running for nearly a decade after a serious heart condition, and came back to run a 2:19 marathon comeback race at London this year.

Ryan walks through his early running career, cut short by a heart condition that caused his heart rate to swing wildly out of rhythm, and the scary night before scheduled surgery when his insurer refused to pay, forcing a seven month wait through the NHS. He shares how running was quietly taken away from him for years, and how pushing a friend in his wheelchair at the Great North Run for charity was what pulled him back into training, eventually leading his team, Run With Drew, to a Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon pushing a wheelchair. The conversation covers reconnecting with his old coach after a decade of silence, sneaking into a competitive London Marathon entry, joining Puma Project 3, and the recovery focused philosophy behind his rapid return to elite level running. He also shares Race Calendar, the website he built to help UK runners find their next race.

Content note: this episode includes a detailed discussion of a serious heart condition, surgery, and a difficult experience with health insurance. Please take care while listening.

In this episode:
- Training alongside Mo Farah and early half marathon titles
- Developing a serious heart condition mid-run
- A heart surgery cancelled the night before by his insurer
- A seven month wait through the NHS with a dangerous heart condition
- Quitting running for nearly ten years
- Pushing a friend in his wheelchair at the Great North Run for charity
- Chasing and breaking a Guinness World Record with Run With Drew
- Reconnecting with his old coach after a decade
- Sneaking into a competitive London Marathon entry
- Joining Puma Project 3 and running a 2:19 marathon comeback
- His recovery focused training philosophy
- Building Race Calendar, a website to help UK runners find races

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and introducing Ryan McLeod
02:39 Kristian's Ironman and Valencia training update
16:57 Introducing Ryan and his early running career
17:26 Training alongside Mo Farah
23:32 Racing against Galen Rupp and Mo Farah indoors
53:28 The scary run that led to his heart diagnosis
54:35 Developing atrial fibrillation as a young, fit athlete
56:04 Being told he needs surgery to fix it
58:24 Weighing his health against his running career
58:53 A heart surgery cancelled the night before by his insurer
59:41 A seven month wait through the NHS
1:00:59 Getting the surgery done and the road to recovery
1:07:48 Pushing a friend in his wheelchair at the Great North Run
1:09:01 An unexpectedly fast time that changed everything
1:09:25 The idea to chase a Guinness World Record
1:10:37 Setting a training plan and a new goal
1:25:57 Reconnecting with his old coach after ten years
1:26:37 Sneaking into a competitive London Marathon entry
1:27:03 Discovering and applying for Puma Project 3
1:28:02 Running a 2:19 marathon comeback at London
1:28:40 His recovery focused training philosophy
1:41:57 What his coaching relationship looks like now
1:43:38 Introducing Race Calendar, his website for UK runners
1:44:56 Closing thoughts and where to follow Ryan

Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fastforties/
Race Calendar: https://racecalendar.co.uk

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Kristian welcomes back James Constantine from the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS for a special, information packed episode covering everything you need to know for race week, whether you're running, spectating, or just curious about one of the world's newest majors.

James and Kristian break down the full 42.2k course from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Opera House, including the brand new course flyover video that lets you preview every kilometre. James shares the incredible elite field headlined by world marathon champions Alphonce Simbu and Peres Jepchirchir, wheelchair legends Tatyana McFadden and Manuela Schar, and details the Meet the Stars event, race week activations, smart transport tech for spectators, and exactly how to get from the airport to the finish line at Circular Quay. If you're running or spectating the TCS Sydney Marathon, this is the episode to listen to before race day.

In this episode:
- A full breakdown of the 42.2k Sydney Marathon course
- The new course flyover video and where to watch it
- This year's elite field: reigning world marathon champions and wheelchair legends
- The Meet the Stars event at the Sydney Opera House
- Race week activations, run clubs, and shakeout runs
- Smart transport tech to help spectators navigate road closures
- Start times for the elite, wheelchair, and mass fields
- What makes Circular Quay one of the most iconic finish lines in the world
- Tips for getting from your hotel to the start and reconnecting with family after
- Why the Sydney Marathon is building its own race day traditions

Timestamps
00:00 A preview: pacing yourself on the course's toughest section
00:39 Welcome and what this special episode covers
01:28 Kristian's Ironman and swim training update
04:03 Welcoming James back for a third time
06:01 Catching up: James's own running and family life
07:43 What's new for the TCS Sydney Marathon this year
11:21 Building Sydney's own race day traditions
15:39 Introducing James and his role at the marathon
19:55 The smart map and transport tech for spectators
24:02 Exploring Manly and the ferry to Circular Quay
34:25 The Meet the Stars event at the Opera House
39:07 What to do if you're not running but want to be there
43:36 A full course flyover: bridge to Opera House
48:04 Watching last year's race footage to study the course
50:02 Elite wheelchair and elite race start times
51:31 This year's incredible elite wheelchair field
57:41 What to do right after crossing the finish line
1:00:47 Closing thoughts and good luck to everyone running

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Kristian sits down with Jake Barraclough, known online as Ran to Japan, the British YouTuber and pro runner who moved to Tokyo to chase the marathon dream and has documented every mile of it since.

Jake shares the story behind his move from an MMA fighting career to running full time in Japan, and gives a rare, detailed breakdown of his actual training philosophy, the one his "train harder not smarter" content doesn't always show.

He explains why closing the gap with more naturally talented runners means going all in on volume, what a typical training week looks like, the brutal silent long runs he used to do on loops in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, and the lessons he's taken from Japan's old school running culture.

The conversation also covers the reality of building a career on YouTube, why he still doesn't love social media, and how he balances extreme training with actually staying healthy.

In this episode:
- From an MMA fighting career to running full time in Japan
- Why he chose YouTube over short form content
- The Japanese running culture and training philosophy he's adopted
- A breakdown of his typical training week: speed, tempo, and long run
- The brutal, silent long runs on loops in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park
- Why closing the talent gap means going all in on training volume
- Building a YouTube career while still not loving social media
- Balancing an extreme training approach with staying healthy
- What's next for his running and his channel

Timestamps
00:00 A preview: showing the extreme stuff on YouTube
00:20 Welcome and introducing Jake
03:24 Kristian's Ironman training update
04:15 Finally sitting down with Jake ran to Japan
05:13 Running in the UK vs Japan
16:08 Jake's early running background and a career threatening injury
16:45 Discovering MMA during years away from running
18:19 Choosing between rapping, fighting, and running
18:35 The decision to move to Japan and start documenting it
28:46 What his training volume looked like before Japan
29:42 Going from getting injured at 60k a week to thriving at 200k
31:29 Why he shows the extreme stuff, not the easy miles
33:34 Learning from Japan's old school running culture
39:53 Diving into Japanese run clubs within weeks of arriving
48:08 Nearly taking his training too far the other direction
50:31 The pressure of building a YouTube channel around your training
53:23 Why simple, harder training beats overcomplicating things
54:13 A full breakdown of his typical training week
56:30 The brutal silent long runs on loops in Yoyogi Park
59:42 Believing he'll never reach his potential at low mileage

Jake on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RanToJapan

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

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