We’re officially an award-winning podcast 🏆

After taking out the Australian Sports Commission Media Award at the SCG, we unpack the feedback that meant the most — “your podcast made us want to go for a run.”

Then it gets loose:

🥦 Olympic athletes taking broccoli “lactate buffering” shots
🚻 Chicago Marathon start-line chaos
📵 Ironman banning AI glasses
👟 The biggest shoe brands in the world (you won’t pick #3)
🏃‍♂️ Courtney’s training build + why teaching kids to run matters

Elite sport, mass participation madness and a bit of bush toilet etiquette.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week we go from KFC protein bowls to Olympic gold medals in about 12 minutes flat.

• Is fast food now a “fitness brand”?

• Should Olympic coaches only coach their own country?

• Is the internet’s “apex athlete” debate completely missing the point?

• And how ridiculous is a sub-60 minute half marathon, really?

We break down:

🥇 The Winter Olympics drip vs Summer Olympics nerd-core uniforms
🔥 Cam McEvoy casually redefining what elite actually looks like
🏃‍♂️ Jack Rayner going sub-60 for the half marathon (only the second Aussie EVER)
🍧 Why slurpees might be the most underrated performance drink of all time
🍗 KFC marketing protein like they’ve just discovered creatine

Plus Liam’s drive-through frustrations and Courtney’s take on why social media celebrates “achievable average” over actual world-class excellence.

It’s sport, culture, marketing, performance and a little bit of frozen Mountain Dew.

Don’t go longer… go harder.

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Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week the boys dive into Winter Olympic madness, elite running culture and another instalment of Liam’s Schemes.

• Should we turn Melbourne’s Tan Track into a Breaking-10 night spectacle?

• Is downhill skiing the true blue-riband Winter Olympic event?

• Scotty James and Aussie gold medal hopes 🥇

• Gout Gout x Vegemite – elite Aussie combo

• And a Norwegian skier casually running a sub-6 uphill mile on skis.

  
  

It’s Olympic energy, running banter and a few spicy takes.

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Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

From Grammys to 800m world records, this episode is proof that age, labels and expectations mean nothing.

We kick off with Jelly Roll’s wild rise — three Grammys, massive life changes, and why his story hits harder than most. Then we dive into one of the most ridiculous stats you’ll hear all year: a 53-year-old running 1:56 for 800m. Yes, seriously! - A podcast on Zac's training if interested here

We also shine a light on Australia’s next Olympic wave, from winter sport converts to Scotty James chasing legacy at his fifth Games.

Running, resilience, reinvention — this one’s got layers.

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Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

T-100 10KM RUN INFO & ENTRY - 22 MARCH

Courtney turns up running on one side of his face after a dentist visit, Liam gets stitched up as a “headline act” in the Gold Coast Bulletin, and Australia Day delivers peak Gold Coast chaos on land and water.

We recap the Burleigh Swim Run, talk community-first events done right, and dive into why Courtney’s running form can be measured by how much he chirps.

The T100 Gold Coast 10km is fast approaching and the race-your-mates energy is building, while the Apex Athlete debate rolls on — is a sub-2:50 marathon actually too easy compared to the lifting benchmark?

Running for your head, racing for bragging rights, and why fun still matters most.

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Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week on In The Beginning, Courtney and Liam unpack one of the wildest stories in elite sport — ski jumpers allegedly injecting acid into their genitals to gain a competitive advantage ahead of the Winter Olympics. From there, the boys dive into where “gaming the system” ends and cheating begins, the rise of the so-called Apex Athlete (110kg bench x10 + a 2:50 marathon), and why HYROX has become a $140m fitness monster.

There’s a reality check on marathon culture, a deep appreciation for patience in training, and a left-field brainstorm on why Bunnings should sponsor a marathon.

Red Bull Race the Sun - Register Interest

Armidale Running Festival

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Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 69 kicks off with making cross country great again, as Australia delivers a huge mixed relay win and raises a bigger question — how are we really viewed in global distance running? We unpack why this new format works, why it feels Olympic-ready, and what culture has to do with credibility.

From there it’s Netflix live-streaming a no-ropes skyscraper climb, Japan’s Ekiden pulling insane TV numbers, and why “slow TV” works.

Courtney checks in on training and gym gains, Liam gets brutally shoe-shamed at the polo, and we finish with why Strava’s new AI workouts might be a step too far.

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Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We’re back for 2026 and straight into it. After a short holiday break, Courtney and Liam reset the clocks, check the bodies, and ask the big questions about running in the year ahead.

Is the running boom still growing? Will HYROX plateau? Which brands and shoes are about to dominate? And are we heading for a shift back toward elite athletes telling better stories?

Liam unpacks his Japan trip — from ninja-quiet runners in Kyoto to disciplined Tokyo run clubs and why ON shoes might be everywhere in 2026. Courtney fires through bold predictions on injuries, events, and brands to watch, before the boys dive into training chat, favourite sessions, and the realities of staying injury-free while still chasing speed.

There’s also a sharp conversation on winning vs participation culture in sport, cross country making a comeback (with alligators involved), and why effort still matters more than ego.

2026 starts here.

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Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠