12 Months to Marathon

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What separates the mindset of a champion from a decision that goes too far? And can we admire an athlete's determination without agreeing with their actions?
In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, I'm exploring two controversial moments from the world of endurance sport that sparked fierce debate across social media.
First, the extraordinary determination of Tigst Assefa, who reportedly completed the final 2km of the Berlin Marathon despite suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Then there's the HYROX competitor Joanna Wietrzyk, who continued racing after experiencing a serious bowel accident, going on to win her event and attracting widespread criticism online.
Both situations raise some uncomfortable but interesting questions about competitive mindset, personal responsibility, and the way we judge athletes.
In this episode, I discuss:
The difference between determination and recklessness.
Why elite athletes sometimes make decisions recreational runners shouldn't copy.
What everyday runners can learn from a champion's mentality.
Why understanding someone's mindset doesn't mean defending their actions.
The importance of personal responsibility when other competitors are affected.
Why social media criticism so often turns into personal attacks.
How to separate an athlete's performance from their identity.
This isn't about encouraging runners to push through serious injuries or put other people at risk.
It's about recognising that we can disagree with someone's decisions, understand the competitive mentality behind them, and still treat them with respect.
Because there's a difference between criticising what somebody did and attacking who they are.
So where does the mindset of a champion end and madness begin?
Listen now and decide for yourself.
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What can happen when you start running simply because you need something for yourself, and then keep going for nearly two decades?
In this episode, I’m joined by Madhusmita Jena, aka The Small Runner (@thesmallrunner)  whose running journey began as a new mum in Dubai and has since included more than 40 marathons, seven Boston qualifying times, a 3:27 marathon PB, ultramarathons and a remarkable Guinness World Record.  Pasted text
Madhu shares the story behind running the Manchester Marathon in her mum’s sari and breaking the world record, why representing her South Asian heritage mattered, and the impact it has had on women around the world.
We also talk about fitting serious training around motherhood and working as a SEND teacher, how her approach to running has changed in her 40s, strength training, nutrition and recovery, what went wrong at her first Boston Marathon, and why she still has unfinished business with both Boston and the ultra distances.
From a woman who describes herself as the shy child who lacked confidence to a world-record-holding marathon runner, this is a brilliant example of just how much running can change you.
And Madhu isn't finished yet — 50 marathons by 50 and a 100-mile race are still on the list.
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You can have the perfect training plan, hit every long run and do all the right sessions — but are you actually fuelling your body to cope with it?
In this episode, I’m joined by Australian dietitian and marathon runner Bec Bennett, who specialises in nutrition and fuelling for female runners over 40. Bec also shares her own powerful experience of unintentionally under-fuelling during marathon training, eventually developing a tibial stress fracture and being diagnosed with Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). 
We discuss why runners can easily underestimate how much food they need, carbohydrates and endurance performance, fuelling long runs, training your gut for race day, weight loss during marathon training, protein and recovery, nutrition for women over 40, supplements, blood testing, bone health and exactly how Bec approaches her marathon nutrition.
We also tackle the idea of “race weight” and why getting lighter isn't necessarily the route to becoming a better runner.
Whether you're preparing for your first marathon or trying to improve your next one, this episode is a practical look at something runners often overlook:
You don't just have to train for the work. You have to fuel the work.
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What happens when running stops being about getting faster and starts becoming about something much bigger?
In this episode, I’m joined by James Thomas,  better known on Instagram as @instafudgie — for a refreshingly honest conversation about running, mental health, body confidence, social media and learning to enjoy the sport without constantly chasing the next PB. 
James shares how a workplace bet first got him running, how he went from nearly 16 stone to becoming a sub-40 10K runner, and why eventually chasing faster times began to make his hobby feel like a second job.
We talk about the mental-health benefits of running, the pressure created by running social media, body confidence, the rising cost of the sport, marathon majors, why comparison can rob us of our achievements, and why James believes the running community needs more ordinary people sharing authentic experiences.
We also get into his eight marathons, his love of half marathons, running and raving, Guinness, and why, even if Instagram, medals, and PBs disappeared tomorrow, he’d still run.
A conversation about remembering why we started running in the first place.
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At 48, Ryan Fenix thought his opportunity to run a marathon might have passed him by.
He'd been a casual runner for years, juggling work, family life and three children in Manila. He'd even told himself that marathon running was a young man's game.
Then he entered the 2026 Sydney Marathon. 
In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, Ryan joins me to talk about going from wondering whether he was physically capable of running 26.2 miles to crossing the finish line in 5:14, 16 minutes faster than his original target and with a negative split.
We talk about training through the heat, humidity and torrential rain of the Philippines, fitting marathon training around a busy family and working life, the 4am alarm clocks, learning to fuel properly and the doubts that come with preparing for your first marathon.
Ryan also explains why completing the training gave him genuine confidence on the start line, how he avoided the infamous marathon 'wall', and why he was actually getting stronger towards the end of the race while others around him were fading.
This is an episode for anybody in their 40s, 50s or beyond who's looked at a marathon and wondered:
“Have I left it too late?”
Ryan's answer is simple: it's more than possible, but you have to be prepared to do the work.
🎧 Listen now to Episode 112 of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast.
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