29: Lucy Bartholomew, on storytelling, body image and Taurus energy
Professional ultra runner Lucy Bartholomew ran her first 100k at Surf Coast Century when she was 16. Not because she wanted to be someone, or become someone. She just wanted to run it. And she did – with her dad right there on her shoulder.
In this conversation, we talk about the “Ned effect” era, where runners are taking on big challenges to become known, rather than having a more intrinsic motivation. We discuss body image issues which are rife in running and made worse now by social media, and the hardships Lucy faced finding her identity as a young athlete in the public eye. We also ponder whether awareness around eating disorders and under fuelling is getting through to the next wave of runners in the running boom.
Hearing Lucy speak will make you want to run trails! She has a contagious positive energy that you can’t help but be inspired by. Lucy is currently in Chamonix where she’s preparing for her third Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) at the end of August. She hopes to better her 10th place performances from the past two years.
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Lucy Bartholomew is one of Australia’s most accomplished ultramarathon and endurance athletes. She’s earned podium finishes at several major races, including Ultra‑Trail Australia and the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. She is one of few women to complete both the Ultra‑Trail du Mont‑Blanc and the Ironman World Championship in the same year (and she did it twice – in 2023 and 2024). A Salomon-sponsored athlete, Lucy is also a coach, creator, and passionate advocate for trail running and women’s health.
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This episode is sponsored by Mikro Coffee Roasters. Head to Mikro.coffee and use code RUNWITHIT10 for 10% off.
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Follow us on Instagram:
@lucy_bartholomew
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Watch Running Out - Larapinta Trail
Read Bravey by Alexi Pappas
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Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom
Graphic design by Kate Scheer
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28: Calli Hauger-Thackery, on shifting mindsets, romance and racing like crazy
This episode is sponsored by Mikro Coffee Roasters. Head to Mikro.coffee and use code RUNWITHIT10 for 10% off.
Calli Hauger-Thackery is a born racer. She ran a debut marathon that most athletes would fantasise about – 2:22:17 – which earnt her the title of 2nd fastest British woman ever (shared with Charlotte Purdue at the time).
But Calli describes her 2023 debut as both a blessing and a curse. Her time qualified her for the Paris Olympics, which would be her second marathon ever – talk about baptism by fire! After a disappointing DNF at Paris, Calli bounced back in a BIG way! She came 7th at Berlin in 2024, running a PB of 2:21:24, solidifying her place as the 2nd best Brit all-time. And earlier this year, she put herself right in the mix at Boston, coming home with 6th place.
We talk about Calli’s time training with Melbourne Track Club a few years back, and the mindset shift she made after some frustrating years of not making teams. Calli now has plenty of opportunities in front of her. She’s been selected to run the marathon for Great Britain at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this year, but is likely to have another option in the 10,000m (maybe even the 5,000m – let’s see)!
And most importantly, we also get the love story between Calli and now husband/coach Nick Hauger – and it’s a real goodie!
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Follow us on Instagram:
@callirianne
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Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom
Graphic design by Kate Scheer
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Sole Sisters - 14: Rawdogging a 24-hour ultra relay
In this episode of Sole Sisters, Alice recaps the Red Bull Race the Sun relay where she and her teammates ran 345km with 6,000m+ elevation gain. Give the girl a space blanket and a barley sugar!
The objective was to get from the Gold Coast at sunrise to Tenterfield in New South Wales before the sun rose again. And guess what, they beat the sun! They also came third overall.
But it was far from glamourous. It was six sweaty bodies bundled in two vans with crushed Nutri-Grain on the floor, a lack of music, no sleep and plenty of stomach aches.
Meanwhile, Elise is a different shade of broken, experiencing her first baby stressie.
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Follow us on Instagram:
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@alicebaquie
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Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom
Graphic design by Kate Scheer
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27: Quick Take - Jaryd Clifford shatters own World Record & speaks out about rival Yassine Ouhdadi’s doping ban
It’s been a massive month for Paralympian Jaryd Clifford.
Fresh off breaking his own World Record in the T12 1500m, Jaryd joins Elise Beacom to talk about his race in Nice, France, where he ran 3:40.34 in a return to career-best form.
Jaryd also speaks out about his competitor, Spanish athlete Yassine Ouhdadi who’s recently been handed a three-year suspension after testing positive for banned anabolic steroid, Clostebol.
Ouhdadi won gold in the T13 5000m at the Paris Paralympics and will forfeit his medal because the test sample was taken before the games. Ouhdadi beat Jaryd (who won silver) at both T13 5000m events at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 and the World Championships in Paris 2023.
Listen to Run With It - Episode 15 with Jaryd Clifford
Jaryd’s statement on Instagram
International Paralympic Committee statement
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Music by Dan Beacom
Graphic design by Kate Scheer
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26: Haftu Strintzos, on resilience, and big transitions in life and running
Haftu Strintzos spent the first years of his life as a shepherd in mountainous Tigray in northern Ethiopia. He cared for sheep and cows and played hopscotch (the Tigrayan version) with the other shepherds.
Now an Asics-sponsored athlete, with his sights on representing Australia in the marathon, Haftu has the most incredible story brimming with resilience and perspective. But to understand how he got from A to B, you’ll just have to listen to this episode.
Haftu talks about some defining moments of his athletic career so far, including running for Villanova University in the US, finishing first Australian across the line at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Serbia, winning the 10,000m at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships and achieving silver in the 5,000m. After his half marathon debut in Melbourne last year (62:24), Haftu followed up with a blinder in Marugame in Japan, where he ran 60:36 and asserted himself as a real contender on the roads.
Unfortunately, Haftu’s marathon debut was foiled by an injury that popped up just before Hamburg Marathon earlier this year. We discuss how he’s dealing with that injury setback, how training has changed since he transitioned to Adam Didyk’s Team Tempo and what Haftu’s big goals for the future look like.
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Follow us on Instagram:
@haftustrintz
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Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom
Graphic design by Kate Scheer
Run With It is a running podcast with a human face. The running boom is here, and host Elise Beacom is determined to find out who’s behind the hype. Often playful, sometimes serious, this show explores juicy topics with the most influential people in running. Each week, Elise interviews a guest shaping running culture in unique ways, whether as a sports journalist, a professional runner, a coach, or a leader of a community run club.
South Africa