EP76 - NEW MEDIA VS OLD MEDIA, MARATHON MYTHS & THE RUNNING SCARE THAT NEARLY ENDED IT ALL
In The Beginning | Australian Running and Endurance PodcastShow Notes
Courtney and Liam kick off Episode 76 with a story from the Gold Coast Sports Awards and an unforgettable speech from Mat Rogers that sparks a debate: when should you stand for a standing ovation?
From there the conversation dives into the evolution of athlete media training — from the old “handle the media” mindset to the new world where athletes like Matt Hauser are embracing openness, podcasts and storytelling.
The boys also unpack the claim that a four-hour marathon is harder than a two-hour marathon, break down the booming world of hybrid fitness racing, and discuss whether new formats like XENOM could challenge the dominance of HYROX.
There’s also a huge shoutout to Bondi lifeguard Quinn Darragh as he attempts an extraordinary 24-hour ocean swim challenge, plus updates on Liam’s 100-mile build and Courtney’s running scare that nearly made him quit competitive running altogether.
It’s an episode packed with running philosophy, media insights, endurance sport trends and a few classic bar-stool debates along the way.
More from In The Beginning | Australian Running and Endurance Podcast
Courtney's been within 30 seconds of his predicted time at the Gold Coast Marathon, Bridge to Brisbane and the Melbourne half, so he's 80/20 against flying to Kobe to run a time he already knows. Liam ran the Blackall 100 21K after hosting Birds of Tokyo, a 9pm drive to Mapleton and four hours' sleep in the back of the car.
Noosa Triathlon is 11 days away, so we’ve pulled the best of coach Dan Atkins from last year’s Road to Noosa series into one episode, in race order. Dan is an Olympic coach and coaches world champion Matt Hauser, and he takes you through the whole course: reading the ocean and getting through the surf, swimming wide of the turn cans, spinning the first 10K of the bike, getting down Garmin Hill, running the first KM 10% slower, and the food, sleep, race breakfast and Saturday jobs for these last 10 days.
Courtney ran 1:16:37 in the Nike Melbourne Marathon half, with a negative split and second in his age group, and insists nobody cares about the second bit. Both of us met Eliud Kipchoge: Courtney got his structure question answered on the finish line at the MCG, and Liam's phone tried to answer for him mid-Q&A.
A fitness influencer with 530,000 followers rode the back of a bike at 38km in Berlin and posted a PB. Courtney reckons the brands should be checking who they sign. It's Melbourne race week. Courtney's still not sure he can hold a half marathon flat out, Liam has a question loaded for Eliud Kipchoge's breakfast, and someone has just done 35 laps of Nerang's Goat Loop, 245km in 50 hours.
Liam opens with an apology. His DNF tax went down like a lead balloon, and his wife says he doubled down when Courtney called it.