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Marathon Talk Ep 58: Your questions answered

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Sydney, Shanghai, Cape Town: what do all these new and prospective Majors mean for marathon running’s greatest prize?

This week’s news roundup collides with the Q&A spotlight that we shine upon Abbott World Marathon Majors’ Danny Coyle!

Cape Town and Shanghai are taking strides in their journey to become Majors, and Danny shares what this means for all the Six Star Hopefuls, and for those of you hungry for more…

In this episode of Marathon Talk:

  • 0:00 - Deena’s taking on a new challenge with discipline at its core, and Martin’s been easing back into the rhythm of running amid a snowy spell in the UK.
  • 17:30 - The big news this week is around Cape Town’s latest step towards becoming a new Major, while Shanghai gets its first assessment on the board, and Valencia’s marathon hopes to unite its people now more than ever.
  • 24:45 - Abbott World Marathon Majors’ Danny Coyle answers all your burning questions on the future of the Six Star Medal, and unveils long-term plans for a thrilling Nine Star Medal…


Episode keywords

Marathon talk, abbott world marathon majors, marathon running, distance running, endurance marathon, marathon training, endurance training, london marathon, berlin marathon, boston marathon, chicago marathon, tokyo marathon, new york marathon, six star finisher, sydney marathon, cape town marathon, shanghai marathon,

Episode highlights

“We're at the end of a marathon-ish season, and this is a bit of a transition, right? So we have time before we think about what it is that I do next. So it's almost like building a foundation of health.” - 5:00 - Martin Yelling

“There is a great TED talk on the art of procrastination and how it is not a downfall. Your mind is at work subconsciously and consciously, thinking about your next steps or the details of a project, so procrastination is a welcome thing in my mind.” - 16:45 - Deena Kastor

“Nothing changes with the Six Star progra, which means if you complete the original six races, Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York. You're a six star finisher. ” - 29:30 - Danny Coyle

“A race has never passed first time. Stranger things have happened, but let's just assume, like Sydney and like Cape Town, that Shanghai doesn't pass first time, then they could take all their learnings forward for 2025 and 2026, so you'd be looking at 2027 for their first year as a Major at the earliest.” - 36:30 - Danny Coyle

“There are millions of new runners who don't have a Major on their doorstep. If we can do that for them, then we are increasing the opportunities for everyone to discover the power of what it is to run.” - 48:40 - Danny Coyle

Links & references

Abbott World Marathon Majors

https://www.worldmarathonmajors.com/

https://www.instagram.com/wmmajors/

Martin Yelling

https://www.instagram.com/martinyelling/

Deena Kastor

https://www.instagram.com/deena8050/

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