Marathon Talk Episode 33: Richard Whitehead

Welcome back to Marathon Talk! It’s 2024, and what better way to inspire you ahead of the new year ahead than a fascinating interview with a four time Paralympic world champion - Richard Whitehead MBE.

In our conversation we learn about his phenomenal 10-year unbeaten streak in 200m track events, and he gives us some insight into the training plan that will see him complete his Six Star journey in Tokyo, in March.

Also in this jam-packed show, Training Talk returns to kick off your training plans for a spring marathon, we round up all the running news from around the world, including details on some blistering debutants, along with details of record-breaking efforts and much more!

Listen on

Apple ‍
Spotify
Amazon
Google

In this episode of Marathon Talk

0:00 - Martin welcomes back Danny Coyle as a guest host this week, caps off Christmas, and the duo review the start of their 2024 training plans
7:00 - Our roundup of the busy holiday season, from a javelin thrower-turned-debutant-winner, a new fastest women’s debut ever, and a road 5k record toppled
17:50 - Training Talk returns with a kickstart to your running year, focusing first on laying the essential groundwork for the all-important months leading up to a spring marathon
31:15 - Richard Whitehead MBE joins us to detail his remarkable career, from finding his specialism and hunting his 6th star, to world-beating performances and the biomechanics of running as a double amputee
‍

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, training talk, marathon training plan

Episode highlights

“Over in Dubai in January, 19 year old Addisu Gobena won the men's race in 2:05:01 on his debut. The interesting thing is that he has a background as a javelin thrower. ” - 7:00 - Martin Yelling

“Beatrice Chebet’s time of 14:13 is seriously quick, and she's obviously a 5k specialist for now, but it does make you think, what could she do over the longer distance of a marathon?” - 11:00 - Danny Coyle

“Without doubt, the number one thing for you to get right in January is consistency. If you can run regularly, if you can be consistent, and if you can build an effective routine in January, that is going to absolutely set up your February and your March marathon campaign.” - 23:55 - Martin Yelling

“Not everybody runs the same, it's about finding your way and maximising your potential. That's something that I’ve developed and allows me to work on my pace, and elevate my performance.” - 35:30 - Richard Whitehead

“What I tended to do when I was running 2:42 is my longer runs I properly hated. Whether I ran with people or alone, I just hated the monotony of it. But now I actually enjoy my longer runs. I'm getting into the groove, and I'm doing these longer runs for a purpose.” - 44:20 - Richard Whitehead