Marathon Talk Episode 52: Kelly Willis - Three-Time Six Star Finisher

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On this week's Marathon Talk, we discuss the TCS Sydney Marathon and the 2024 AbbottWMM Marathon Tours & Travel Age Group World Championships. We have a full report on who claimed the top spots as the race aims to become the seventh Major.

Also, we'll hear what it was like on the ground from our guest Kelly Willis, a three-time Six Star Finisher who will give us the lowdown on Sydney's course, the atmosphere of the day, and much more.

Elsewhere, we have news from around the running world; Jacob Ingebritsen gave us a wild show at the Copenhagen Half Marathon and much more!

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In this episode of Marathon Talk:‍
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0:00 - Kicking off the show, we hear about Martin and Deena’s escapades, which include Deena’s fulfilling family time, and unfortunately we see Martin nursing a new injury‍
8:20 - It’s a huge news roundup off the back of Sydney, with their assessment to become a Major, the stunning performances in the Age Group World Championships, and Jacob Ingebritsen’s madcap Copenhagen half marathon attempt
‍27:50 - Kelly Willis joins us fresh from her front row ‘seat’ at the Sydney Marathon to share the experience, and her views on the race’s chances at becoming the coveted seventh star…

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Episode highlights

“You're so good at having other disciplines because of your triathlon background to stay fit. Like, if one thing isn't working for you, you jump to the other two sports to keep your fitness up, which is so admirable.” - 5:15 - Deena Kastor

“I love the idea of running a marathon in Sydney. Really excited to find out the results of whether or not it's going to be a Major. It was a pretty rapid race!” - 12:55 - Martin Yelling

“I actually prefer the circuit in championship style racing, because it does condense the spectators, and I love the consistency of crowds.” - 22:55 - Deena Kastor

“The Sydney Harbour Bridge itself has a very short rise, so I was feeling really strong, and I just thought, ‘You know what, today is going to be a good day’. And it was, it was amazing.” - 31:35 - Kelly Willis

“Sydney not only took on the second year of their Majors candidacy, but also gave us the Age Group World Championships, and they did it so well.” - 40:20 - Kelly Willis

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, age group world championships