Running Commentary

It's the end of November for the boys, and there's much to report - including progress on Health Month, Paul's adventures in Australia, gig report - how comedy has changed! - double parkrun report, some brilliant birds, a painful loss for Rob, and all your PBs and other celebrations. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks...

More inspiring questions for Rob and Paul in part two of our Autumn Q&A, on a few loops through the beautiful autumn-tree scenery of Clissold Park. Featuring dream events, social runs, wrong-doing, dog wrangling, more finish line chat, race recommendations, aims for the future, pre-run rituals - and more from parkrun the musical. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OU...

Really inspiring questions set Rob and Paul right off in this first part of our latest Q&A sesh, aided by stunning scenery in sideways sunshine. Featuring running realisations, what we can learn from the elite, Race To The Stones memories, advice for you - and our younger selves - and, of course, parkrun the musical. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you...

Paul and Rob run unusually late in the day, which leads to rare and surprising sightings of the Tonkinson progeny. Featuring a long-awaited photo shoot, a posh secret acer, gig-and-parkrun report, Adriene and Michael Caine, football thrills, and some anticipation of Paul's exciting Australia trip. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book R...

On the first of November - and at the optimal moment for Autumn's leafy display - Rob and Paul return, like salmon, to Hampstead Heath. Featuring more new routes through familiar country, Rob's playful progression run, Paul's MDS training, a little abstemiousness, Harvey Lewis and the Backyard Ultra, aims for the rest of the year, mourning Matthew Perry and bringing a little bit of joy through com...

Rob and Paul run out round Ally Pally and start to feel their post-marathon strength. Featuring a little bit of gradient, autumn festivities, 'health month', celebrating when things go another way, the philosophy and reality of ultra training, catharsis on the course, the gravity of the group, the future of the Parkland Walk, method acting and the madness of the Backyard Ultra. SUBSCRIBE for early...

Paul and Rob - and everyone else's - Yorkshire Marathon and more. Featuring RunCom socials, community love, magic shoes, chunking it into quarters, Rob and Paul's different experiences, plans for the future, and an incredible load of PBs. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/runnin...

On a gorgeous loop round Regents Park, Paul and Rob enjoy the tapir, and compare notes for the last time before running the Yorkshire Marathon. Featuring Rob's health, autumn sights, Kelvin Kiptum's Chicago jazz, parkrun report, Paul's new shoe plans, Rob's run in Southampton, marathon pace thoughts, footwear focus, some exciting art, vaporfly memories, drink report, gold, silver and bronze predic...

October's 'state of the nation' run around Hampstead Heath turns out to be a sunny treat. After a nice start, Rob and Paul talk final training runs, the psychological power of a bit of repetition, whether Paul's done enough long runs, his parkrun report, twitter trouble over 'meaningless' marathons, Rob's Grandad and other family resemblances, an impressive junior RED record, and how hard runs hel...

Exactly a year after she last joined us, brilliant Helen Thorn runs round Victoria Park with Rob for a chat - featuring last year's London Marathon, partial nudity, training plans, mountain puns, a Himalayan trek, her Copenhagen and - very fresh - Berlin marathons, looking forward to New York and other Marathon Majors, a beautiful surprise and her next book. Thank you Helen! Unbreakable will be av...

Rob and Paul meet, once more, on the Parkland Walk and head up to and round the North London woods. Featuring dual parkrun report, last long runs before Yorkshire, shabby old trainers vs the shoes of the future, Rob's mysterious malaise, Paul's potential pace, Berlin Marathon talk, York socials, hills in general, mantras and little jumps, a bit of dream interpretation and more of your fantastic PB...

Autumn is blowing in as Paul and Rob take a trip back east to Wanstead Flats. Featuring a surprise detour into Joe Swash, Paul's track session, plans for the last leg of Yorkshire Marathon training, Rob's Leek running adventure, big moments in parenting, hotel review, where Britain stands on children and dogs, controlling your beast, the catharsis of a long long run, a little moomin lore and your...

Paul and Rob take a turn round Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens after a very hot weekend of running. Featuring cancelled marathons, breaking weather, Rob's Great North Run, Paul's LSR, when runs are shorter than they seem, cormorants in Hyde Park, the Tonkinson memorial in Kensington Gardens, Rob's chest pains, Paul's palace, final training and taper plans ahead of the Yorkshire Marathon, Rob's so...

As the September sun blazes down, Rob and Paul change their plans - and find some new angles on their old routes. Featuring strangely criminal emergencies, running in the heat, parkrun report, an all-new nature reserve, trainergate, good and bad gigs, kintsugi, footpaths and neural pathways, some of your runs, anticipating the Great North Run - and university drop-off - and reappraising the Parkla...

September begins with a very atmospheric misty morning on Hampstead Heath - perfect for Paul and Rob to say goodbye to the holidays and anticipate the coming months. Featuring some self-barbering, York Marathon training schedules, Rob's curious ailment, holiday memories, poignant parenting, bad ads, Paul's plant-infused diet, partial nudity, comparing and contrasting other countries with the UK, b...

Another interview special for you as Rob catches up with comedian and Mental Health advocate Juliette Burton for a wide ranging, insightful chat pulling together running, mental wellbeing and comedy - plus the occasional swan - on a beautiful trot long the Water of Leith during the Edinburgh Fringe. Happy running everyone. Thank you so much for listening, for all your support, and for sharing your...

The Cannock Chase-the-sun ten mile race is still fresh in Rob and Paul's minds, but since then Paul's been keeping the miles up and Rob's been entertaining the Green Man in Bannau Brycheiniog. Featuring fluffy-ball forgetfulness, Rob's result, festival report, friendly and unfriendly folk on the trail, people without pacers and pacers without people, that late-summer mood, and Yorkshire on the hor...

Another adventure for the boys as they take on a Run Through UK 10 mile race in picturesque Cannock Chase. Featuring speculation, safety pins, start line confusion, shoe shenanigans, stone throwing, the Staffordshire sunset, the Strath family and other PBs, satnav struggles, separate stories, stomach fun, Steve's supermarket skit, and two men in something of a state. Thanks for sharing all your ru...

Paul and Rob have been all over the place so far this August and this is their first chance to catch up in weeks, so there's lots to talk about; layering up when it's warm-but-raining, how to wear a hat, Warrington and other parkruns, adventures around Europe, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, guzzlin' and puzzlin', and trouble with the law. Enjoy the rest of the Summer Holidays everyone. Thank you s...

For the first time in a long while, Paul and Rob check out an unfamiliar parkrun - Wanstead Flats, far enough into east London to qualify as being in Essex apparently. Featuring a classy date, guessing at geography, a Tarantino toilet moment, Rob's big plan, Paul's holiday schedule, DFYB, mystery questions from a stranger, how far to go for a parkrun, Paul's risk of injury, which way?!, gait analy...

We rejoin Paul and Rob celebrating the Summer Holidays with an extra-long turn round Hampstead Heath, where their chat features a report onRob's latest 10k - the evening one - Paul and Rob's quest for fitness, accessing pace when you're tired, new corners of the Heath, guilt and laziness, cinema report, and training for their next challenges - including Paul's MDS... Happy Summer Holidays everyone...

An interview special with our friend, amazing runner and lovely man Liam McIntyre. When Paul interviewed Liam last Spring he was a very impressive runner - and since then he's gone from strength to strength, and had some amazing adventures - time to find out more. Happy running everyone. Thank you so much for listening, for all your support, and for sharing your running lives with us on line. You...

On the first half of a long run round Hampstead Heath, Paul and Rob talk about lots of things; Rob's big weekend - seagull fun, Scarborough love, Bakewell parkrun, Brighton gigs and East Sussex loveliness - plus cricket, and tennis. Lots of tennis. Happy Summer Holidays everyone, and happy running. Thank you so much for listening, for all your support, and for sharing your running lives with us on...

Paul's recovery continues and Rob's ramping up his fitness as they compare notes on a lovely loop of Wanstead Park. Featuring: parkrun report, gig - and post-gig - stories, swans, puppies and tots, new training plans and goals for old bodies and old souls, when winners can't help winning and praise for the mighty Susie Chan. Thank you, as ever, for your continued support; whether it's financial, a...

It's a soft-surfaces turn around Clissold Park as Paul recovers from his bad back, featuring gazebo thoughts, lovely friends, trouble at 'work', Dave Schneider, parkrun report, neologisms among runners, Pride in London, wives and dogs, music for the Deerings and a new friend for Paul. Thanks for listening, to anyone who celebrated our 400th Ep with us and to everyone sharing their running adventur...