The England Athletics Podcast

Former national athletics coach Gordon Adams joins host Tom McNab for the final part of the first series of England Athletics' Coaching Voices Podcast. He initially competed as a high and triple jumper in the 1950s and still holds Watford Harriers' record in the latter event, with a jump of 13.90m in 1967, but his move into coaching was accelerated by an ankle injury picked up while playing footba...

Lorna Boothe is a respected coach and administrator who won the 1978 Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles title as an athlete. She was a team manager for British Athletics for nine year which included the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. In this episode of England Athletics' Coaching Voices podcast series, she talks to Tom McNab about her transition from the track to the boardroom, the structure of competiti...

Peter Warden, a two-time medallist at the 1966 Commonwealth Games and former national coach, is the guest for the third part of England Athletics' Coaching Voices podcast series, which aims to capture the wisdom of renowned coaches. Predominantly a self-taught hurdler, he has coached ten English Schools champions during a distinguished career which led him to be awarded with a British Empire Medal...

High jump coach Carol Jackson is the guest for the second part of England Athletics' Coaching Voices podcast series which looks to capture expertise, personality and opinion from renowned coaches. Carol is an accomplished coach and event organiser who has worked with the likes of Olympic silver medallist Robbie Grabarz and former British record holder Mark Naylor, but there is one thing about her...

Tom McNab has enjoyed a long and successful career as an Olympic coach and novelist after starting out in athletics as a triple jumper. The former RAF Flying Officer's experiences also include preparing Great Britain's bobsleigh team for the Winter Olympics and England for the Rugby World Cup. He was also Technical Director of the Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire. In this episode, Tom talks to...

Commonwealth 4x100m relay champion Jona Efoloko discusses his journey from junior to senior success in the sport, having had a phenomenal breakthrough season winning medals at all three major championships in 2022. Complimenting that conversation is England Athletics' new Head of Talent Development, Sarah Benson, who discusses her background as a steeplechaser, what the athlete journey pathway ent...

England Athletics CEO Chris Jones and Chair Gary Shaughnessy join the podcast to reflect on some of the challenges facing the sport and how they can be seen as opportunities to make positive changes and improvements. We cover everything from athletes and officials to coaches to competitions, clarifying the difference in focus between UK Athletics and ourselves, and discussing what we can do to emb...

As our #EAJourneyto22 nears its conclusion, Team England athletes Matt Hudson-Smith and Holly Mills preview the Commonwealth Games. Hudson-Smith, the British 400m record holder says it's 'nostalgic' to be picked for an event hosted in the home stadium of his Birchfield Harriers club. Mills asserts that she is going for gold and is excited about the new experience of going into a senior championshi...

As we continue our #Journeyto2022, this episode features three talented athletes looking forward to big summers. Olympic steeplechaser Aimee Pratt, who has gone from strength to strength making international teams over the last few years, discusses her beginnings in the sport at the age of 14 and the disappointments she has learnt from. European under-20 800m silver medallist Ben Pattison talks ab...

This month's episode focuses on The Art of the Athlete exhibition, which showcases the likes of Olympic 800m medallist Keely Hodgkinson. The project at London's Zari Gallery during the month of May is raising money for the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund and Lloyd Cowan Bursary Fund. One of the artists, Marli Jessop talks to host Alex Seftel about the inspiration behind her art and also discusses what...

Olympic semi-finalist and three-time British champion sprint hurdler David King talks about falling back in love with the sport while based in Arizona and how he made the World Athletics Indoor Championships final in bizarre circumstances. Also this month, an England Athletics discussion on what the legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games might look like. Photo: Mark Shearman

In this special episode for International Women's Day, four women who are passionate about athletics come together in conversation to celebrate, reflect, discuss barriers and where they would like to see change in the sport. Former international medallists Jenny Meadows and Kelly Massey are joined by respected coaches Sharon Morris and Janice Kaufman. Jenny is a former European indoor champion ove...

High jumper Joel Clarke-Khan - the 2020 British champion - joins host Alex Seftel to talk about everything from his senior international debut last year, to his 2022 Commonwealth Games ambitions. The 22-year-old also discusses representing his city of Worcester and being a model on the side. Meanwhile, CEO Chris Jones has been to visit Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, and we catch up with Jake Wa...

Two-time British hammer champion Jess Mayho discusses the incredible rise that has seen her go from having a 63-metre best in 2018 to 69 metres last season, giving her aspirations of success on the international stage. Also in this episode, seven-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft talks us through the very beginnings of her journey in the sport as part of a feature that will continue across...

Self-coached 400m runner James Williams talks about combining athletics with being a maths teacher and a brilliant couple of years that have seen him win his first British title and break through on the international stage. The European indoor relay medallist and Liverpool Harrier only took up the full-lap distance in his late twenties, having previously done the shorter sprints. Also in this epis...

England Athletics has launched its 'Journey to 2022' campaign to celebrate a wide range of individuals in the sport ahead of next summer's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. In this episode, you will hear from a teenage runner dreaming of a place in the team, and his Midlands club which is hoping to benefit from the Games. Telford Athletics Club's Charlie Carvell fell off his bike and broke his arm...

This end of season review episode includes an exclusive interview with the British Milers' Club - which describes 2021 as its 'best year ever'. Also on this month's England Athletics Podcast, our top team discuss the positives to take from the past ten months, as well as the challenges currently being tackled.

In this episode of the England Athletics Podcast, you'll hear from some of the stars of the Olympic Games who are getting excited about the idea of competing for Team England at next summer's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham including Jazmin Sawyers, Daryll Neita and Jodie Williams. We also get soundbites from Keely Hodgkinson and Holly Bradshaw as they round off their seasons after picking up med...

As athletes eagerly await the start of their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, it is a great time to remember the individual journeys that each competitor has been on in order to reach the most prestigious sporting stage of all. 63 of the Team GB squad are England athletes competing across track and field, with a range of youth and experience, as well as eligibility to build on Tokyo by represent...

Hear Scott Lincoln's delight as the 12-time British shot put champion reacts to achieving the Olympic qualifying standard for Tokyo 2020. Also in this episode, hear from five newly-crowned champions at the England Under-20 and Under-23 Championships in Bedford. Photo: Mark Shearman

Holly Mills is one of Britain's most exciting young talents - a winner of multiple titles in the long jump - she decided to take on the challenge of switching to the heptathlon in 2018. Three years later, the 21-year-old is in contention to compete at the Olympic Games after forming a great partnership with Olympic sprinter and Commonwealth gold medallist Laura Turner-Alleyne, her coach. You'll he...

In this episode, you will hear a panel discussion on what we have learnt over the past year and what positives clubs around the country have taken. Topics covered include everything from virtual and covid-secure competition, to running a club during a pandemic, and supporting and engaging athletes and volunteers. Joining us are Emma Hurst (England Athletics), Les Grant (Doncaster AC), Mick Bond (C...

In this episode, you will hear from England Athletics Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Team Leader Kelly Sotherton who has been chatting to Rob Walker about her excitement for next summer's event. Also looking to be there is The Athletics Museum and you can get involved if you have any ideas for objects that could feature. We also catch up with Thames Valley Harriers and Avon Valley Runners as t...

England Athletics' Martin Rush and Nichola Skedgel are joined by Cherry Alexander OBE for an episode about competition. Having enjoyed the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, now is a great time to look forward to what is to come in 2021. In a week where we published guidance on the return to competition, you'll hear us take positives from the last year and outline what is being plan...

In spite of all of the COVID-19 restrictions of 2020, plus several injuries, sprint hurdler Lucy-Jane Matthews had a fantastic breakthrough season, coming second at the British Athletics Championships aged just 17. Find out how she did it, and hear from England Athletics CEO Chris Jones, who reflects on the last 10 months and shares hopes for the upcoming year. Photo: Trevor Painter