Young Hearts Run Free Podcast

It's the 2024 YHRF summer special bonus episode 110 miles up the Pennine Way, a few months after a brain operation, is this even possible? It is if your our Yorkshire Correspondent Mel Sykes. Mel chats with us about the kit list, the terrain, the rain, what it takes to complete this demanding long distance event. Did we mention the rain? Did we mention the feet photos? What lessons did Mel learn f...

Welcome to season 11 episode 1, welcome to the Danger Zone! Let's talk iconic Scottish trail races, let's talk Scottish running icons, let's talks West Highland Way race, let's talk to Fiona Rennie. Fiona started running in the early 1980's and has covered a fair few miles since! 103 ultra marathons...so far! Fiona's first ultramarathon was the Speyside Way and her results from that race were post...

EPISODE 200! It's a whopper!! We lay out the red carpet for the return to the podcast of the indomitable Jasmin Paris. It's the most fitting of season finales. We've a single-minded agenda as Jasmin leads us through her historic Barkley Marathons finish. Her achievement rightly became global news but how exactly did she manage her time out on the toughest of ultra-marathons? How did sh...

This week we're joined by two-time Scottish Anglo Celtic Plate Team member Catherine Cowie. You'd think that would top the bill for our discussion, you thought wrong. Catherine first leads us through her own running odyssey and of course we spend a good while chatting all things ACP and the memorable events that took place on the North Inch in March 2024. However, Catherine has been a busy...

Magical things happen on the West Highland Way. We know that. This week's guest Elsey Davis does too. Hot off a phenomenal performance at the 2024 Highland Fling where she took the win and set a new course record Elsey joins us to chat about her career. From an iffy first marathon wearing her Dad's ill-fitting socks to chipping her marathon time down to elite standard her running has been...

We're off berry picking this week, the good news? You're invited along! We were thrilled to welcome Andy Berry back to the podcast for a catch-up with a focus on his recent outing at UTS by UTMB. A 2nd place well-earned on race weekend but we want to know more, much more, and Andy is open to tell us all. The rugged Welsh mountains provided the backdrop for an epic weekend of racing, with t...

It's here, you've asked in your bucket loads, we've listened, we've responded. It's John's Highland Fling recap for your listening pleasure. We do love having guests, we also love the odd episode where we get a good blether with each other! John has hot footed back from his hols just in time for this week’s recording, and boy is he full of beans. When a normal deep dive isn...

Running. It's an addiction, eh? This week's guest knows all about it. Boab Keenan is that man and we're glad to have him along to to tell his tale of recovery. A chronic alcoholic at the age of 21. Hooked on drugs. Down with the gang culture. Life was unravelling at a rapid rate of knots for Cumbernauld based Boab. Then running became his life saver. As powerful an episode as we've...

Come plunge yourself into an hour of unadulterated self-indulgence, this week we welcome non-runner Andrew O'Donnell tae the YHRF sofa for all the chat. Andrew, ya know, is the official Young Hearts Run Free Podcast songsmith. Better known as Beluga Lagoon his tunes have fuelled many a mile in the hills n glens. The soundtrack to our running adventures! We briskly take Andrew through an altern...

Spring marathon season reached it's crescendo on The Mall last Sunday, Stevie Boy was on the ground to witness it all. London Marathon debrief anyone? Step on in. John grills Steven on his weekend in the big smoke. The focus is on his race however the all-important pre-race activities and post-race festivities are also meticulously discussed. From travelling, expo, race day logistics, race exe...

Blow the conch baby and rock on into another belter of an episode! This week our guest is Chamonix based runner & coach Kaz Williams. Living on the doorstep of the UTMB route it's no surprise we start in the Alps finding out why she's also known as 'Mountain Kaz' along the way. Kaz then treats us to a world tour of her running adventures, peppered with golden nuggets a plenty....

We are bouncing along in our season of unpredicatability just fine, this week we're being purposely predictable though! Just to twist your melons eh. Joining the fray for a chat is Dougle Selman, the men's 100k winner at the 2024 Anglo Celtic Plate 100k. He's a fella with running in his DNA. We find out how he's moved through the distances from track to road before making the leap...

In this episode we catch up with Sarah Webster. We had the privilege of watching up close as Sarah set a New European 100k record of 7:03:48 at the Gathering of Awesomeness in March 2024. This works out to an average pace of approx 6min 49 sec per mile, or 4 min 14 sec per km. The previous record of 7:04:03 was set by Florianne Hot in 2022. Sarah has represented England and the GB team at champion...

When we started the podcast back in 2020 this week’s guest was on our hit list, 4 years later we’ve managed to pin him down for a chat. It’s well worth the wait. Paul Giblin is that man, John and Stevie Boy are primed to unearth his story. Just who is Paul Giblin? From familiar begginings as he took his foray into running through to his recent epic journey along New Zealand’s Te Aroroa Trail we co...

The gathering of awesomeness, you've maybe heard us mention it. In this week's episode we're joined by Adrian Stott to discuss all things Anglo Celtic Plate ahead of the event on Sunday 24 March. The Home International battle for the ACP takes top billing but there are many other sub plots and stories waiting to unfold on the North Inch in Perth both in the 100k event and the 50k. We c...

Unpredictable? Well this week Steven bails after the intro leaving John to fly solo!! The cheek! In this episode we welcome to the podcast Sarah Perry. Fresh off setting a new Backyard Ultra British female record of 41 laps/yards at the Rasselbock Backyard Ultra. Sarah snatched the record from oor pal and inspiration UltraKazy aka Karen Nicol. For those not aware backyard ultras (BYU) involve comp...

The Tunnel. A 200 mile (ish) ultra-marathon through the darkness of the UKs longest pedestrian tunnel. 100 out n backs. Who's in?? In this episode we speak to Alan Risk. He said yes to The Tunnel and he's with us to tell the tale. We caught up with Alan a mere day after his race. Listen in to get his superb immediate take on taking part. As is routine we first get to know about Alan, what...

It was last summer we last caught up with our Yorkshire correspondent Mel Sykes. Since then, much has happened, this week Mel gives us a huge update. After successful outings last year, Ultra Trail Snowdonia, Summer Spine Challenger and Lakeland 50 amongst them, Mel has been hampered. After suffering from blurry vision and some balance issues Mel was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. The result?...

Continuing Season 10's highly unpredictable nature this week's episode takes a look at the sport we love through a different lens. We welcome along to chat all things running and photography with the renowned David Miller. His expertise has become increasingly well appreciated in the last few years, it's easy to see why. David first shares his own running story with us, and we unearth...

It's only been a wee while since Kayleigh Webster started running, like 3 years! Starting with Couch to 5K in 2020 and completing the final 5k run on Christmas Day was a great way to start. Then things started to change... May the 4th be with you? Why indeedy! A significant date in 2022 for Kayleigh as it started a change in direction of going alcohol free and transitioned to a plant based die...

'Follow your nose, follow your heart and run, run hard' It was so predictable, wasn't it? This week we welcome the man himself, Winter Spine Race 2024 winner, Jack Scott along for a chat. And it's incredible. Jack, still in recovery phase after the race of his life, is in compelling form as he recounts his astonishing tale. Not only do we get to understand his ruthless approach to...

Season 10? Come on in, make yourself comfy the kettle is just off the boil! We've a magic guest to get the season motoring along. Carla Molinaro, 2023 World 50k Champion, joins us all the way from her base in Cape Town. First up John n Steven have a feature length intro as we peel back the skin on the unpredictable plans for the next 20 episodes! This could go in any direction! We take the opp...

And here we are, SEASON FINALE, and we're off to Cornwall. Unchartered territory for your dynamic duo! On the eve of the 2024 edition of the Arc of Attrition we were mega chuffed to snare a sit down chat with the uber busy Andrew 'Fergy' Ferguson, one of the race directors. It makes for a fitting close to an epic season. In customary fashion we first find out about Fergy the runner, qu...

Most podcasts don't have 20 episodes in a season. We're not most podcasts! In our penultimate episode of Season 9 we welcome Andy Campbell to the party, and with good reason. John and Stevie Boy have a quick round up of this week's happenings with Jack Scott's Spine Pennine Way heroics taking centre stage. Pitlochry based Andy then enters the chat! Andy is fresh off a superhuman ef...

Dinnae fret, after our short festive hiatus we're back and we're ready for a tumultuous 2024. We find out just why in this weeks episode. Appetites are whetted, new kicks are ready for action and renewed energy for adventure is abundant. We've hundreds of inspirational guests lined up for ye but this weeks 2024 curtain raiser is the pair of us previewing the year ahead. What we're...