Episode 63: Raymond Braun - Endurance Athlete & Mental Health Correspondent

From mental health advocate triathletes to parkrun romantics to world record teens, we’ve an absolutely packed episode of Marathon Talk this week!

On episode 63, Martin and Deena bring us the latest on World Indoor records that have been shattered, a New Zealand teen taking on Jakob Ingebritsen’s milestones, and we share YOUR stories of matchmaking on the move.

Meanwhile, it’s a privilege to hear from Raymond Braun, as he opens up about his mental health struggles, the endurance feats that are helping him overcome them, and his marvelous mental health work with Olympians.

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In this episode of Marathon Talk:

0:00 - Martin & Deena catch up on birthday celebrations, seasonal training, Deena’s discipline, and how to stay motivated in your training
7:40 - The latest news this week brings us a new World Indoor Record in the 3,000m, a new World Age Group Record for Sam Ruthie, and we share YOUR stories finding love on the run
18:40 - Training Talk is back! With Tokyo round the corner, we bring you tips on how the final weeks pre-race should look, and how to taper and rest up for a perfect race day
27:35 - The incredible Raymond Braun joins us to share the role of endurance athletics in his mental health recovery journey, the remarkable 777 Triathlon Challenge, and his role as mental health correspondent at the Olympic Games

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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, raymond braun, 7 triathlons, mental health, ocd,

Episode highlights
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“There's a New Zealand teenager who's just 15 called Sam Ruthe. Sam started running aged 13, so hasn't been running for years and years and years. He's just gone and ran 3:41 over 1500m, and in doing so, he took over a second off Jakob Ingebritsen’s World Age 15 Best over 1500 meters.” - 9:15 - Martin Yelling

“We have both acknowledged on this show that running with our significant others hasn't been our strongest suit - we like to do a lot of things together, but running is maybe not the best!” - 15:30 - Deena Kastor

“Given that we are only two weeks away from the 2025 Tokyo Marathon and the start of the Abbott World Marathon Majors season, for all the 38,000 runners who will be on the starting line in Shinjuku, we are going to get serious here and give some good finishing stretch tips.” - 18:45 - Deena Kastor

“I discovered the magic and the power of endurance sports and running. I learned on an intellectual level about how powerful running and swimming are for our mental health and well being, and then once I got into it physically, it was the first time that I felt like the static in my mind calmed down.” - 37:15 - Raymond Braun

“I recognise that, for athletes, this is the pinnacle of what they've been preparing for. To talk about your mental health can bring up uncomfortable memories, it can trigger things, and I never wanted someone's conversation with me to put them in a space where it might detract from their Olympic experience” - 47:50 - Raymond Braun