This week on Marathon Talk we have a very special guest; not only is our guest a Commonwealth medalist, Olympian, and Team GB Manager, but she is also our host Martin’s own wonderful wife! Welcome to Marathon Talk, Liz Yelling!
Liz’s formidable marathon and cross country experience is matched only by her philanthropic commitments to the running community, all of which she shares with us on this week’s episode.
Elsewhere, we cover the latest from an eventful Valencia Marathon that saw 12 new national records, and one new Masters record, and elsewhere in the running world, the Sydney Marathon takes a big step towards becoming the seventh Major.
Listen on
In this episode of Marathon Talk
- 0:00 - We catch up with Martin & Deena’s running escapades through the darker months
- 9:45 - Huge news from Sydney’s drive to become the next Major in 2025, and Valencia’s rip roaring, record-breaking race
- 19:20 - Liz Yelling takes over the mic from husband Martin to talk about her Team GB squad mentality, top tips for taking on hills, mud and hay bales, plus how cross country feeds into marathoning
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, liz yelling, cross country tips,
Episode highlights
“This year, the buzz came from an idea, and that was a big emphasis on inclusivity and diversity. You saw that thread through all the brands that were represented and all the events that were there.” - 2:40 - Deena Kastor
“Sydney passed the assessment carried out by the Majors team at the 2023 event and now needs to do it all over again in 2024 in order to pass. If it does get another pass next year, it will become a Major in 2025.” - 10:00 - Martin Yelling
“When we look at all that we have covered in the span of this year - these fantastic performances week in and week out - it really has emphasised in my mind what a hard job it is being on the selection committees.” - 17:10 - Deena Kastor
“It’s just about getting yourself in a really relaxed, positive frame of mind, and lots of people learn how to do that in different ways. ” - 23:55 - Liz Yelling
“Running can be quite a solitary sport. When you go into a cross country event, not only can you race for those individual places, but I think the team prize is just as important.” - 31:20 - Liz Yelling
“Cross country gives you so much conditioning and breaks up the monotony both physically and mentally.” - 34:40 - Liz Yelling
Useful links
Abbott World Marathon Majors
https://www.instagram.com/wmmajors/
Martin Yelling
https://www.instagram.com/martinyelling/
Deena Kastor
https://www.instagram.com/deena8050/
Liz Yelling
https://www.instagram.com/lizyelling/
Listen
Episode 25 with Sydney race director Wayne Larden
Martin's going 'out out' - but what does that mean?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5k8Su_ek2k
Other news
Marathon Talk Episode 46: Chris Slater - Finisher at 2024’s Marathon Des Sables
