Marathon Talk Episode 40: Helen Thorn - Comedian, Author, and Back-to-Back Marathon Runner

All that running does for wellbeing is well-documented, but Helen Thorn’s marathon journey is an uplifting reminder to us all.

In the wake of a divorce, running became a central tenet to her mental health - now it’s the driving motivation behind her goal to this year run both the Boston and London Marathons back to back! We're excited to welcome her to the show to hear her story.

Also, on this week’s Marathon Talk, we shine a light on the mental wellness that so many find from lacing up and going for a run, we celebrate Jasmin Paris’ stellar Barkley Marathons performance, and Training Talk offers some tailored tips on how you can achieve a flawless race in Boston.

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Listen on

In this episode of Marathon Talk

0:00 - We kick off with a poignant recording period for Deena in preparation for Mental Health Awareness Month, and Martin hails the UK’s recent sunny spells
6:40 - Rounding off recent stories, we praise Jasmin Paris’ world-first performance in the infamous Barkley Marathon, cover the East African dominance at World Cross, and look ahead to Boston’s promising race
18:10 - Training Talk: Boston Edition! Deena shares her invaluable experience for those now entering their taper stage for the race on April 15th
22:35 - Helen Thorn joins us in a heartfelt discussion on the power that running has for mental wellbeing, her journey from beginner to marathon finisher, and how she’ll take on the huge feat of Boston and London back to back

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Episode highlights

“Movement can be a really great healing pastime for those around you, not just ourselves. Pay attention - people might be struggling more than we think, and getting out there and moving with them might be the greatest gift you can offer.” - 6:20 - Deena Kastor

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“Jasmin Paris happens to be the first woman to finish this Barkley Marathon, which is incredible. I hope that just opens the floodgates now for more women to realise actually, this is so possible.” - 11:30 - Martin Yelling

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“All your training is done. The only thing now you can do is work on that mindset, using everything on race day. So we've talked about weather and how to utilize weather information. Then on race day, using the course and taking everything in as inspiration.” - 20:00 - Deena Kastor

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“The more I ran, the more I found that I was getting benefits from the physical therapy more so than the mental therapy.” - 25:40 - Helen Thorn

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“For a first marathon, it was absolutely glorious. Then as I started getting a taste for getting faster, I realized that setting goals wasn't scary. Even if I didn't meet them, it didn't matter, because having that goal made me turn up.” - 37:15 - Helen Thorn

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