In this BIG episode of Sole Sisters, marathons are front and centre!

Elise Beacom recaps her Ballarat Marathon experience two weeks ago where she ran a PB of 2:49:15. She takes us through the race week nerves, the highs and lows, epic crowd support, new friends she made on course and how deep she had to dig in the back half. Marathons are HARD!

Meanwhile, Alice Baquie has returned from her worldwide marathon tour, sharing her hot takes on the Boston and London. Alice details the logistical challenges of spectating at major marathons, the pre-game and post-game events, and the vibes out on course. The pair dive into the results of both races and hint towards a couple of forthcoming episodes that delve into the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and the culture surrounding them. Stay tuned for that!

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Follow us on Instagram:

@runwithit.pod

@alicebaquie

@elisebeacom

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Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom

Graphic design by Kate Scheer

Before Andy Buchanan’s iconic 2:06:22 at Valencia last year, he often found himself lost in daydreams of breaking the Australian record while running in the bush. But as soon as the run was over, the thoughts would dissipate like a mirage.

In this episode of Run With It, Andy shares the feeling of actually crossing the blue carpet at Valencia and experiencing time slow down in that moment. He talks about how mental training has transformed his running, adding that his breakthroughs have come when he’s let go of what other people think and truly backed himself.

We discuss his progression in the marathon, his big build up to London, including a juicy time goal and his thoughts on the healthy rivalry with former Australian marathon record holder Brett Robinson. Andy weighs up running the marathon World Championships this year against Sydney Marathon, which is offering a huge prize purse, and how athletes often have to choose between making a living or representing Australia.

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Andy Buchanan is an Australian marathon runner based in Bendigo. Initially making his mark as an exceptional cross-country talent, Andy transitioned to marathon running, marking his debut with a time of 2:12:23 in 2022, before running 2:10:20 in 2023 and 2:08:58 in 2024 (all at Hamburg Marathon). He represented Australia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and got a late call up to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics after Brett Robinson pulled out due to injury. Later in 2024, Andy broke the Australian record in the marathon by more than a minute at Valencia (2:06:22). Next week he’ll line up for his first Abbott World Marathon Major, London Marathon. Outside of running for Asics, Andy works as a high school teacher, an online coach with Run2PB and has a store in Bendigo, called Verve Running.

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Andy Buchanan's Instagram: @andy_buchanan

Run With It: @runwithit.pod

Elise Beacom: @elisebeacom

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Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom

Graphic design by Kate Scheer

On the show this week, we recap an epic nighttime race in Sydney, reflect on the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth and preview Boston Marathon (where Alice is now on-the-ground).

Alice and Elise were in Sydney on the weekend for the Nike After Dark Tour, a 21.1k race celebrating 7,000+ women taking over the streets. Elise talks through the experience as a runner on the course, which felt like traversing through an urban art installation, with flashing lights, smoke machines and DJs. Alice was there supporting as #1 hype girl and carrying cinnamon scrolls. The event marked Elise’s last big session before Ballarat Marathon. Now firmly in the taper, the pair talk about all the niggles and neuroses that come to the fore at this time.

There are plenty of results to highlight from Nationals in Perth – including impressive performances by Jess Hull, Cam Myers and Seth O’Donnell to name a few. Alice explains what her Boston trip will entail before the duo go through some elite names they're excited to see on the historic course this Monday.

We close out with recommendations and Alice’s top four banned behaviours at the gym. Are you guilty of any of these? Listen to find out!

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Follow us on Instagram:

@runwithit.pod

@alicebaquie

@elisebeacom

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Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom

Graphic design by Kate Scheer