Running Together: Recent Episodes
Peter Cameron
From trail to track, from sprint to ultra, young and old, running encompasses so much variety for so many. Running Together seeks to showcase this glorious diversity.
We all know them, that rare person who is so much like us, an everyday sort, and yet, capable and achieving so much. Rachael Wright is such a person, a Kiwi lass whose humility is refreshing while her message is motivating. She shares her journey with captivating openness, plenty of humour and what she has learned along the way. Parkrun tourism, mountain running, track racing, its all there. Listen up for lessons and laughs on Monday, August 10th from 11am on 96.9FM nd Apple/Spotify soon after
Imagine a highly successful running career spanning nearly 5 decades and suddenly, you cant run. Reimagine your future of endurance achievement was Mark Reids response. Mark shares candidly his journey from jogging around QE2 with track stars of the 70s to Nice in far away Europe. Thoughtfully told with plenty for listeners to learn. Pete and Alex dip their toes into running injuries on Conversation Pace. Join us at Plains 96.9FM on Monday July 13 at 11am and after on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Running a marathon, for most mere mortals, is a big thing, a substantial achievement of perseverance, of commitment, of planning. Imagine four of them one after an other, in a storm, along treacherous tracks, steep hills and sharp descents. Imagine doing that with the person you love the most in the world. Its trust strengthening or trust destroying. Find out the adventures of Andrew and Anna Yip along with what Pete and Alex tackle on Conversation Pace. Listen on Spotify or on Plains Media.
We all need a person who will lift our spirits, especially when doing hard things. That special person seems to know when to inject some humour, to lighten the load. Our guest today is much more than a joker. He is central to the running lives of so many. Generous beyond measure, he has earned the nickname of a club mascot, loyal, ever present, always helpful, inspiring in his own way. After Ant, its time for Alex and Pete to venture in Conversation Pace. Its new, fun and informative.
Unexpected challenges in life can result in dramatic changes. James Macca McKenzie knows how health is not a guarantee but it doesnt mean that life is the poorer for that, far from it. His journey into running and as a runner is as surprising as it is heartwarming. You can contact Running Together on Facebook or at Plains Media.
Part 2 of the 800 Groupathon chat including Ethan Smolej, Shaun Fauth, Phil Harrison and Malcolm Cornelius. sharing their fascinating similarities and differences, insights and journeys. This is the final show of Running Together as host Pete Cameron will be going overseas for some time. For over 60 episodes runners of all ages, origins and abilities have generously shared their odyssey. Plains FM request your kind assistance in https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/plainsfm-burnt-out-vehicle
This show is an 800m Groupathon with Ethan Smolej, Shaun Fauth, Phil Harrison and Malcolm Cornelius. They span several generations and more decades yet they share a common passion for running. Their journeys to now are surprisingly diverse along with hard won wisdom that is valuable beyond the track. This is Part 1 of a two part series about this fascinating group of runners.
A person dedicated to running can end up focusing almost exclusively on running and all things running. It can become almost overwhelming, even an obsession. My guest today has been heavily involved in running for most of his life and yet, seems to have kept the balance and variety that is likely to result in a healthier, happier future long term. Thomas Clarke has a very busy young life. How is he so successful in so many areas?
Each of us has our own unique path through life. The journey for Annabelle Bramwell has been shaped by family, innate talents, and opportunities. Her path is a fascinating one that makes a lot of sense once you realise the factors influencing her. It demonstrates the power of taking our chances, of making the most of opportunities, of appreciating what we have.
Runners come in all shapes and sizes, and distances from very far to very short. Some runners specialise in the very short to leap high but are willing to run much longer with their mates. A perfect example is Hamish Kerr, the best and most successful High Jumper in New Zealand history. Hamish shares his athletics journey with fascinating insights and disarming candour. He sheds light on the life of an elite athlete, and the urge to live with no regrets.
Its easy to get distracted by others, influenced by them and do what they do if it seems successful or from peer pressure. Yet knowing whats best for ourselves, resisting the forces of trying to emulate someone else can be a powerful advantage. For teenage boys especially, it’s tempting to see what older runners do and copy it, forgetting that their bodies are still developing, that each person has their own unique capacity. Tram O'Callaghan shows how to do it right loving running along the way.
What have you done in your life so far? Are you living life to the full and seeking out what your potential is? Are you being courageous with yourself and stepping outside those comfort zones, to travel, do new things, change career, pursue challenging goals? The practice of running can help us do all of these. Harriet Kingston came into running by accident. Her progress since then has been anything but. However, her adventures here and abroad have witnessed personal growth and better running.
Ever tried to balance on one foot with your eyes closed? Imagine running blind. For those visually impaired or blind, running is an option with the help of others. A guide can provide the sight and together they can run as a harmonious team. It takes a huge amount of trust, built up over time. Through the Achilles organisation, an inspirational soul who lost his sight 35 years ago gets to achieve his running goals while a busy lady selflessly guides him finding many surprising benefits "
Sharing genes is a guarantee in families. Sharing experiences and encouraging connection are not. Supporting our children toward achieving their potential is an ideal parents attempt to follow. For the O'Sullivan family, its members have accomplished more than most. A running family of outstanding sprinters who love the long treks outdoors. Tilly, Finn and dad, Sean candidly share their stories and thoughts mixed with playful banter
Imagine losing a loved one in a long painful way and then wanting to help those who have selflessly helped you and those you love suffer less. Imagine setting yourself a challenge that seems to mirror the need for support that you have seen slowly debilitate your loved one. Imagine the surprise and delight when that support appeared, often from complete strangers but through the challenge became friends. Amy Whitehead shares this and much more about her running journey through life.
Melanie Patterson has always run with others and to help others, especially friends. Her runs are long, very long. For those long runs, its all about preparation and planning. She also runs much shorter distances in hockey, her other sporting love. Its a fascinating mix.
In January 2023, I had the honor of interviewing Daniel Reese, a colossus in Canterbury running for decades. Sadly, he passed away in September after a valiant struggle with cancer. I repeat this interview with Daniel to celebrate, in a small way, his life full of meaning.
Many teenagers struggle to stay in running or involvement in any sport. So many competing pressures to contend with. Having an understanding and supportive coach can help but it’s not always enough. There is much to admire about the commitment to running from a young lady for club, friends, province and even her country. Kate Currie exemplifies how to become a successful runner and part of a close group of runners who are also supportive friends.
Charlie HazlettWhen we are young, the opportunities ahead of us can seem equally daunting and uplifting. One decision is how serious do you want running to be in your future? Another is what priority does studies and career take? Many young adults in Aotearoa want to experience the world, far away from our shores. Imagine if you can do all three? Charlie Hazlett has the ambitions and talents to match. Its a journey worth listening to.
Some people start running early and never stop. Some return later and others start midlife. Mark Boon started, not from a health scare but from a powerful life changing message from a sick friend. His running journey is relatively short in years but extremely busy in what has been achieved, usually in support of others. Mark reminds us that we can get too stuck in chasing PBs or our own running goals rather than seeing how we can help people, often less fortunate, as we run.
When life's most difficult challenges confront us, how do we respond? Jo Hikuroa knows first hand and decided that helping others was the answer. Running can be a pathway to better and that is how Jo has used this activity for herself and to benefit others. Check out https://tahuhikuroa.org.nz/ and support as you can.
There are people we meet who have such a warming positivity that it lifts our spirits. That generosity can often be infectious. Mindset is crucial to sustaining this. Bee Rueder demonstrates that a life of movement and an appreciation of the help of many means opportunities to give back are eagerly taken. Its easy for us to forget what we can be grateful for and how we can affect others lives. Listen to Bee tell us how to demonstrate that gratitude daily and what running has given her.
Most of us lead fortunate lives taking for granted what we have yet hankering for more. When you lose something precious, it can be hard to recover. Maria Amos misses the many running opportunities but has found that time and energy can be channelled into other, even better ways of living. Its a reminder to us all about gratitude and the choices we make daily to giving a little or expecting from others. Maria candidly shares her journey from a magical though limiting childhood to now
Getting started in running can be challenging due to time, health, support, even culture. However, having support of those close to us or some committed running buddies can make fulfilling running goals that once seemed crazy into joyful reality. Randy Blantucas is a perfect example of a person who embraced change, sought out new friends and activities, made the most of new opportunities by using the vehicle of running as a pathway to a new life.
Some of us come to running later in life in surprising circumstances. That is the story of how Mark Ophius started his running journey. The insights from his unique path are worth sharing and remind us all that we do things either with others or for others. Finding your tribe through running can be a liberating experience. We can all learn some valuable lessons here about life and friendship. This show is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify along with Plains FM 96.9.
Some people start running when they are young and others begin to love this activity much later in life. Steve Graham realised that something had to change in midlife and decided that running would be that change. Fast forward some years and much has been achieved. There is a quiet confidence from trying things and learning through doing what works for him. Along the way, he has found the generosity and energy to help many others. This is the tale that most of us can relate to.
Sam and Angie Petty personify mutual support and a passion for helping the next generation to achieve their potential. While track running is their focus, the skills they possess come from experiences beyond the track and beyond running. Its a powerful mix. From humble childhood beginnings they have travelled a worldwide path with a lifetime of learning along the way. Its time for them to share some of the story.....so far.... and what the future may hold.
Sometimes we do things in running that are hard or we experience injury that is distressing. As with life in general, to get through those challenging times its so much easier when we have support. Nate and Veena Rhodes personify that practical caring, perhaps helped by their chosen profession. They share their journeys into new opportunities and experiences, and finding a world more beautiful and engaging than expected. A demonstration of the right attitude being extremely powerful.
Events, especially in the hills, dont typically create themselves. They need organising and there is a lot of organising to do, especially to make them safe and enjoyable. That is the mission of Kerry Uren who leads the team to bring trail loving runners the Mt Oxford Odyssey and Run Tekapo. Learn about these events and more importantly, what motivates Kerry to spend so much energy of bringing these opportunities to challenge ourselves in the great outdoors.
When we start on lifes journey, its unclear how things will turn out and the path we will travel. Andrew Starks running journey has witnessed many highs and plenty of lows yet he has learned much from what has gone before. Along the way, his love for running, especially on the track, has made him hugely helpful in offering others, young and old the opportunities to excel & enjoy. Commitment is key & also an understanding of self. Its a fascinating deeply personal telling that offers value to all
Change in our lives can come from surprising sources and COVID has created opportunities for change is rarely experienced before. This disruption affected Rasool Porhemmat and led him to meet new people and experiences that are shaping his life and will continue to do so. Embracing these changes and living in the moment is Rasools approach but he has much to share and contribute. From a land few of us are familiar with, there are paths into running that can change our lives.
Not all of us get a second chance at both finding out and doing what we love. Not all of us have the courage to start again, especially when your performance is so public and the margin for error so small. Getting older usually means getting slower and running longer distances. Helena Dinnissen shatters that norm. She personifies the search for answers and the drive for self improvement through athletics, less for herself, but rather so she can be a better mum, partner, friend, and worker.
It can be daunting for anyone to approach an athletics club with the assumption that those people will be crazy fast and that you “won’t measure up”. This perception of clubs filled with elite athletes is common in the community. Yet the accuracy of that perception is changing as Julie Gillespie has recently discovered. Being part of a community that is encouraging, engaging, supportive are powerful reasons to join and stay. Learn from Julies insightful journey.
Pay it forward. That is the mantra of Jamie Hawker. If someone does something good to you, give some of that goodness to others. A tragedy early in life has shaped his running journey and how leaving a positive legacy, in small steps, day after week after year can add up to profound changes in the lives of those he supports. Inspiring is a fitting word for Jamie as he runs with those who would normally struggle chatting away the k's & building hope in a better tomorrow. Also on Apple podcasts
What is it like to devote half a century to a sport, activity and community, often selflessly? Daniel Reese was no child prodigy and his dedication to the sport probably limited his personal achievements. Each sport has its givers and Daniel is one of those. Hear why and how in this episode from a person who knows so much, given so generously and, despite recent challenges, has goals to motivate him onwards. Also available on Apple Podcasts under Running Together.
Modecai Nkwazi has won few races or set any records he is aware of. However, his story is one of the ennobling power of running as a vehicle for connection to others and with ourselves, giving us the courage and support to understand and change. Running can bring us physical health benefits but Modecai enthuses and showcases the many emotional and mental gains that this activity can bring. A privilege for me to listen and a challenge to do justice when editing. For running enthusiasts everywhere
Running isn’t always fun and games. Hills, hard sessions, weather can put a dampener on your “runners high”. If you share those experience with a person that exudes the simple joy for running, who seems to treasure your company, pains and frustration can easily fade. Olivia Ritchie personifies why running together changes from a chore into a treat, simply because of attitude. Listen to Olivia’s path from racing past boys in Hamilton to the challenges of preparing for a recent marathon.
Want to know how to get the best out of your running? Listen to this. Want to understand more about running? Listen to this. Craig Eustace has developed himself as a coach as he develops the young people he coaches, methodically, respectfully, with an eye on the science but also an appreciation of the human condition. Building grounded confidence is central to Craigs philosophy. So much of benefit to share it needed to be heavily edited to fit. More to follow soon.
In November 2021, I started Running Together. It was an experiment and I had no idea if it was going be appealing to runners. The audience number on radio and podcast indicate that some people, at least, find it worthwhile. My gratitude to them. This week, by popular demand, the first guest reappears. Yes, it’s Don Greig, the founder of DGRS which has grown significantly in the past year. Its worth looking back and reflecting on how far we have all come. Enjoy.
Can you explain the reasons why you run and what the benefits are? Jenny Rankin certainly can and shares her journey from being keen but unsupported in her youth to immersed in the running community with ample assistance. Jenny informs us of how to look gratefully upon even those events when she didn't finish.
A quiet humble achiever. We often laude those in Aotearoa NZ who just get on and do good things, who are not vocal self promoters, who encourage and help others without being asked or paid. That personifies my guest this week on Running Together. She does not use the word retirement as there is so much she can do as a runner, coach, organiser, and counsellor. Margaret Flanagan has journeyed far in her running and life, forming friendships and helping others in her community all along the way.
If you want to hear an uplifting, clear eyed vision of women's running, listen to the effervescent perspectives of Lahana Reeves and Charlotte Blair. They don’t run to win medals. Instead, their primary purpose is for the joy of running with others. Charlotte and Lahana are fine runners but so much more than that. Their positivity is thoroughly infectious. Supporting each other and their mates. Cheering for their coach. They share their insights and the future of women's running.
Diligent, hard working, constantly striving for better, both for himself and those he ably serves. This is the chance to hear his journey, the one rarely spoken of. An enduring deep passion for running, the pain of injuries, both physical and emotional, the joys and rich rewards of success. Caden Shields is the runners physiotherapist, one of New Zealand’s best marathoners, sharing his captivating story told with humility and gratitude for those who supported him along the way.
Imagine waking up each morning for for 66 days and saying to yourself, I will run about 50k today, then, you actually do it. Not on a treadmill or road, but mostly on trails, up hills, across ridge lines, for a total of 3000km. Lucy Clark set herself that audacious goal, and experienced an adventure beyond her imagination. Her love of running and the wealth of support she received, from strangers to those dearest to her, is an endearing story of individual triumph based upon collective effort.
The Pied Piper of Christchurch distance running. Making a positive difference to the lives of those he meets is the mission of Paul Norton. His love for running, a way of promoting health, of building beneficial life skills, has enabled Paul to give back fully and pay forward for all the support and help he received when young. Bringing the best out of children is his special skill and you will hear in this episode the passion he has for them.
. My guest has a strong focus about achieving goals though not at the expense of others. He is actually extraordinarily generous and insightful, having learned so much in his relatively young life. Taking on challenges is what drives Oska Baynes. Helping others is a central part of his mission in life, while achieving his own personal and business goals. There is much to admire about his journey and his approach to opportunity.
If you are a regular Parkrunner at Hagley in Christchurch, you would probably have noticed a runner that stands out. He doesn't fit the "normal" runner mould in size, looks or footwear. And yet he is a keen student of running and enthusiastic in asking and attempting to answer the "Why" question. Dan Fidow shares his fascinating journey to now in an engaging, thoughtful and gently provocative manner. A rich source of learning and generous sharing on Running Together this week.
Change won’t happen without the dedicated work of passionate persevering people, typically who care so much for what they do, because of the need for it, because it seems the right thing to do. Jo Ryder, who helped create Trailblazers, a youth development initiative through the vehicle of running, exemplifies the willingness to not only see a community need but to do something truly meaningful about it. Hear of Jo’s pathway to making that positive powerful difference in the lives of tamariki.
We are blessed with so many places to walk and run that are fascinating, stunning, challenging or a wonderful combination of all three. These trails are almost limitless but with the help of my guest, Rob Bathgate of Wild Things, over a thousand have now been described and shared. Rob tells of his journey from far away to the aptly named Bay of Plenty, the difficulties he has faced and conquered, along with how getting outdoors and into nature can be so enriching.
Over 50 full ironman races completed, Over 100 marathons or equivalent finished. Some of us have a bucket list including one ironman or one marathon. Not Shirley Rolston. Starting in her 40s, barriers of age, injury, illness, even the views of others, have not prevented her from achieving a jaw dropping amount of running and athletic accomplishments. All with a smile and a sense of humour. So much inspiration, wisdom, humility and plain life sense from a lady who learns and lives to the fullest.
A race director par excellence. I competitor of tremendous heart and drive. A bloke who gives so much and is ever active. John Gamblin is funny, all those things, and so much more. He is the bloke who you can rely on and have a relaxing beer at the end of a hard honest days work. For nearly 50 years, he has been pounding forward, helping so many along the way. His running family is large indeed and I am fortunate to be a member of it. Join me to hear Johns humbling running story
We can look back at our formative experiences, the people who had a significant impact on who we are and what we do today. Vanessa Gopperth shares her fascinating story from childhood to now, weaving a funny yet thoughtful narrative. Vanessa is a giver and much of that prodigious giving is as a result of what she has received, living and breathing the principle of pay it forward. Its a journey we can all relate to and learn from.
We often take for granted that running events just happen. We arrive, prepare, run and go home. So much is done before, during and after that is essential to the events existence, our safety, and success. Together, Kevin and Bernie Jago have given far more than most to help others run safely and successfully. Their service, has even come at the cost of their own running goals, being genuinely selfless. In Canterbury, they are still volunteering, still supporting others.
As parents, we are often attuned to interactions with young people who display admirable qualities that we would appreciate in our own children. Cooper Wightman, 14, is a runner whose growing stature in middle distance events comes from a maturity beyond his years, a sense of purpose, a willingness and quiet enthusiasm for developing himself and encouraging others, all while displaying an appealing modesty. Cooper shares his journey, through injuries, of progress toward impressive goals.
Have you ever met a person who exudes a warmth, energy, passion and positivity that is instantly recognised and infectious? That’s Lisa Brignull. Modest to a fault, she has packed a huge amount of achievement into her life. While running is her passion, she fully appreciates the importance of other activities as part of being healthy and improving fitness. Lisa shares her journey from the Highveld of South Africa via England to her beloved Port Hills.
Everyone has something extraordinary about them. With Phil Chapman, there are many. An inventor, a brilliantly observant problem solver, among them. However, it is Phils boundless generosity and youthful zest to help our younger citizens to run that is most captivating. Creating healthy habits early that also bring people together are several key goals for Phil. Hear more of Phils journey to why this is important for him and how each of us can help ourselves and others to live healthier lives.