56 Miles, 7,000ft, & The Windgather Trophy: Our Golden Bullock Smithy Special!

To celebrate our milestone 20th episode, we are diving headfirst into an epic local legend. The historic Bullock Smithy Hike celebrated its Golden Anniversary over the weekend of 5th–6th September 2026. This brutal 56-mile circular route starting from Hazel Grove throws 7,000 feet of punishing Peak District elevation at anyone brave enough to face it.

An incredible 12 Marple Runners took on the challenge this year. In this episode, we sit down with 3 of our finest club members to hear firsthand tales from their grueling 19-hour adventure. Plus, they reveal exactly what it means to bring home the coveted Windgather Trophy… again!

Also packed into this episode:

• Second Breakfast Energy: Eleanor tries her best to keep pace with all your latest jaw-dropping feats of running and endurance.
• A Familiar Face: Our very first guest from Episode One returns and almost gets a proper birthday treat.

Mostly unscripted, completely focused on you not us, and the ultimate companion for your next training run. Pop us in your ear pods.

Mark, Neil & Eleanor

#WeAreMarpleRunners

Can you run 66 miles, scale 42 peaks, and conquer 27,000 feet of elevation in under 24 hours?

Back in Episode 15, we chatted with Simon and Richard about the legendary Bob Graham Round. They were joined by Lisa Capes, who was deep in training for her own epic attempt. Today, Lisa is back to share her incredible triumph! On 15th May, she took on the Lake District's ultimate test. Tune in to hear about the brutal highs, the challenging lows, and what it is really like to trudge through the dark, solo, on one of the UK's toughest endurance challenges.

Also in this episode:

Ultra Eats: Mark pitches a wild new business venture to deliver ultra-runners snacks on the go.

Community Round-up: Eleanor brings us the latest race results, fresh PBs, and standout triumphs from our amazing Marple Runners family.

Mostly unscripted, completely focused on our local community, and the ultimate companion for your next training session. Pop us in your earpods.

Mark & Neil

#WeAreMarpleRunners

Can a local runner smash the elusive sub-40-minute 10k barrier under the guidance of a double Olympian? This week, we sit down with Marple Runner Mike Taylor to unpack his journey inside the elite Run North West 40 under 40 project.

Out of hundreds of regional applicants, Mike was selected for a grueling 9-week training program coached by Olympic legend Andy Butchart, all leading up to a high-stakes showdown at the Wilmslow Summer 10K.

Also in this episode:

Speed 4.0: Mark introduces Neil to a highly questionable tactic to lock in a brutal 4:00/km pacing rhythm,

And Eleanor takes us through the latest race results, personal bests, and standout triumphs from the amazing Marple Runners community.

Mostly unscripted, completely focused on the local running community, and the ultimate companion for your next training session. Pop us in your ear pods and let's go!

Mark & Neil

#WeAreMarpleRunners

Can two running Captains keep an entire club in stride? In this episode, we sit down with Marple Runners’ newly appointed Men’s Captain, Steve Grace, alongside our Women’s Captain, Hannah T. As club ambassadors, they share their vision for welcoming new members, supporting every runner—at any pace or ability—and what they have planned for the year ahead. We also dive into their personal running journeys and what drives them.

Meanwhile, the usual chaos ensues:

• The 2026 Trail Race: Neil gives a behind-the-scenes planning update about bananas.
• Victorian Entertainment? Mark tries to convince Neil to introduce a bizarre new event involving local insects and a microwave.
• Community Round-up: Eleanor delivers the latest race results and standout achievements from across the Marple Runners community.

It’s mostly unscripted, completely focused on our community, and the perfect companion for your next run. Pop us in your earpods.

Mark & Neil

#WeAreMarpleRunners

Whether you're chasing a PB or just trying to survive your first Spring Marathon, this one's for you. We’re diving into the "bizarre, brutal, and beautiful" world of 26.2 miles with one of our club’s most seasoned legends, Kevin Day, a man who has completed an incredible 287 marathon events.

Kevin chats to the team about everything from his earliest events to his most recent training for Manchester - he's unstoppable. So, whether you're looking for inspiration or a warning of what's to come, Kevin's amateur career has it all... including a couple of fancy dress choices.

Plus, Eleanor celebrates your latest race results and achievements from across the Marple Runners community.

It’s mostly unscripted, definitely about you (not us), so pop us in your ear pods. It's the perfect companion for your next run

Mark & Neil

#WeAreMarpleRunners

What does it really take to complete the legendary Bob Graham Round?

In this episode, we dive into the world of ultra running and endurance training and sit down with ultra runners Simon, Richard, and Lisa to hear the highs, lows, and everything in between from their 66-mile, 26,900ft adventure through the Lake District.

Lisa also shares what it’s like to be mid-training for her first attempt this May—giving a real-time glimpse into the mindset, preparation, and grit needed for one of the UK’s toughest endurance challenges.

Expect stories of brutal climbs, big setbacks, questionable buffet choices, and—yes—black toenails. If you’ve ever wondered whether ultra running is for you, this might just be the nudge (or warning) you need.

Whether you're training for your first ultra marathon, curious about fell running, or looking for trail running tips, this episode is packed with insights, inspiration, and honest stories from the trail—covering everything from race-day highs to setbacks.

Elsewhere, Neil becomes Mark’s very first “customer” in a bold new running foot-care venture (what could possibly go wrong?), and Eleanor returns with a rundown of your latest racing and running achievements.

It’s all about you—not us—so pop us in your earpods on your next run.

Mark & Neil

We Are Marple Runners

#RunningPodcast, #RunClub, #UKRunners, #RunningCommunity, #runningmotivation

This month, we attempt journalism.

Mark unveils his latest “performance enhancements” ahead of Wilmslow Half (legal, we think), before we pivot to what is definitely a tightly structured and impeccably delivered news bulletin about all things Marple Runners this Spring/Summer.

On tonight’s completely-under-control agenda:

• Equaliser Race 1 (may the odds be ever in your favour)
• Pub 2 parkrun (reduced alcohol hydration is key)
• Coaching sessions (actual development!)
• Spunch – still unclear, still happening
• Anniversary kit drop – yes, you’ll want the t-shirt
• Trail Race updates: volunteers, runners, sponsors, and the all-important goodie bag intel
• The Marathon Challenge
• Cross Country Curry Fest (from spikes to spice)
• Listener Questions**Listener. Singular. Thank you, Mum.
• Committee vacancies… because apparently we cannot run this club forever.

Despite February being approximately 94% rain, Eleanor heroically delivers your latest achievements and performances — proving that while we may be chaotic, you lot are absolutely smashing it.

It’s mostly unscripted (legally that counts as a style), definitely about you and absolutely not just an excuse for us to talk for an hour.

Pop us in your ear pods on your next run. Ideally one lasting about an hour. We don’t edit much.

Mark & Neil

#WeAreMarpleRunners

The grand finale of our Marple Runners Origins series has arrived, as we celebrate 10 years of Marple Runners — a club that definitely started with a sensible training plan and not at all with someone saying, “Go on then, we’ll just see who turns up.”

We’re joined by some genuine Day Ones: Simon, Maria, Karen and Alistair — plus, despite our repeated attempts to lock the doors and pretend we weren’t in, our very own Mark Lynch. Together they rather raucously relive the early days of Marple Runners back in 2016: the first runs, the first faces, when it was less “community running club” and more “this seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Then Eleanor drags us firmly back to the present with your latest running performances and achievements — because apparently you lot don’t sit still for five minutes.

It’s mostly unscripted (alarmingly), it’s about you (we checked, still not about us), and it’s the ideal soundtrack to your next run — especially the bit where you question your life choices. Pop us in your ear pods and let poor decisions carry you forward.

Mark & Neil

#WeAreMarpleRunners

Sound credits:

Podcast Effects & Music by Audio Hero at MuseHub, ⁠⁠ https://www.musehub.com: -

- ReggaeDance CE02_47_1

- MUSIC-GUITAR_GEN-HDF-17853

"Scratch Hit" - Sound Effect by ⁠https://pixabay.com/users/justincallaghan-11325622/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=240471Justin Callaghan

Harp strum Sound Effect by https://pixabay.com/users/freesound_community-46691455/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=90205

Sheep bleating Sound Effect by https://pixabay.com/users/koiroylers-44305058/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=355994">Koi Roylers