Welcome back to the SMD Running Podcast! It's been around 6-9 months since Damien Walsh and long-term co-host Scott Darney last linked up on the mic, and this bonus episode is the perfect reunion.

Damien, from IN MOTION, sits down with Scott to dive deep into an exciting new venture: TEMPO. This dual-purpose project teams up with Flycarb to deliver a series of high-quality, athlete-focused race events. The best part? Proceeds from the races are reinvested directly back into an athlete support programme, helping local talent thrive.

They discuss the Flycarb Golden Bowl Race Series, which kicks off with the Flycarb Spring 5K on Saturday 25th April 2026 at Colchester Sports Park. Expect a super-fast, pan-flat 1km closed-road cycle loop that's perfect for PBs, with paced races for all abilities (from elites chasing sub-14 to first-timers), prize money, and a brilliant atmosphere. It's the start of something special for road racing in Essex.

Later in the episode, Damien chats with Dominique Brazier, founder of The Galloping Grind – a quirky, pink horsebox outdoor café tucked away in the peaceful countryside of Boreham, Essex. It's a must-visit spot for runners, cyclists, walkers, and coffee lovers, serving great coffee, proper fuel, and a welcoming vibe beside a pond. Perfect post-run or ride stop!

Episode Structure:

• First section: Recent cycling news (feel free to skip ahead if that's not your thing!).
• Running chat: A roundup of recent half marathons and marathons from the past few weeks.
• Upcoming races: Plenty of local and iconic events to get excited about.

Key upcoming races mentioned:

• Flycarb Spring 5K – Saturday 25th April, Colchester Sports Park
• TCS London Marathon – Sunday 26th April (good luck to everyone toeing the line!)
• Ipswich Twilight 5K – Sunday 3rd May, Ipswich Waterfront (wave starts on the scenic looped course)
• Witham Running Club May Day 10 – Monday 4th May (Bank Holiday), fast undulating 10-mile road race starting from Witham Rugby Club
• Plus all your regular local senior and junior parkruns – the heartbeat of the community!

Whether you're training for your next PB, looking for local events, or just love the running chat, this bonus episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and Essex running energy.

Subscribe, download, and get involved – and we'll see you out on the roads and trails!

#SMDRunning #TEMPO #Flycarb #EssexRunning #LondonMarathon

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Episode 31 - James Shipley (ATW)

Damo and Scott have a brief non-running catch up before a preview of the Colchester FNR 5k - both the Elite race and the Essex Champs contenders.

This was the perfect time to then have a chat with Mr Events ATW himself, James Shipley who started ATW as a training plan company before taking the reigns on a local 5 mile race - a decision that set him on the path to establishing ATW as a running and triathlon event coordinator who now organise 170 events per year!

(note, this was recorded before Essex Champs entries were reviewed and finalised - there is a category for U20 (17, 18 and 19 year old) which the younger lads mentioned and Lizzie Wellsted will compete in).

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Episode 30 - Gemma Kersey

We had Gemma in the studio as a co-host and guest in September 2024 but we decided not to put the interview out at the time because we felt that we only scratched the surface in the limited time that we had back then.

So finally we aligned our diaries and sat down to have a relaxed conversation about Gemma's life in running.

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Episode 29 - The Distance Project

It's been a few weeks since our last episode but we are back with a bang.

Sacrificing a proper results round-up, after a brief catch-up between Scott and Damo, we talked to footballer-come-lockdown-runner and subsequtnely World Championship Silver Medalist Callum Elson.

Callum explains the purpose of The Distance Project, how and why he returned from the US as a middle-distance runner and shared our views on the current state of Athletics and whether Grand Slam Track is good for the sport.

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Episode 28 - it's like waiting for a bus!

We were keen to fit another Pod in before London so we could talk to James Connor about his target of setting a new marathon PB 14 years after running 2:18 at Frankfurt Marathon in 2011. Now 42, James explains that he's been all-in for this long training block which has included altitude tents, 20 mile PB's and swapping track for timed fartlek sessions.

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It's Episode 27 and this week we have vegan 2:19 marathoner Alex Gladley of Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets AC and Colchester and Tendring AC.

After running his first marathon in 2018 whilst living in Canada, he quickly progressed and set his sights on some big goals. Achieving a club record for his home club in Canada with his 2:23 at CIM, winning the Edinburgh Marathon in 2023 and running sub 2:20 at Florence in November last year. Hear about Alex's journey in the marathon and what's next!

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Welcome back to SMD running and a bonus episode.

After a brief (by our standards) catch up between Damo and Scott, we ask: who would be crazy enough to start a running shoes brand, just before Covid, in the boom of Nike’s dominance?

Luckily for us and for episode 26, the answer was Michael Krajicek with Atreyu Running.

www.atreyu.com | @atreyurunning

In the coming weeks, we have more great guests lined up as we look ahead to London Marathon and Damo and Scott will catch up on some of the March results.

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