Women's Running Stories

Every episode we highlight one entry from our long list of recommended resources, which are focused on women and running. And for this episode, the highlighted resource is Lessons In Badassery, a personal blog project written by sports and adventure journalist Katie Spyrka; she features interview-style posts of, well, badass female adventurers and athletes. In addition to sharing inspirational stories of exceptional athletes, this blog features a lot of really nice photography. There are so many incredible athletes here, from a wide range of sports; in the realm of ultra running, I really enjoyed the May 6 post featuring Maggie Guterl, and the April 15 post featuring Sarah Sawyer.  You can find Lessons in Badassery at lessonsinbadassery.com. Ann Ashworth is on Instagram @ann.ashworth  You can learn more about Ann and Team Massmart on the website https://teamashworth.co.za/

Canadian Cathy Hopkins shares her journey of finding her joy in running by sharing it with others. While running can often appear to be completely solitary , the community that forms around the sport can transcend cultures and countries, age, ability, and social standing. No where is that more evident than at the Comrades Marathon, as Cathy’s experiences attest to. In addition to the many events Cathy has run in North America, she's finished Comrades 9 times! Learn why her next time there will mark an especially important milestone.   Also in this episode, learn about the various colors of bib numbers and what they mean; bib numbers and colors are tied to the many ways the race honors returning runners. Also learn about how runners can leave their own mark on the wall of honor. These are some of the many unique traditions of Comrades, which we discuss in this podcast.  This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.  Every episode we highlight one entry from our long list of recommended resources focused on women and running. This episode’s highlighted resource is the Running on Om podcast, hosted by Julia Hanlon. The podcast features conversations Julia has with women who have committed their lives to endurance sports and the outdoors. There’s also the Soul Sisters series, where Julia and her best friend, professional distance runner Abbey Cooper, discuss their own experiences and answer listener questions. All of the Running on Om episodes feature deep, real, inspirational, and empowering conversations that don’t shy away from life’s difficulties. I always discover great takeaways. An episode that stands out for me is Julia’s interview with Molly Seidel, which was done in January, before the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials.  On this episode, we mention the Comrades Ambassador program. These are representatives outside of South Africa who help other runners in their country navigate all aspects of qualifying for and getting to the Comrades Marathon. You can find a full list of ambassadors with their contact information here. If you are a Canadian runner interested in running Comrades, you can email Cathy at [email protected]. 

Running legend Blanche Moila shares her story, which is a strong testament to the many ways running can be a vehicle for change. Blanche, who is now in her 60s, has been inspiring others through running since she started competing in the 1980s.  Blanche found her competitive running talents in her 20s and became one of South Africa’s best middle distance, cross-country, and marathon runners. Her accomplishments broke down racial barriers and, eventually, made her an inspiration throughout the country.   After her elite running career, Blanche began to regularly participate in the Comrades Marathon. As of 2019, she has completed the event 16 times, and in 2004, she was the face of Comrades.  Blanche, a psychiatric nurse, continues to be an inspiration to young girls and women and works to change negative beliefs about women and running. She does this by continuing to set an example with her own running, as well as public speaking, mentoring, and coaching. Also, Blanche runs Comrades for charity: in 2019, she ran for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust.  Up top in this episode, we give a supportive shout-out to the She Runs Trails podcast, hosted  by Melody Dowlearn. This podcast was created to give voice to female mid-pack and back of the pack trail runners who are doing incredible things out on the trail every single day. Episodes cover a range of issues from nutrition and gear, to ultra running and mental health. And, the recommended resource for this episode is Women’s Running magazine. This publication touches on all aspects of the running lifestyle, from racing and training to nutrition, gear, and inspiration, as well as covering some of the competitive side of the sport, the runners, events and news. And it includes writing by such award-winning journalists as Erin Strout, who received the 2019 excellence in running journalism award from the Road Runners Club of America. You can learn more about the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust on their website.  I first learned about Blanche through Bob de la Motte’s book Runaway Comrade.  Additional audio for this episode comes the 2017 Comrades Marathon Promotional Video . 

Camille’s journey includes finding ultra racing after years of being an elite marathon runner. Back to Comrades, in addition to winning it being her dream, this was also literally a dream her husband, Conor, had before Camille lined up for the race in 2017. Going into that event, however, Camille was coming off a painful knee injury suffered only ten weeks beforehand.  Camille is one of the world’s top ultra-distance racers with a particular talent for events on the road. She has won several world and national ultra-distance titles and has set world and national records. Camille also holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for fastest marathon in a superhero costume: she was dressed as Spiderwoman.  Also in this episode, you learn about the finish line traditions and the medals runners earn at Comrades, a language of accomplishments all its own. This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, a 90-km, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.  This episode’s recommended resource is the Keeping Track podcast. It’s cohosted by former and current professional runners Alysia Montaño, Roisin McGettigan, and Molly Huddle, and the trio discuss issues around women in sport with other notable female athletes or experts in the field. Their conversations are personal and powerful, and they get into tough issues that deserve more attention like racial and gender discrimination and inequality and drug use, that is, cheating. All of the episodes are really good listens, and in particular the interview with two-time Olympic medalist Dawn Harper Nelson is particularly memorable.  Camille Herron’s website: http://www.camilleherron.com Camille on Twitter: @runcamille Camille on Instagram: @runcamille Book mentioned in this episode: Lore of Running by Tim Noakes Additional audio for this episode comes from SABC Sport 2017 live race coverage, and from an SABC post-race interview.  .

When Anjali entered a half-marathon, with no training, in 2015, she had no idea about the running talents she’d discover. Shortly thereafter, she learned about the Comrades and decided she had to run; when she registered for Comrades, she’d never even run a marathon.  Since her 2017 Comrades experience, Anjali has gone on to become one of India’s top ultra runners. Most recently, in November 2019, Anjali competed for India in the Asia and Oceania 100km Championships in Jordan, where she was the 4th place woman and, with a finishing time of 9 hours 22 minutes, set an Indian national record for women at that distance. This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world. In addition to Anjali’s story, you’ll also learn about the beloved startline traditions at Comrades in this episode.  The recommended resource for this episode is the Fast Women newsletter, which comprehensively covers highlights of women’s competitive distance running, with a heavy US focus; and in this context, distance means longer track events, all the way through to the marathon, with a dose of some of the top news in ultra racing. This newsletter is thoughtful, smart, fair, and insightful, and is itself packed with resources. Every single week. There’s also a Fast Women Facebook group where you’ll find a great community of runners.  Book mentioned in this episode: Dare to Run by Amit Sheth  Additional audio for this episode comes from SABC Sport's 2017 live race coverage, as well as online video footage of the startline cock’s crow and Shosholoza. 

Devon Yanko discusses why Comrades, the largest and oldest ultra-distance running race in the world, is so close to her heart, and why she has unfinished business there: even with three top-10 finishes, Devon says Comrades is her white whale.   Devon is an elite ultra distance and marathon runner. She excels on the trail and road, an uncommon achievement. Of her many accomplishments, Devon has qualified twice for the US Olympic trials marathon, and she has also won and set course records in trail and road ultra races up to 100 miles long.  You’ll also learn details about the Comrades course, and why it is so difficult. A few things to know about Comrades: it’s a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. Comrades turns 100 years old in 2021 and entries for the 2020 race are capped at 27,500 runners.  The recommended women and running resource this episode is Devon’s blog. I’ve found many takeaways in her honest, in-depth, and insightful writing. The best way I’ve found to describe what she shares is that it feels like she squeezes every last bit of learning that she can out of the challenges she experiences. She goes deep, and she’s very open. Devon Yanko’s blog: www.devonyanko.com/news Devon on Instagram: @fastfoodie

Welcome to Women's Running Stories, the podcast that explores the intersection of running and life, through thoughtfully produced story-telling by host/creator Cherie Louise Turner and original music by Cormac O'Regan. On this show, the runners featured vary widely, from world record setters to mid-life fitness seekers, and the stories are as different as the runners who share them.  This show will bring you into the experience of training and racing and explore what running brings to our lives that keeps us lacing up day after day. Every woman who has committed to the glorious grind of training and completing a running event has a story to tell, and this is where you'll find those stories.