Here for the Long Run

In this episode, Jon and Amie dig into the details of Jon’s recent VO₂ max and lactate testing at Oxford Brookes University — what it involved, what data he'll get from it, and how it’ll shape his training in 2026.

We also do a low-key kit roundup after some Christmas additions, covering what’s working well and what hasn’t lived up to expectations — including shorts, soft flasks, watches and poles.

Jon also talks through his recent entry into Centurion’s 100 Hills and how it fits into the bigger training picture as preparation ramps up for his South Do...

In this episode, Amie and Jon sit down to reflect on the year that’s been — both on the run and behind the mic.

We share some of our personal running highlights from the past year, the moments that challenged us, and reminded us why we love this sport. We also look back on some of our favourite conversations from the podcast, celebrating the stories, lessons, and people who’ve shaped 2025.

To wrap things up, we chat about what we’re excited for in 2026.

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In this episode, we sit down with Hayley Langley to talk through her journey into ultra running and one of her standout performances at this year's Centurion Autumn 100.

Hayley reflects on returning to the 100-mile distance for the second time and dropping her time from 26 hours to an incredible 19 hours 44 in the process, earning a 3rd place finish in the women’s field. We unpack what changed between the two races, how her training has evolved, the process of overcoming injuries and how the race unfolded.

We explore some of her biggest lessons - including th...

In this episode, we dive into the world of adventure racing with Ian Furlong. Ian talks us through one of his most recent 3-day, 450km race in Scotland - complete with sleep deprivation, rough navigation patches, a food-less paddle on Loch Ness, and the teamwork that carried them to a 2nd-place finish. 

We explore what draws Ian to adventure racing, how he trains to stay injury-free across multiple disciplines, and the mental strategies that help him break huge challenges down to make them feel more manageable. 

Ian shares some great practical advice for anyone curious ab...

In this episode, we break down Jon's recent experience running Freedom Racing’s Five Trails Ultra, a beautiful 50k race on and around the South Downs.

We talk through his lead-up to the race, the training block that shaped his preparation, and his mindset going into the day. Jon walks us through the course itself - its challenges, and standout moments - and shares how the race unfolded from start to finish. 

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In this episode, Max Naughton talks us through the unlikely year he ended up getting into both UTMB and Western States (with just one ballot ticket..!). 

While Western States turned out to be surprisingly runnable, UTMB became a 44-hour grind through storms, snow, and a rolled ankle he picked up two miles in.

Max shares how he used a 50/50 run–bike training split to build mountain fitness from the flat Midlands, what gear actually helped (and what didn’t), and how he kept going when things got properly grim. We also look back at his path...

In this week's episode, we speak to good friends James and Kev, who share the story behind James' 40-mile run for Myositis UK - an challenge rooted in friendship and community. Starting at the charity’s Southampton HQ and ending in Sherfield-on-Loddon, the run became a shared journey, with Kev crewing the challenge and joining for the final mile.

Kev talks about his experience living with Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), from the early signs he didn’t recognise to the adjustments he makes now to keep doing what he loves. He and James reflect on  how their runni...

In this episode, we sit down with Adrian Ball, who went from couch to 5k, to completing a 250km ultramarathon across the Jordanian desert - all within just 18 months and at the age of 46. Adrian shares how ultrarunning transformed his life, teaching him powerful lessons about resilience, planning, and mindset that now shape the way he approaches both running and business.

Adrian’s story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to take on something extraordinary - and that the mental tools we build on the trail can help us navigate the rest of life...

In this episode, Jon shares his first experience of the Original Mountain Marathon (OMM), joined by friends Tim and Sarah. Together, they offer an honest look at tackling one of the UK’s toughest navigational running events.

Featuring an audio diary recorded across the weekend, the episode drops you right into the mud, mist, and mindset of the challenge. Jon, Tim, and Sarah reflect on the highs, lows, teamwork, and the unique demands of orienteering in unpredictable mountain terrain.

Whether you’re eyeing the OMM or just curious about endurance navigation events, this episode gives a gl...

In this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Lara Giusti, co-founder of Veloforte, a brand who bring real-food nutrition to endurance sports. We discuss fueling strategies for optimal performance - before, during, and after events - and the key physiological differences between men and women athletes. From carb targets and recovery tips to the dangers of underfueling and RED-S, Lara offers practical insights for sustainable performance. A must-listen for endurance athletes aiming to fuel smarter and perform stronger.

Use code LONGRUN20 for 20% off your next order at Veloforte. 

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In this episode, we sit down with seasoned ultra-runner Maria Ledesma to explore her remarkable journey through endurance racing, from her first trail race in 2019 to, three years later, completing four 100-mile races in the space of 13 months. Maria shares the highs and lows of two of her most recent challenges - including her decision to drop out of last weekend's Autumn 100 at mile 68 and her philosophy that embraces the grace in stopping. 

We also chat about Maria's Winter Downs 200 experience, where she placed 5th in the women's race after 73 grueling hours on the trail, running mostly s...

A little mid-week bonus episode, with some recent updates from Jon and Amie, including:   

We hope you enjoy! 

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This week, Jon and Amie were delighted to speak to Charlie Hurst, a seasoned multi-day ultra runner. Charlie recently placed 5th woman in the Dragon's Back race, a gruelling 6-day race across the spine of Wales, with 18,000m of climbing, a monumental feat - especially when you add in that Charlie is a type 1 diabetic.

This conversation is inspiring for diabetic and non-diabetics alike, about what it takes to plan and execute a multi-day events. As we discuss...it's not all type 2 or 3 fun - it can also be type 1(D) fun!

To find out...

In this week' episode, Jon and Amie sit down with ultra runner and UESCA running coach, Sarah Searle-Brown. 

We catch up about Sarah's fantastic performance at this year's North Down's Way 100, placing 4th in the women's race in a time of 22:04. We discuss how this race was the culmination of experience and hard work invested since 2018; Sarah talks about her training, conditioning, false-starts and the journey to an exceptional result, grounded in positive self talk and surrounding yourself with the right people.

This is an honest, inspiring and immediately useful conversation, with learnings you can a...

This episode is our second in a two-part mini series on the Chiltern Wonderland 50. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Joe Turner, who won the men's race in a new course record time of 6:18:15. 

We talk with Joe about his year in racing: highlights, learnings from DNFs and the challenge of running your own race. We also chat about Joe's transition from road to trail ultras, his training approach, nutrition strategies, the importance of gender equality in ultra running and what's on his calendar for 2026. 

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This is the first in a two-part mini series about Centurion's Chiltern Wonderland. 

In this episode, Jon and Amie are re-joined by Kevin Brady to reflect on his first experience running a 50 mile race. We talk through the build-up since his marathon in April, what the race is like, the joys of forgetting time pressures and advice for others considering their first event at this distance. 

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In this bonus episode, we chat about Amie's lessons from months of cross training in the comeback from an injury, and what she'll take forward into long distance training. We also chat about her experience at this weekend's triathlon (the culmination of said cross training), from the initial idea to find a replacement race, to putting high carb training into practice, and the importance of process vs outcome goals. 

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This week we had the pleasure of speaking to Becky Hodgson, a personal trainer for 10 years, Hyrox world champs qualifier and Cross Country Champion. 

Becky shares about her experiences as a young athlete, how she lost the love of running, and subsequently re-found passion for the process and for high performance, taking this into Hyrox. We talk about pre-race anxiety, body image battles, the pressure to do it all, nutrition and fueling. Becky has loads of insights to share and we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did! 

Follow Becky here: @Becky_Ha...

In this week's episode we draw on Jon's professional coaching expertise to dive into the concept of 'mindsets': what they are and how each of us can develop and apply them in our training. Using real examples, we cover how you can establish your own mindsets and use them to overcome challenges and enhance your performance. 

If you'd like more insights on mindsets and the free Chimp Paradox summary, drop us a message or contact Jon at Empowered2.

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In this week's episode, Jon and Amie chat about the impact of running injuries and their place in the process of training and racing.  Amie reflects on her most recent periods of injury, what she's learnt and how she's managed each of these differently. We talk strength-building tips, the power of consistent habits, as well as the impact of wider lifestyle factors, fueling and mindset on getting injured and the recovery process - and the importance of looking through a gendered lens. An honest, vulnerable conversation; we hope you enjoy it! 

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Jon and Amie recap their experience of the North Downs Way 100 last weekend, Jon's third of Centurion's 100 mile series. They cover how Jon found the race and Amie's experience crewing and pacing. Jon ran all 104 miles with friend Neil, while Hannah and Amie shared crewing duties.

Hear about the race prep, the highs and lows of the trail and lessons learned as Jon tried a higher carb and higher insulin strategy, and overcame GI issues which plagued him most of the second half. Plus BONUS interview with Neil and Hannah at the end...which made us laugh...

In this episode we had the pleasure of sitting down with Tim Landy to chat about his recent Lakeland 100 attempt and his experience running (and winning) the Barkley Fall Classic. 

We talk about specificity in training, taking risks in races, the benefit of strides, tips for building quad strength, what can be learnt from a DNF...and a whole lot more. There are loads of actionable insights in this conversation for runners of all abilities. We hope you enjoy!

In the episode we reference Tim's chat with James Elson (British Ultra running Podcast) which goes i...

This week, we sit down with Graham and Daisy to chat about their recent experience running and crewing Race to the Stones 2025. We hear Graham's experience completing the race (...his first ultra marathon) despite the blistering heat, on a day that saw high dropout rates.  We talk tips for cooling, fueling and fending off heat exhaustion. 

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This week Jon and Amie share the story of how they each got into running in the first place - the lessons they learnt as newbies to the sport and key things that turned running from a chore to their favourite pastime. They also catch up on Jon's progress training for the Centurion North Downs Way 100, including heat training and apparently... shreddies! 

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This week, we chat with Oli Burton-Taylor about his path to winning Runway Running's Ridgeway Challenge, an 86-mile ultra event spanning the entire national trail. We discuss his approach to training, the benefits of coaching, dialing in nutrition - and the joy of volunteering at events along the way. We loved this conversation; Oli is a driven, humble athlete who has loads of insight to share, wherever you are in the pack or your running journey.

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On this week's episode we talk to friends Neil and Hannah about their experience racing and crewing at the Longbridge 100 Backyard Ultra - Neil's first attempt at this kind of event.

We chat about the road to the event, the unique nature of a Backyard format, the mental hurdles it presents, Hannah's experience crewing the event and how Neil dealt with some tough race day conditions.

This is a lively and warm discussion, which we hope will leave you inspired to explore different types of events!

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This week Jon and Amie talk all things trainers... the pros and cons of their toolbox of shoes, how to find the right ones, what they've found has worked and why. They discuss the benefits of barefoot shoes, trying new shoes, and tips to save money on your next pair. They also chat about their latest investment...which they hope will be a secret weapon in recovery and heat adaptation.

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In this week’s episode, Jon and Amie talk to friend and fellow running club member, Kevin Sinclair, about coming to running late in life, not having a plan, building habit through repetition and how hanging around with the ‘wrong people’ can result in running marathons. 

Kevin’s approach to running is refreshingly different and brings out the joy of running. We hope you enjoy!

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In this episode of Here for the Long Run, Jon and Amie dive into the 2025 Marlborough Downs Challenge, a scenic 50K trail race through the heart of Wiltshire. Jon shares why this race has become a recurring fixture on his calendar—from its rolling hills and stunning views to the charm of a self-navigated course. We recap Jon’s race day experience, including the highs, the hiccups ...and the jaffa cakes! 

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In this week's episode Amie and Jon welcome back Kevin to discuss his reflections on the 2025 London Marathon. Jon and Amie talk to Kevin about his highs and lows, lessons learned and what he is planning to do next. 

Always a great conversationalist, Kevin captures the energy of London and talks about how he overcame the heat this year. And most importantly, we did not talk about his time once...just whether he had a good time! 🏅

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In this week's episode of Here For the Long Run, Jon and Amie chat through their experience running 'The Lap' in May 2024 - a full clockwise circumnavigation of Lake Windermere. 

The race is 75k and has ~3000m of elevation, as well as some of the most stunning scenery the Southern Lake District has to offer (and some of the best snacks to boot!). 

They discuss the race weekend, kit, the route, as well as their highlights and learnings. 

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In this episode, Jon and Amie re-live Jon's second 100 mile race: Centurion's Autumn 100 2024. 

Jon and Amie discuss the ins and outs of his race day and reflect on what turned out to be a challenging day on the trails for Jon. We draw comparisons with Amie's experience of the South Downs Way 100, and the pros and cons of these different races. 

An honest, sometimes raw reflection of the challenges of running 100 miles, and how to move through and problem solve along the way. 

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In this week's episode, Amie talks about running her first 100 miler, The South Downs Way 100, part of the Centurion race series and the World Trail Majors, with a cool 13,000ft of elevation. 

Amie runs through her training, the race in full and top tips for runners tackling this event or preparing for their first 100. Jon also gives an insight into crewing and pacing the race.

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This week Jon & Amie's friend Kevin joins us to talk about his preparation for the London Marathon in a few weeks time: the training, planning and mental preparation for the race. 

We also break down Kevin's standard week and the approach he used for the marathon training plan, which Jon has used before with a number of other runners.

Kevin's ultra journey started with a 50k for his 50th birthday last summer, and this race is part of his journey to 50 miles in September, at Centurion's Chiltern Wonderland. The marathon is a step on that j...

This week, Jon explores the challenges of running ultra marathons with Type 1 Diabetes, and what it can teach us all about nutrition and avoiding the dreaded 'bonk'. We chat through Jon's experience of his last three races: the Autumn 100, Arc 50 and Transgrancanaria 82k. 

Jon draws out some detailed data and insights from his blood glucose levels, using Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), and what it might mean for fueling - useful for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. Amie also shares her thoughts on nutrition strategies and the pros and cons of different options. 

This informative discussion gives a...

This week, Jon and Amie dive into the joy of self-made adventures, re-living their weekend circumnavigating the Isle of Wight, covering 60 miles in two days in September 2023. From gear essentials to route highlights and key lessons learned, they break down the adventure with energy and some laughs along the way. 

Kit and nutrition referenced in this episode:

For the YouTube video featuring photos from the race and the route: https://youtu.be/GV00fLDybY0 

Ultimate direction 11L running vest: https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/ultimate-direction-womens-ultra-vesta-60-trail-running-backpack

Ultimate direction 20L...