Run Spesh Podcast by Frontrunner Colombo

Frontrunner Colombo
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The Run Spesh podcast is all about the shoes and gear you like to go running in. We cover short-form episodes with in-depth discussions on what the shoe is for, who might benefit from it, and how it was made. The Frontrunner is also here to share stories and bring the community together. Enjoy the characters we have in our sports and the experts we work with. Run Spesh is a play on "Run Specialty" with the Frontrunner Colombo being New Zealand's leading Running Specialty Store

  1. 5d ago

    118 | William Little and Connor Melton Pre World Road Championships in Copenhagen

    This week Oska sits down with Connor Melton and Will Little — training partners, close friends, and the two Kiwis heading to Copenhagen to race the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships. Both come from very different starting points: Will battled undiagnosed gluten intolerance and low iron for years before finding real consistency, while Connor spent a decade in Maria Hesson's development squad before moving to coach Sam McLean when he outgrew it heading into the senior ranks. We get into some genuinely big topics — why New Zealand's national titles have lost some of their shine as the global marathon calendar pulls athletes elsewhere, and why there's no incentive (or funding) to bring New Zealand's overseas-based stars home to race domestically the way Australia does. Connor tells the full story of his 2023 World Cross Country race in Tallahassee — brutal heat and humidity, a genuine hands-and-knees crawl through the final stretch, and being pulled by medical staff 200m from the finish. We also get into his PhD in mechanical engineering, which is genuinely relevant to this podcast: his thesis was on an accessible way to 3D-print custom, graded-stiffness heel pad cushioning for plantar heel pain. From there it's training structure, balancing full-time work and postgrad study with elite mileage, a fun rapid-fire round, and a proper, heartfelt tribute to their 82-year-old coach Sam McLean — who coaches for free, turns up on his bike in all weather, and can still recall race splits from over 50 years ago. Sam even wrote in his own tribute to both athletes, which gets read out in full. This episode covers: Will and Connor's very different paths into running Why NZ's national titles don't carry the weight they used to Connor's brutal World Cross Country collapse in Tallahassee Connor's PhD: 3D-printed heel pad cushioning Balancing full-time work and postgrad study with elite training Training structure and how the pair work together Racing shoes: both in the ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tribute to coach Sam McLean What success looks like in Copenhagen

  2. Sep 7

    Off Track | Episode 001 by the Run Down

    Episode 2 of Off Track, and a genuinely huge one. We open with training updates — Logan's finding his rhythm again as he builds back from a stress fracture, and Andy's fresh off a massive confidence-boosting long run ahead of his Tekapo 50K in a couple of weeks. The bulk of this episode is a full recap of the UTMB World Finals, the biggest weekend on the global trail calendar. We cover OCC (course-cutting penalties, a stacked field, and a women's race with more live viewers than the men's for the first time in UTMB history), CCC (a first-ever two-time champion, and a huge run from Kiwi Caitlin Fielder marred by a random spectator jumping into her finish chute), and the big one itself — Ben Damon's dominant solo run (stopped for a total of nine minutes across 18 hours of racing) and an emotional, grand-slam-completing win in the women's race. Closer to home, we cover the brutal conditions at Naseby's 200-miler, a strong showing at the Dunstan Trail Marathon, and introduce a new recurring segment — Athlete to Watch — starting with multi-discipline talent Michael "Fossy" Voss. Andy gives a full breakdown of his Tekapo 50K prep (course, gear, nutrition, shoes), we get the confirmed dates for the NZ Mountain Running Championships (Nelson, May 2027), and a first look at the Kea Series' full season two calendar. We close with a listener question on Zone 5 training and finding your max heart rate, and a new "No Free Ads" segment with Logan's running headphone recommendation. This episode covers: Training check-ins UTMB World Finals: OCC, CCC, and the main event NZ results: Naseby, Dunstan Trail Marathon Athlete to Watch: Michael Voss Tekapo 50K full prep breakdown NZ Mountain Running Champs — Nelson, May 2027 Kea Series season 2 calendar Listener Q&A: Zone 5 training, max heart rate No Free Ads: running headphones Got a question for the show? Send it through to our Instagram, or drop a comment on Spotify.

  3. Sep 4

    117 | Asics Sonic Blast 2 and the SYDNEY MARATHON

    A different kind of episode this week. Oska sits down with his good mate Macca from Tempo — recorded in two halves, the first at the ASICS house in Sydney on Saturday night before the race, the second a few days later once both were home — to properly debrief the Sydney Marathon. Neither of them raced it. Oska's still working back from injury and ran a relaxed, deeply enjoyable 2:50-something with a genuine negative split; Oska stepped out of his usual elite-adjacent world to run as one of "the masses" for the first time in his career, and came away with a completely different appreciation for what a major marathon actually is. Between them they cover the Harbour Bridge, a 100-plus person choir that stopped Macca in his tracks around the 11K mark, the noise of Oxford Street's Pride corner, and a chance elevator conversation with a man running his 101st career marathon — his 25th Boston. There's a genuinely good discussion in here about what separates a "major" from every other marathon: not the course, but the fact that for one weekend, an entire city's worth of strangers are speaking the same language. We also get an update on what's next for Oska — chasing a 5000m PB on the track, working the hamstring and Achilles back to full health, and eyeing a crack at his own Christchurch Marathon course record next April — plus a first tease of Race the Pro 5 After Dark, easily the biggest event Frontrunner's put together. This episode covers: Sydney Marathon race day, run relaxed rather than raced Course highlights: the Harbour Bridge, the choir, Oxford Street Meeting a 101-marathon veteran in a hotel elevator Local names who had big days: Tommy Richards and Jared both breaking 2:30 What actually makes a "major" marathon different What's next for Oska: a 5000m PB attempt, then a Christchurch Marathon course record tilt in April First look at Race the Pro 5 After Dark

  4. Aug 27

    116 | New Balance SuperComp Elite v6 Review, World Masters, Half Marathon World Record and Sydney Preview

    A genuinely huge eight days packed into one episode. Oska's fighting off being sick and Anna's just days from six-plus weeks in Europe with Henry, but between them they cover a lot: a Melbourne trip getting an early look at upcoming Hoka and Saucony product, three national-level events happening the same weekend (NZ Road & Race Walk Champs in New Plymouth, Governors Bay to Lyttelton, and Sydney Marathon), and a half marathon world record from Yomif Kejelcha that puts their own Tuesday club session into brutal perspective. The big one this episode: the full reveal of Race the Pro 5, The Chasedown — Frontrunner's biggest event yet, teaming up with Adidas to launch the Adizero Adios Pro 5 with a mixed-relay race against an elite pro team, taking over the entire Sydenham Underpass on 8 October. We also get a great World Masters Championships update (Sally Gibbs' double gold including a sub-20 5000m at 60 years old deserves way more attention than it's getting), a listener question on burning forefoot pain, a full technical deep dive on the New Balance SuperComp Elite v6, and a Sydney Marathon preview with both reigning World Champions on the same start line for the first time in the race's history. We close with a recap of three community events in eight days (500 people total!) and a look at the genuinely hectic few weeks ahead. This episode covers: Melbourne trip recap: Hoka and Saucony NZ Road & Race Walk Championships preview World Masters Championships results Yomif Kejelcha's half marathon world record Race the Pro 5, The Chasedown — full event reveal Listener Q: burning forefoot Deep dive: New Balance SuperComp Elite v6 Sydney Marathon preview Christchurch Marathon course update Recap: 500 people, 3 events, 8 days Got a question for the show? Drop it in our Instagram DMs.

  5. Aug 26

    Off Track | Episode 000 by The Run Down

    Introducing Off Track — The Run Down's new trail-running spinoff, hosted by Andy and Logan Griffin. Making sure no trail goes unrun. Episode zero starts with both hosts telling their own stories: Andy's path from a decade in the Army (with a Palmerston North trail network as an unlikely training ground) into coaching and multiple NZ Mountain Running titles, and Logan's from a decade of competitive road cycling into becoming the current NZ Short Trail Champion, via a 2020 bet with a mate that was supposed to be a marathon and turned into a running habit that stuck. Both are chasing the same goal: a spot on New Zealand's team for the 2027 Trail World Championships in South Africa, and this show will follow that journey alongside the athletes and races around them. We get into local trail racing — a recap of the Muka Muka Munter in Wellington (Hannah Fletcher's dominant win, a genuine blanket finish in the men's race), previews of the Great Naseby Water Race and the Lake Dunstan Marathon, and news that the NZ Short Trail Championships have shifted dates and venue, now running alongside the Xterra Trail Festival in Wellington on 27 February. From there it's a full UTMB World Finals preview — the men's race, the women's race, CCC, and OCC — with a close eye on the Kiwis racing at the sport's biggest weekend. We close with a coaching Q&A on blending road running into trail training and training through illness, a quick take on what Garmin's purchase of TrainingPeaks might mean for AI coaching, and a genuinely ongoing gear debate about the best way to carry compulsory kit on trail. This episode covers: Meet the hosts: Andy and Logan The shared goal — 2027 Trail World Champs, South Africa Training check-in: "Have you been off track this week?" NZ Short Trail Champs relocates to Xterra Trail Festival, Wellington Race recap: Muka Muka Munter Upcoming: Great Naseby Water Race, Lake Dunstan Marathon UTMB World Finals preview: men's, women's, CCC, OCC Coaching Q&A: road running for trail prep, training while sick Garmin's TrainingPeaks purchase and AI coaching Gear chat: the running belt hunt Got a question for the show? Flick it through — coaching questions especially welcome.

  6. Aug 19

    115 | Brooks Hyperion Elite 6, how Asics is blending the Novablast 6 and 2000 v15 and community events

    Big one this week. We open with Run Club's return (12-week Queenstown Marathon programme starts 25 August), then get into a genuinely packed episode: our biggest-ever Run Club turnout — 260+ people — at the ASICS Novablast 6 / GT-2000 15 wear test at Hagley Park, a proper breakdown of why ASICS built the GT-2000 15 as a "stable Novablast" (same foam, completely different geometry), and the full inside story on Run Unknown now that it's actually happened — checkpoints, demo shoes, and a finish line with 220 beers on tap. We've also got three new shoes in store causing genuine office debate: the RAD UFO (a striking new London brand that's split opinion right down the middle), the NORDA 005 (arguably the nicest trail shoe we've had in the shop all year), and the Mizuno Wave Rider 30. From there it's two listener questions — the best daily trainer for a marathon build, and why Superblasts scuff more than Megablasts even with the same rubber compound — before Oska gets properly honest about his own long history of cramping in marathons, tested against some genuinely interesting new research. We wrap with the World U20 Championships results (which deserved way more mainstream coverage than they got) and a full technical deep dive on the Brooks Hyperion Elite 6. This episode covers: Run Club's return New shoes in: RAD UFO, NORDA 005, Mizuno Wave Rider 30 ASICS Hagley Park wear test recap Novablast 6 vs. GT-2000 15 — the full technical breakdown Run Unknown — the complete story Listener Q&A: daily trainer recommendations, Superblast vs. Megablast wear Does dehydration actually cause cramping? World U20 Championships results Deep dive: Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 New Balance Community Run details Got a question for the show? Drop it in our Instagram DMs — we read every one.

  7. Aug 13

    114 | Henry McMecking, Elite NZ Triathlete

    This week Anna and Oska sit down with Henry McMecking — one of New Zealand's fastest-rising short course triathletes and the reigning NZ Under-23 Triathlete of the Year. Ranked inside the world's top 75 and New Zealand's third-highest ranked male behind only Hayden Wilde and Saxon Morgan, Henry's had a genuine breakout stretch: an all-Kiwi podium sweep at Oceania Sprint Champs in Napier, the U23 continental title, and his World Triathlon Championship Series debut in Hamburg this year. We talk through his Christchurch roots — cross country at primary school, watching his mum race at two age-group world championships — and how he balances 21 to 22 hours of training a week with a full geology job and a relationship (with our own Anna, as it happens). Henry's honest about the tough stretch too: pulling out of his planned World Series debut in Quiberon with a bout of tonsillitis, then backing up to actually debut in Hamburg a few weeks later, finishing 41st after coming in ranked 48th. He also tells us about lining up at the NZ Cross Country Championships just for fun — and running his way to 5th in a stacked senior men's field. We get into how he and coach Tess plan a season, what "making it" in triathlon actually looks like day to day, and the story behind Triathlon Trouble, the YouTube channel he runs with mate Gus Marfell. We close out with a round of quick-fire questions before he heads back to Europe for the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra. This episode covers: Growing up in Christchurch and his mum's triathlon career Balancing elite training with a geology job and a relationship The all-Kiwi podium at Oceania Sprint Champs Withdrawing from Quiberon with tonsillitis, then debuting in Hamburg Racing NZ Cross Country Champs for fun and finishing 5th How races get chosen, and what "making it" looks like Triathlon Trouble, his YouTube channel with Gus Marfell What's next: Pontevedra and Rome Got a question for the show? Drop it in our Instagram DMs.

  8. Aug 6

    113 | New Balance Supercomp Rebel v1, Athletics NZ Cross Country Recap, Carbon Shoes for a bigger Body and easter egg on a new spin off of the podcast

    Tom's mid-trip to Andorra and Anna's home recovering from having her wisdom teeth out, so this week Oska's joined by Andy for a big one. We open with training updates — including Oska's steady comeback from hamstring injury — before a full recap of the NZ Cross Country Championships, headlined by Ronan Lee's title-winning run (with David Lee closing like a freight train for silver) and a genuinely gutsy run from Maia in her last local race before leaving the team. From there it's a big Commonwealth Games wrap: Josh Kerr backed up his mile world record with gold at the Games, Sam Tanner ran a season's best, Eliza McCartney completed a real comeback story with pole vault gold, Tom Walsh took silver, and Tori Mowbray picked up a javelin silver that deserves more attention than it's had. We run through everything coming up on the community calendar — the ASICS Community Run, Run Unknown, the New Balance New Brighton run, and Run Club's return — plus a genuinely wild double course record at Badwater 135 in Death Valley. We're also excited to announce Off Track, a new trail-running spinoff of the podcast hosted by Andy, launching soon. From there it's a listener question on the best carbon race shoe for a heavier runner, a discussion of Izzi Batt-Doyle's honest piece on racing with her period, and we close with a full deep dive on the New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1. This episode covers: What we're testing / wearing this week Training weeks: Oska's hamstring comeback NZ Cross Country Championships recap Commonwealth Games wrap: Kerr, Tanner, McCartney, Walsh, Mowbray Community events: ASICS Community Run, Run Unknown, New Balance run, Run Club's return Badwater 135 double course record Announcing Off Track, our new trail spinoff Listener Q: carbon race shoe for a heavier runner Izzi Batt-Doyle: racing with your period Deep dive: New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1 Got a question for the show? Drop it in our Instagram DMs. ✅ Store website: https://frontrunnercolombo.co.nz ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrunnercolombo/ ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontrunnerthecolombo/ ✅ Run Club page: https://frontrunnercolombo.co.nz/pages/frontrunner-run-club-frrc ✅ ASICS Community Run RSVP: https://luma.com/71ml6j34 ✅ New Balance Community Run RSVP: https://luma.com/xk7g6ilb ✅ Izzi Batt-Doyle article: https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/houseofwellness/my-legs-were-achy-i-felt-sick-and-i-wanted-to-stay-in-bed-izzi-battdoyles-hidden-raceday-struggles/news-story/6c513d812aa27648b457c4d536c42fd6 Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro (Andy filling in for Anna & Tom) 03:00 – What we're testing / wearing this week 10:00 – Training weeks: Oska's comeback 17:00 – NZ Cross Country Championships recap 32:00 – Commonwealth Games wrap 42:00 – Community events: ASICS run, Run Unknown, New Balance run, Run Club returns 45:00 – Badwater 135 double course record 50:00 – Announcing Off Track 53:00 – Listener Q: carbon race shoe for a heavier runner 60:00 – Izzi Batt-Doyle: racing with your period 65:00 – Deep dive: New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1

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About

The Run Spesh podcast is all about the shoes and gear you like to go running in. We cover short-form episodes with in-depth discussions on what the shoe is for, who might benefit from it, and how it was made. The Frontrunner is also here to share stories and bring the community together. Enjoy the characters we have in our sports and the experts we work with. Run Spesh is a play on "Run Specialty" with the Frontrunner Colombo being New Zealand's leading Running Specialty Store

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