Run Spesh Podcast by Frontrunner Colombo

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

Just Oska and Anna in the studio this week — Tom's mid-way through a 44-hour trip to Andorra, and Maia's home sick days before her final episode with the crew. Still plenty to get through: we open with training updates and what's currently on our feet, run through the week's big shoe releases (Novablast 6, On Cloudboom Strike 2), then get into it — the frankly rubbish online backlash aimed at Hamish Kerr for withdrawing from the Commonwealth Games, and why we think people need to do better.
From there it's a big Commonwealth Games wrap led by Zoe Hobbs' stunning 100m gold (NZ's first-ever Commonwealth sprint gold), plus Geordie Beamish, Lauren Bruce, and a strong showing in the pool. We preview this Saturday's NZ Cross Country Championships at Hagley Park, work through a stack of listener questions — including a proper debate on supershoes vs. uptempo trainers for workouts, our picks for NZ's marathon "Mount Rushmore," and a Reddit question on whether some runners are doomed to stability shoes forever. We close with a full deep dive on the ASICS MetaFuji Trail 2, plus all the key dates coming up: Run Club's return, Run Unknown, and the New Balance New Brighton event.
This episode covers:
Training weeks and what we're running in
Shoe releases: ASICS Novablast 6, On Cloudboom Strike 2
Hamish Kerr's Commonwealth Games withdrawal and the online reaction
Commonwealth Games wrap: Zoe Hobbs' gold, Beamish, Lauren Bruce, swimming medals
NZ Cross Country Championships preview
Listener Q&A: supershoes vs. uptempo trainers, NZ's marathon greats, local "Majors" equivalents
Reddit Q: stability shoes
Deep dive: ASICS MetaFuji Trail 2
Key dates: Run Club, Run Unknown, New Balance New Brighton event
A farewell to Maia
Got a question for the show? Email marketing@frontrunnercolombo.co.nz or drop it in our Instagram DMs.

"Wear a kilt. The hill just kept on going. I stopped and got some whisky." One finisher's take on the Mackenzie Half Marathon — which pulled over 1,150 entrants the same weekend Kennett Cup's senior men's race had just five starters. We get into why cross country numbers are shrinking, and what might actually fix it.
Also this week: a full breakdown of Josh Kerr's mile world record, including the wild eight-years-of-data story behind his custom Brooks spike. Anna walks us through new EBU camera-angle guidelines aimed at reducing the sexualisation of women's athletics coverage. Maia Flint — in her second-to-last week with the Frontrunner crew — won the Kennett Cup women's senior race, and Tom's athlete Corbin Harding took silver at the Mackenzie Half. We round up cross country results from around the country, catch up on Kiwis racing well overseas, and give you the first real details on Run Unknown's return.
We close out with a proper tech deep dive on the Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 — what's actually been fixed since the divisive version 2, and who it's built for.
This episode covers:
What we're testing / wearing this week
Josh Kerr's mile world record and the tech behind it
New broadcasting guidelines for filming women's athletics
Kennett Cup results and a real conversation about cross country's participation problem
Corbin Harding's silver medal at the Mackenzie Half Marathon
NZ cross country round-up and Kiwis racing overseas
Run Unknown returns — mystery riddle race with On
Deep dive: Saucony Endorphin Elite 3
Winter Grind party, Run Club's return, and the New Balance store takeover
Got a question for the show? Drop it in our Instagram DMs or in the Run Club Facebook group.

Race starts while you're still in the porta-loo. No time to wipe. Wet day, had to catch up, discard the gear... still won." One of our listeners' most eventful event day stories, and just one of the reasons this week's episode is a good one.
Oska's just back from a whirlwind 10 days in Paris with On — factory tours, robot-sprayed shoes, and getting cold-shouldered out of a café for not ordering in French — while Tom's been out racing bikes and clocking solid triathlon training weeks. Anna talks us through her partner Henry's World Triathlon Series debut in Hamburg (41st on debut!), plus how Hayden and Saxon fared.
Back home, we're digging into your Instagram questions — your most eventful event day stories and the worst running advice you've ever been given ("you don't need multiple $300 shoes" — gtfoh) — before answering three of the most common shoe questions we get asked in-store.
The big one this week: Christchurch Marathon 2027 just leveled up. ASICS is coming on as headline partner, and Frontrunner is taking on a brand new role as Performance Partner — helping build a world-class elite athlete experience from the ground up. Entries are opening soon.
And of course, we close out with a full tech deep dive on the On Cloudboom Strike 2 — what's changed from version one, the real numbers, and who it's actually built for.
This episode covers:
What we're running in this week
Tom's Sector 6 bike race and triathlon training block
Hamburg WTS recap: Anna on Henry's debut, plus Hayden and Saxon
Oska's Paris trip with On
Listener Q&A: eventful event days + worst running advice
Shoe FAQ: replacing shoes, daily trainer vs super shoe, road vs trail
Christchurch Marathon 2027: ASICS partnership + our new Performance Partner role
Deep dive: On Cloudboom Strike 2
Winter Grind wrap-up, Winter Grind party (Tues 28th), Run Club returns (last Tues of August)
Got a question for the show? Drop it in our Instagram DMs or in the Run Club Facebook group.
Christchurch Marathon — entries open now
https://raceroster.com/events/2027/129745/2027-asics-christchurch-marathon
Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 review (Frontrunner blog)
https://frontrunnercolombo.co.nz/blogs/the-run-down-shoe-reviews/saucony-endorphin-elite-3
Winter Grind Party & Run Club Get Together — RSVP required, $15
https://luma.com/7d458rvx

Todd Andrews: From Outback Runner to S&C Coach — The Dream Run Across Australia for Cholmondeley Hosts Oska and Maia welcome Todd "Toddy" Andrews on The Front Runner Colombo's weekly running podcast to trace his path from a love-filled but financially tight childhood in Australia—frequent moves, single-parent upbringing, and finding stability through running—to a life-changing Melbourne school scholarship after coach Neville Sillitoe spotted his talent, mentored him, and even bought his first running shoes. Todd shares how he adapted academically, his competitive drive, and how marrying and becoming a parent young shifted his Olympic ambitions toward coaching and strength & conditioning. After moving to New Zealand in 2005, he qualified as a personal trainer, enrolled in a sport coaching degree at the University of Canterbury, graduated top of his class, entered S&C via post-earthquake opportunities with the Canterbury Academy, and completed a master's. He describes a midlife identity shift and outlines "The Dream Run": attempting three marathons a day for 30 days from Cottesloe Beach to Bondi Beach to inspire young people and raise funds for Cholmondeley Children's Centre, now aiming for next June after injury delays. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:45 Meet Todd Andrews 02:28 Family Life And Fatherhood 03:21 Outback Childhood And Moving 05:43 Growing Up With Less 09:22 Freedom And Early Memories 12:56 Finding Identity In Running 16:19 Scholarship To Melbourne 24:05 Overwhelmed But Determined 25:47 Neville The Mentor Coach 32:03 Imposter Syndrome And Resilience 34:20 Early Competitive Fire 36:29 Competitive Drive 37:01 Academic Survival Skills 38:58 Young Family Shift 41:33 Personal Training Pivot 43:28 University Breakthrough 46:46 Four Ps Framework 48:15 Earthquake Opportunity 53:21 Midlife Identity Reset 01:02:38 Three Marathons Plan 01:10:35 Cholmondeley Mission 01:19:55 Setbacks New Timeline 01:21:46 Closing Reflections