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Free Weekly Timed explores everything parkrun and is presented by Vassos Alexander and Helen Williams. The pair share experiences, chat to guests and interact with fellow parkrun runners as they debate the big talking points of the week.
To get in touch, email us at hello@freeweeklytimed.com or tweet us @freeweeklytimed. You can also get in touch via our website Freeweeklytimed.com
To get in touch, email us at hello@freeweeklytimed.com or tweet us @freeweeklytimed. You can also get in touch via our website Freeweeklytimed.com
199 Episodes
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As Vassos and Louise make the final preparations ahead of the launch of Free Weekly Timed, we thought we'd get to know the pair and hear what motivated them to start this podcast.
In this, the inaugural Free Weekly Timed podcast, Vassos and Louise speak to Paul Sinton-Hewitt about how it all began, what he’d like to change - and about his own running career. Louise wades into the debate about whether it’s ok for parkrunners never to volunteer. And Vassos admits to committing one of running’s cardinal sins. Two actually. LINKS The link to the chrome browser extension is https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/running-challenges/kdapmdimgdebpgolimjnmcdlkbkddoif It was written by Laura Cowen and Andy Taylor, only works with Chrome on a desktop, and is fabulous. “Install the extension and then visit your athlete page to see how it rearranges the data on the page to show your challenge progress alongside the existing tables of results.”
This week Vassos and Louise chat to parkrun world record holder Andy Baddeley. They discuss what motivated the Olympian to have a crack at the record, what parkrun means to him and life after competitive running. Vassos gives us an update on his blister and Louise gets hammered on the volunteer debate.
The man that brought parkrun to Poland and Germany is Louise and Vassos' special guest this week. Jakub Fedorowicz tells them how it all began, why the parkrun in Zary is so popular and what makes the Cieszyn course so unique. Louise shares some of her tourist tales and Vassos learns something new.
This week, Vassos and Louise are joined by parkrun's head of communications Russ Jefferys to chat about how he got the job, the future of parkrun and who would be his dream running partner. Louise is despatched to Tonbridge parkrun with her new recording app and bumps into Dame Kelly Holmes and Vassos has something to get off his chest.
This week Louise and Vassos chat to four-time World Ironman Champion and now parkrun’s Global Head of Health and Wellbeing Chrissie Wellington. She talks about how she got the job, how her role has changed and why she now walks parkrun. Louise chats about racing your parkrun nemesis and the campaign has started to get producer Patrick running on a Saturday morning.
British comedian Paul Tonkinson joins Louise and Vassos this week to discuss his love of parkrun, his motivation for running and racing a pensioner. Vassos' 12-year old son Matthew pops in to chat about his parkrun experiences and we find out why dogs aren't Louise's favourite animals.
This week Vassos and Louise hear from the inspirational Kirsty Shepherd whose life was turned upside down after being diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in 2016. She talks about the day she was rushed to hospital after completing a parkrun, how difficult the last two years have been and how parkrun has been central to her recovery. Louise gets her Barry and Bere Islands mixed up and we learn Vassos hates fancy dress.
Claire Maxted, the former editor of Trail Running Magazine and parkrun enthusiast, joins Vassos and Louise this week on the pod. She tells us why parkrun is better than an iPhone, how she went from hating running to being a running journalist and gives us this week’s top tip. Louise helps Vassos with a moral dilemma and we accept a challenge from parkrun HQ.
Joining Louise and Vassos this week is the remarkable Dawn Nisbet, who became an inspiration to many after a photo of her crossing the finish line at parkrun went viral last year. She tells us what made her start running and how it's changed her life. Vassos recounts a story about leaving his running shoes at home and Louise has her say on inaugural parkruns.
Shortly after breaking the world record as the youngest ever (legal) person to take part in parkrun, Mary Alexander joins Louise and Vassos this week to share her experience. We are also joined by GB athlete Ali Young who tells us about her love of parkrun, bribing her children to get involved and leaving Vassos for dust in the Spartathlon.
Vassos has a new co-host this week and he presents the show from Wimbledon with BBC commentator Andrew Cotter. Andrew tells us about his parkrun history, running with Paula Radcliffe and being overtaken by a pram. Louise reports from Leeds with some fellow parkrun tourists and speaks to the ED at Middleton.
With Vassos still at Wimbledon and failing to get Louise a ticket, he's joined by sports broadcaster Faye Carruthers to chat about her parkrun obsessed mother-in-law and her own parkrun journey. Louise hears from some fellow parkrun tourists and Vassos gives us the low-down from the annual parkrun conference.
After two weeks apart, Vassos and Louise are reunited at the spiritual home of the pod. Their guest this week is Rose Penfold, who left the UK to study in the USA, and ended up setting up Boston’s first parkrun. She tells us how it all came about and how nervous she was ahead of the first event. The campaign to get producer Patrick to parkrun gathers pace and Louise gives us the inside track on Cowfest number 2.
This week Vassos and Louise hear from Alison Ainsworth who is the event support ambassador for Cambridgeshire. She tells us about being attacked by a shark, how she got into volunteering and what you need to know if you want to start a parkrun event. Louise recalls running in front of naked swimmers and Vassos stands up for France.
The effervescent Sian Adey joins Louise and Vassos this week. Sian is a parkrun ambassador from south Wales, and she tells us why she got involved with parkrun, how it has helped her overcome some difficulties and even how it has played cupid. Vassos recounts turning up to a race which he forgot to enter and Louise goes rogue with her “What’s Ailing Ayling”.
Free Weekly Timed makes it’s first visit to Ireland to speak to Olwyn Dunne, who is the event ambassador there. She tells us all about her own journey to parkrun, how it continues to grow and shares her top three parkrun’s in Ireland. We have a new leader in the most exotic animal seen at parkrun league, Louise gets pulled up by a listener, Vassos finds poo funny and producer Patrick edges closer to his first parkrun.
After enjoying their summer break, Vassos and Louise are back for some more parkrun chit-chat. Their guest this week is parkrun Canada country manager Euan Bowman who tells us how a Scotsman living in Basingstoke, ended up running parkrun over there. Vassos has some sensible advice regarding running after a "cultural" afternoon and Louise meets up with some runners who take their tourism very seriously.
Joining Louise and Vassos this week is Dr Rangan Chatterjee, best known for his TV show Doctor in the House and resident doctor on BBC One's Breakfast Show. He tells us why he loves parkrun and why he prescribes it to his patients. Louise gets a few things off her chest and Vassos preps producer Patrick ahead of his first parkrun.
History was made at the weekend as producer Patrick finally made it to his first parkrun. He tells Vassos and Louise all about it, but it was his girlfriend Kate, also doing her first parkrun that had the truly inspirational tale. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in July, she completed the 5K just 5 weeks after surgery to remove the tumour. Meanwhile Vassos claims to have the greatest parkrun stat in history, and Louise considers wearing a wire at parkrun.
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