It's Gold Coast Marathon eve and Courtney's quietly walking back his pace targets — head-to-toe black, poppers prepped, and a new plan to cruise rather than chase.

The boys break down the elite fields, debate whether run-club flags are peak cringe or peak belonging (the answer surprises them), and dig into why Chinese shoe brands like Li-Ning are about to disrupt running the way they disrupted cars: on price.

Plus Cam Myers' 1500 record, the Commonwealth Games mile swap, the "which sport scares you most" ranking, and a packed listener mailbag heading into race day. Find Courtney on course if you can spot him.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

One week. That's all that's left to Gold Coast Marathon.

Courtney is officially into taper mode ahead of his first marathon, and Liam finally puts a prediction on the table. But should marathon runners even be obsessed with finishing times?

The boys dive into what has changed most in running over the last decade, why modern shoes have completely changed the sport, why "finding your race" matters more than chasing a number, plus listener questions, Nike's new gear, shark sightings, the future of HYDROX, and plenty more.

With the Gold Coast Marathon just days away, this is the final honest check-in before race day.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Two weeks to go.

With Courtney heading away on holidays, this week's Gold Coast Marathon Series is a little different. Instead of the usual chat with Liam, Courtney jumps behind the microphone solo while driving back from his final marathon session to take you inside his final major marathon workout before race day.

From a 30km marathon session with the crew to pacing battles with Tim Rigby, nutrition experiments, caffeine strategy, heart rate lessons and the biggest learnings from "The Experiment", this is an honest look inside the final stages of marathon preparation.

If you're racing the Gold Coast Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km or 5km, there's plenty here to help you navigate the taper.

In this episode:

• The final 30km marathon session
• Why training with mates makes running easier
• Courtney's race-day nutrition plan
• Heart rate vs pace vs feel
• The biggest lessons from "The Experiment"
• Why there's no magic pill two weeks before race day

Good luck to everyone lining up on the Gold Coast—we'll see you on the start line.

Cape Town joins the World Marathon Majors, Sydney gets shuffled down the calendar, and suddenly the running world is staring at nine majors instead of six.

With the Gold Coast Marathon now just weeks away, Liam and Courtney dive into the changing marathon landscape, training realities, race-day decisions, headphone debates, city-vs-city marathon rivalries, and whether the running boom is still climbing.

Plus, Courtney reflects on life away from structured training, Liam gets serious about marathon preparation, and the boys unpack some listener ideas that could make race day even more interesting.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

With just two and a half weeks until the Gold Coast Marathon, the countdown is officially on.

Courtney breaks down his biggest marathon session of the block - you can find it here on STRAVA

A 28km workout, what the data says about his fitness, and why travel, poor sleep and questionable nutrition are making this marathon build anything but textbook. Liam puts him on the spot about goal pace, race-day expectations and whether a 2:37 marathon is really on the cards.

The boys also chat tapering, trusting the process, Strava misconceptions, and the reality of balancing marathon training with work, travel and life.

If you're lining up for the ASICS Gold Coast Marathon, Half Marathon or Southern Cross University 10km, this is the perfect reality check as race day rapidly approaches.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The boys are back and counting down to the Gold Coast Marathon.

Courtney has been feeding 14 years of Strava data into AI to see what it thinks he's capable of running on the Gold Coast. The results? Surprisingly accurate on his injury history… and wildly wrong on his marathon prediction.

Meanwhile, Liam accidentally finds himself making national news after pitching a bizarre solution to the Logies hosting dilemma, proving once again that "Liam's Schemes" might be Australia's most dangerous think tank.

They also dive into:

• ​Whether AI can actually coach runners
• ​Courtney's marathon confidence heading into Gold Coast
• ​The dangers of blindly trusting training algorithms
• ​Kids and endurance sport — how much is too much?
• ​The role of parents vs coaches in youth sport
• ​Another edition of Liam's Schemes
• ​Why some ideas are worth millions… if Liam would stop giving them away for free

Plus plenty of laughs, running chat and countdown nerves as marathon season gets real.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Three and a half weeks out from the Gold Coast Marathon and the boys take the podcast on the road to the Southern Cross University Exercise Science Lab.

Courtney feels right at home amongst the VO₂ testing gear, altitude bikes and sports science equipment as he reconnects with one of his first sports scientists from over 25 years ago. Alongside Dr Luke Del Vecchio, the conversation dives into the science behind endurance performance, strength training for runners, emerging sports technology and why a little time in the gym might be the missing ingredient in your marathon prep.

The trio explore how everyday runners can benefit from the same principles used by elite athletes, discuss the role of exercise physiologists and unpack some of the fascinating technology shaping the future of endurance sport. From VO₂ max testing to wearable technology, this episode is packed with practical insights for runners chasing their next breakthrough.

If you're racing Gold Coast Marathon weekend, Southern Cross University will also be bringing its Recovery Hub to the finish precinct, with exercise science, osteopathy, naturopathy and allied health support available to help runners recover after their event. Plus, learn more about the university's Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology programs and upcoming Open Day at the Gold Coast campus - https://www.scu.edu.au/open-day/

Whether you're chasing a PB, tackling your first marathon or simply fascinated by the science of human performance, this is your final science-backed tune-up before race day.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Red Bull Race The Sun is done — and Courtney is running on fumes, half an hour of sleep and one very useful chainsaw.

This week on In The Beginning, Courtney breaks down the madness of directing one of Australia’s most unique endurance events: fallen trees, flooded roads, teams chasing sunrise, one team beating the sun by just 16 minutes, and another missing it by only four.

Liam and Courtney also dive into the new wave of running events, treadmill “ultras”, the Guardians League surf racing concept, shoe brand battles at marathons, sporting fashion, Liam’s post-ultra knee reality check, and Courtney’s Gold Coast Marathon experiment as race day gets close.

From trail nerds to HYROX crews, gym runners, influencers and everyday runners, this episode lands on one big point: running has room for everyone.

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Courtney on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liam on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠