Ep. 24 - Connor McCann is back - NI Champs - Antrim Coast preview ft. event director James McIlroy

It is marathon season y'all! In this episode we are delighted to be joined by Caitlyn Harvey of Roadrunners AC. First up, Michael and Dan recap the Dublin Marathon and Valencia Half and then in part 2 we have a special interview with Caitlyn after she once again rewrote her marathon PB in Dublin by posting a brilliant 2:42. Caitlyn talks to us about how she trained for it, what it was like to experience the race as an elite entry and how it all unfolded on the day! Not an episode to be missed! Thanks Caitlyn for joining us and congratulations to everyone that ran in a marathon or half over the weekend. Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight

Big Back Straight Bonus Episode! This one is very road-running forward with hints of fast PBs. We are stoked to welcome Welsh marathoner, Natasha Wilson, to the podcast alongside Candour Athletes Tony McCambridge and Conall McClean who recently ran sub 30 min at the Leeds Abbey Dash 10k. For those of you that don't know who Natasha is, she is a former national record holder in the marathon for Wales, ASICS sponsored athlete and winner of the recent Belfast Half Marathon! Tony and Conall on the other hand are well known for their prowess over the shorter distances and are now proving they can hang with the best in the UK over 10k and beyond. We hope you enjoy this bonus content, feel free to share it with a running friend! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight

You read that right, Gerard Heaney of the Runner Beans Podcast agreed to join us on the episode this week and geez did it take some time to edit the audio! Super grateful to have Gerard on the pod this week as we discussed the local cross country action such as the NI Masters XC trials, Comber Cup, Autumn Open, Leeds Abbey Dash and altitude training, and last but not least, the matter of a sub 2:10 women's marathon world record! Astonishing! Let the nostalgia flow this week as we go back and forth with some questionable commentary, and someone check on Mark Malone for crying out loud! Stay tuned for a special bonus episode drop in the next week and join our club on Strava for all of the segment challenge details for this fortnight! Hooroo, see you soon! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight

The masterminds behind Tafelta AC, Cathaoir and Francis Purvis join us from Mid-Ulster/Font Romeu for episode 27 of the Back Straight! It was a real pleasure chatting to these two and hearing the story of Tafelta as well as Cathaoir's solid streak of PBs the past little while. We wish both them and the club all the best for the future! Plenty has happened since the last release with the Armagh XC, Belfast Half Marathon and Bangor 10k all getting a feature this week! The results and battles across the local racing scene have been all-time so don't miss this one! The Strava Wars is back for a second iteration with the segment for this coming fortnight being the famous City Hall in the centre of Belfast. Thanks for joining us again for another episode and we look forward to being back again in 2 weeks time to do it all again! Hooroo!Contact us here:Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcastEmail: [email protected]: @thebackstraight

It is a busy time to be a runner with events popping off all over the place! In this episode we recap the Victoria Park Road Relays and Michael gives us the inside line from the back straight at the Brussels Diamond League. Jakob did something pretty spectacular over in Copenhagen and Efrem Gidey smashes the Irish Record. In part 2 of the episode we get stuck into some previews for the opening clash of the XC season in Armagh as well as the Belfast Half Marathon taking place this coming weekend. The field is bigger than ever and more stacked than ever, who is going to be victorious? Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a new segment we are calling 'Strava Wars' - have a listen and see if you can record a fast time on the segment we are targeting this fortnight. Until next time, Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight

It was race week for Dan and in this episode we do a before and after his 108-mile epic around the Mont Blanc massif. Spoiler alert, he survives, but at what cost? Episode 25 is also jam-packed with race results from the Antrim Coast Half Marathon, Laganside 10k, Derry Half, Diamond Leagues and much more! We end the episode with a preview of the NI & Ulster Road Relays at Victoria Park which are shaping up to be very fast with entries having increased by 70% this year. The Back Straight boys will be there on the weekend spectating and commentating, hope to catch you there! Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight Show Notes: Dan's UTMB Result Laganside 10k Antrim Coast Half

Big fortnight on and off the track so we called in the experts! Both Connor McCann and James McIlroy join us on the pod this week to recap some past events and to preview what is to come in the Antrim Coast Half this weekend. Connor helps us chat through the NI Track and Field Championships and gives us some highlights from his time spectating at the 2024 Paris Olympics. James joins us for part 2 of the episode where we preview the absolutely stacked men's and women's fields at this years Antrim Coast Half Marathon. It has been a ripper of a year and if you like what we are doing here at the Back Straight please leave us a review on Spotify, follow us on Instagram and share the episode with a friend! Hooroo!Contact us here:Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcastEmail: [email protected]: @thebackstraight

It's Olympic time and we have been revelling in all of the results and drama from Paris 2024! 2 x Irish Olympian Kevin Seaward joins us on the podcast this week for part 2 to discuss the behind the scenes of his Olympic campaigns as well as what has been happening in distance running so far in Paris! How about that men's 1500m final eh! Part 1 we chat all about the local results including the Mazerunner 5k and 10k, Carlingford 5k as well as a bunch of different track meets that have happened in the past fortnight. Thanks to Kevin for joining us on the podcast this week and we wish him well for his future races. That was episode 23, see you soon! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight

It almost time fo the big dance in Paris and we simply cannot wait! The Back Straight is delighted to welcome sub-4 minute Thomas Moran a.k.a the Ciara Mageean Alpha Pacer onto the podcast for some yarns! This episode includes chat about the stunning performances by Mid Ulster's very own Nick Griggs, Diamond League recaps and much more! Thomas also gives us an insight into what life is like on the road with one of the worlds best 1500m runners and what preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games looks like. Thanks for listening and visit our Instagram page for your chance to win 2 entries to the Laganside 10k taking place on September 1st! Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight

Lace up your spikes, folks! This week on The Back Straight, we're diving headfirst into the thrilling world of National Athletics Championships. We'll be recapping all the action from the Irish Life National Athletics Championships, the British Athletics Championships, and even peeking across the pond at the USATF Outdoor Championships. Joining us for this special episode is Connor McCann, a true track fanatic! We'll be dissecting the races, celebrating the champions, and uncovering the up-and-coming stars who stole the show. From the electrifying sprints to the gruelling distance races, it is all happening in this episode. Thanks again to Connor for joining us on this episode and we will see you in a fortnight! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: [email protected] Twitter: @thebackstraight