Paul Tonkinson on being hit by dogs, running the MdS and why we need “emotion boxes” at every race

Author and comedian Paul 'Tonky' Tonkinson joins us on the podcast this week to talk finding his running mojo again, why he needed to race the MdS (and what he thinks about the race), training incidents with dogs, writing his new book, why running will always be part of his life and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He's written a book about ageing and running, so Damian Hall is back on the podcast to encourage us all to keep going as we age. We chat around the health benefits, but also how to continue to be competitive, the best approach to training, why the right attitude to age can make all the difference and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, Rick and Ben are joined by Hugo Fry, a running influencer who brings a much lighter and entertaining side to the world of 'runfluencing', whilst also being an undeniably fast runner. We chat about Hugo's route into running, his training, the best way to cook rice, why running is just a hobby and shouldn't be that serious and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A moment in history happened at the 2026 London Marathon as Sabastian Sawe became the first person to run a sub-2 hour marathon. Rick and Ben chat about this incredible run, the history behind this moment and what it means for the future of distance running, especially now that Yomif Kejelcha has also broken the two hour mark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick and Ben are joined by Rachel and Joe and between them all, they've run quite a few marathons, so they're sharing all they know about about what to do and what not to do when it comes to running 26.2 miles successfully. We've got advice on how to fuel the race, why the heat can make all the difference, how to navigate the expo, supporting advice and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor, James Norton, joined Ben and AT (from Men's Health) for this special joint podcast to talk all about his prep ahead of running his first marathon at London Marathon at the end of the month. We chatted training, how he structures it all around filming, why we need to bring back those mini trampolines from the 90's, how he manages his T1D with training and much, much more. James is raising money for Breakthrough T1D, a charity that helps young people with Type 1 diabetes. Here is his JustGiving page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest this week is Dr Miranda Layton aka Dr_Mimi_Runs, a running influencer who is also an actual doctor, using her platform to try and stop the spread of misinformation for runners online. She's also got a marathon PB of 3:03, so we chat about her taking about that, how she started running and much, much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh from reclaiming his 3000m crown, Josh Kerr joined Ben and Rachel for a special bonus episode to talk about his comeback from some career lows, why he sees rivalry as a healthy part of the sport, his upcoming mile world record attempt, one day winning a major and why his beard is always so immaculate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining Ben and Rick this week is Kevin Quinn. Kevin's route into running wasn't typical, but he showed real talent regardless. All of this came to halt when 10 years ago he found out he needed major, emergency heart surgery. Since then, Kevin has been chasing the elusive dream of running a sub 2:20 marathon and this year at the London Marathon, aged 46, he's hoping to do just that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick and Ben are joined by sports psychologist, Dr Josie Perry, to discuss that all-important brain-body connection, how to focus on goals and offers some practical advice and cues that all runners can use to unlock their potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices