Hampstead Heath is resplendent in the sunshine on the hottest day of the year, and Paul and Rob are loving it. Featuring Glastonbury thoughts, gig report, blue skies and green greenery, Parkland Walk news, a spooky story, fast culture, Paul’s MDS-centric year, new routes, writers all round, Tonkinson ancestry and AI, clarity and gratitude, Mums and Dads, and a little bit of running. SUBSCRIBE at https://runcompod.supercast.com/ for early access, bonus episodes, ad-free listening and more... BU...
Jul 10, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 525
Fresh from West Sussex, Rob has just run the 100k Race To The King, and is keen to tell Paul about it on a recovery run round Wanstead. Featuring heat, lost affirmations, a bonus 2.7km, all kinds of runners and walkers, friends on the trail, from the seaside to the hills, falling over and not falling over, half way (less than half way), the heat intensifying as the trail lengthens, companionship, tennis, road rage, a friend on a hill at 80k at sunset... and on and on into the darkness. SUBSCRIBE...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 524
With Rob's Race To The King just days away, and Paul just not running much, the boys take a gentle jog round Clissold Park. Featuring writing over running, Aberdeen boot camp, a deep dive into sounds & smells - and interesting words for both - and some words of wisdom ahead of the long trail. SUBSCRIBE at https://runcompod.supercast.com/ for early access, bonus episodes, ad-free listening and more... BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/b...
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Paul and Rob loop London’s poshest parks and catch up. Featuring high-end dogs, international ponies, world-class comedy, a pitch for planking, the luxury of low-key family life, and what you can learn from a rubbish run. SUBSCRIBE at https://runcompod.supercast.com/ for early access, bonus episodes, ad-free listening and more... BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2...
Jun 20, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 523
A rainy morning in north London sees Paul and Rob heading along the Parkland Walk and through the woods. Featuring a high wordcount for Paul and high mileage for Rob, half term adventures, highs and lows in comedy, a runcommer in the wild and a famous fella in the woods, food before you run - and after - and other fuel, anglers and birders, and a return to Bannau Brycheiniog. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening, bonus episodes and more here: https://runcompod.supercast.com/ BUY OUR BOO...
Jun 12, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 522
Paul and Rob take their traditional trot round the Heath to see in the new month. featuring perfect running weather, more football talk, signs of Summer, when a run is too far to train for, walking the hills - and hubris on those hills, beetroot and lemon juice, food on the trail - and in childhood, a pond full of dogs, morning drinking, and Autumn marathon plans. BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444...
Jun 05, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 520
It’s been quite the quest for Rob to complete a marathon this year, and the trouble didn’t stop on the start line in Edinburgh. Here Rob reports to Paul on a great-but-crazy day in Scotland. BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - https://www.waterstones.com/book/running-tracks/rob-deering/9781800180444 - and you can get Paul’s book 26.2 Miles to Happiness here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/26-2-miles-to-happiness/paul-tonkinson/9781472975270 Thanks for listening, support...
Jun 02, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 521
Rob and Paul trot out east to Wanstead on a jewel of a day. Featuring career news for the progeny, white bread with butter, cultural activities at the weekend, Rob the roadie, stumbling upon a half marathon, Paul's classic Sunday, Tom's trousers, Edinburgh Marathon anticipation - and Fringe memories, 'have fun', a bit of gratitude, a tickle of tempo - and where will Paul watch the football? SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening, bonus episodes and more here: https://runcompod.supercast.c...
May 29, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 519
Rob and Paul use the New River and the East and West Reservoirs to connect Finsbury and Clissold Parks on a perfect day. Featuring the highs and lows of Rob’s long run, fuelling, listening and focussing on long trail runs, gig report, the joys of Spring, birds, beards and the Book Devil, family fun, your PBs, and a big idea for next year. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening, bonus episodes and more here: https://runcompod.supercast.com/ BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tra...
May 22, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 518
Paul & Rob head round Ally Pally and along the Parkland Walk to Highgate Woods - and meet a friend along the way. Featuring younger generation drinking adventures, real talk, feeling better post marathons, engaging core and improving gait, Rhod Gilbert and his dogs, the Deerings’ adventures in Wales, gig-and-parkrun report, Paul’s potential virtual literary assistant, Rob’s long run plans, your PBs, and a potential heir to the Tonkinson crown… SUBSCRIBE AS A FAN for early access, bonus episo...
May 15, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 517
On a beautiful sunny day on the Parkland Walk, Rob and Paul review the London Marathon - through a lens of Paul not doing it, and Rob not completing it. Luckily we also had the mighty Helen Thorn on the course, so we've got the take of someone who medalled too. Featuring many wonderful runners, a dinosaur, some pretty bad jokes, slebs - and their running adventures, metronomic discipline, sounds and smells on the course, toenail talk, Jenni from the course, and the episode that never was. Thank ...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 516
Rob's very ready to pick Paul's brains post Marathon Des Sables on a very gentle recovery run round the park - and he's brought us back his desert diaries. Featuring various attitudes to preparation, the Tent 105 crew, Paul's resistance to briefings, nights under canvas, finding flow and becoming feral, how he took on the long, double-marathon stage, volunteers and running buddies, sandy eyes and sore feet, tears on the trail, a little light hallucination, becoming self-sufficient, embracing a s...
May 01, 2025•50 min•Season 515Ep. 1
With Paul still wending his way home from the desert, Rob popped down to Hove to run with a great guest - British acting royalty Craig Parkinson, new to running and doing his first marathon next week. Featuring wrestling with the wall in your long training run, what things are going to feel like on the day, the rolling wave of readiness, memories of Two Shot Pod Craig's great acting podcast, Adriene and other lockdown memories, Paul's jelly baby, Rob's tips, fuelling, how whether you've done non...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 513
Paul and George take to the Parkland Walk for Paul's last run before the MDS - and one of George's last runs before the Manchester Marathon. Featuring Paul's kit, George's training, Rachel's tips, what to do and what not to do before their runs, spag bol, Ned's Mum, fundraising, hallucinating, playing football, aspirational young runners vs old school athletics, training plans, Rob's ribs, getting overtaken - and letting it go, Paul's pre-run pedi, picnic pack and potential penalties. Thanks Geo...
Apr 24, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 514
Paul is just hours away from the Marathon Des Sables and Rob's just talked to the doctor about his probably-fractured ribs as they start April on Hampstead Heath. Featuring Paul's plan - or lack of, new shoes and backpack, cooking kit, lazing and eating vs running and fasting, sexy spreadsheets, late night security issues, a doofus in the desert, the old clché: don't go off too fast, life without running, gig report, emotion boxes and emotional support animals, and your PBs. SUBSCRIBE for early ...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 512
Rob and Paul take a turn around Finsbury Park at a cuspal moment. Featuring Rachel's Birthday and other family fun, Paul's murky MDS medical, shoes and saunas, Rob's ribs, final training runs and the value of stopping and starting, the London Marathon start line, gig report, a poignant postcard from a parent, a bit of reading and writing, and some Tonkinson train etiquette. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks here - h...
Apr 10, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 511
The final leg of Paul and Rob's long - but not as long as hoped - trail training run. Featuring Rob running on post-tumble, some drama in Paul's community, one man's comedy is another man's content, yogic breathing, a Race To The King overview, animals wild and domestic, Birmingham thoughts, possible parkruns, self care on the trail, the power of the youth, fading a little down Herbert's Hole, gig report, a bit of poetry, a moment in a marathon to look out for, and then they're back in Chesham -...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 510
Thwarted in their efforts to reach the obelisk on Coombe Hill, the boys turn back in Wendover and start the journey back to Chesham. Featuring the beverages in Rob's bag, Paul's Red Kite confusion cleared up, what they've both been watching, what they're both writing, walking the hills, finding the 'why', wiping out and running on, singing, football, and returning to Lee Common. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY OUR BOOKS; you can get Rob's book Running Tracks her...
Apr 03, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 509
We join Paul and Rob an hour into their long, wintry run from Chesham. Featuring an appropriately named pub, replacing salts on the trail, removing contact lenses in the desert, reaching one's limit in training - and running on, 'I am not my body / I am not my mind' and other useful ways of thinking, foot business, festivals, anticipating the Brighton Marathon, werewolves and deer, marathon tips in general, and arriving in Wendover, where their quest faces a major challenge... SUBSCRIBE for earl...
Mar 27, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 508
Paul and Rob start a long run from Chesham to the monument on Coombe Hill and back on a freezing cold Monday morning. Featuring a Sunday of preparation and a morning of vaseline application, backpacks and muddy tracks, opening chapters and wheeling raptors, countryside sights and electrolytes, stress dreams and what they might mean, George's run and Rudy's fun, 'every day is a life' = drinking with your wife, a bear-carrying bloke and an octopus joke, listener rage when we talk about age, Rawort...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 507
The mighty Natalie Haynes returns to Running Commentary to report to Rob about here experience of their latest Half. Featuring technical surfaces, deluding distances and classical references. Thank you Natalie. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/runningcommentary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 21, 2025•39 min
After the warm sunshine of Sunday's Cambridge Half Marathon, Clissold Park is pretty nippy for the debrief. Featuring Paul's lost glove, starter-pen shenanigans, MDS training on the moors, customising training plans, running before a race - or not, other weekend adventures, Rob's friends' on-message dog, belated predictions, mile-by-mile report, a missing finish line, gait analysis, future plans and some other runners' weekends. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and more... and BUY O...
Mar 20, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 506
Lizzy Pollott shares her love of Strava with Rob for her Bit Fit, Bit Funny podcast... but you can hear it here too. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/runningcommentary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 13, 2025•25 min
Lizzy Pollott grills Rob on his London Marathon experiences for her Bit Fit, Bit Funny podcast... but you can hear it here too. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/runningcommentary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 13, 2025•30 min
Paul and Rob kick March off on the Heath, and the weather doesn't disappoint. Featuring Paul's MDS prep - or lack of, both boys running on tour, Rob feeling like an Ultra runner again, gig-and-parkrun report, fictional towns, what Top Gear would be like if Rob hosted, catching up with a RTTS 2022 legend, Paul - and Rob's daughter - having to do the work, cold-water swimming - but not for us, Paul's book title quest, and trapping off with Etta. SUBSCRIBE for early access, ad-free listening and mo...
Mar 13, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 505
In an attempt to review motorway services of Britain, we find out that Paul and Rob, perhaps unsurprisingly, have been using them in quite different ways... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/runningcommentary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 06, 2025•10 min
Rob wants Paul's hot take on the season so far - and Paul does not disappoint. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/runningcommentary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 06, 2025•11 min
We join Paul and Rob in Leyton, in the middle of their long runs. Featuring no maps only camels on the Marathon Des Sables, Hackney Marsh memories, Rob's training plan kicking off in Cambridge, Paul's pack procrastination, food-and-exercise report, touring schedules, when athletics become ascetic, new sights and old memories in Stamford Hill, terrible ideas for the night before a marathon, a surprise cemetery, and the final return to Church Street and Clissold Park, like salmon swimming back ups...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 504
On the first half of a long run, Rob and Paul pick their way through muddy Wanstead Park. Featuring Rob's steps towards a sneaky sixteen, Paul's pasta pack, parkrun report, cross country vibes, the Last Rodeo, a sad weekend for Paul, Rob's firstborn living his best life, MDS anticipation - and its attendant literary responsibilities, breaking the contract of a run, the benefits of compound exercise - and yoga, 'this is what we do', fundraising for motivation - and great charities, trouble in Cas...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 503
Comedy, drama, romcom, documentary... Rob and Paul watch it all. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/runningcommentary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 25, 2025•19 min
