What I Learnt Training for My First Marathon | Reggie Yates

Reggie Yates thought running a 5k would finish him. Then he trained for a marathon - and everything changed. 🏃‍♂️

If you're a beginner runner, chasing your first marathon, or need a hit of running motivation that - this episode is for you.

This week on The Runna Podcast, Anya Culling sits down with BBC broadcaster and filmmaker Reggie Yates, fresh from his first marathon attempt. They cover everything from the marathon training block that rewired how he sees his own limits, to what really happened on race day in London when things didn't go to plan.

Equally honest, funny, and inspiring. Don't skip this one.

In this episode, you'll hear:
🎙️ From 5k Fear to Marathon Start Line: from thinking running would kill him to falling in love with it
🧠 Marathon Training Reality: treadmill sessions, ego, and the moment it all clicked
🏃‍♂️ The Runner's High: why running outside became "so freeing and so liberating"
💜 Running for Sickle Cell: why purpose makes the hardest marathon training days meaningful
🌡️ Race Day: what really happened and why he will keep running
🎯 What's Next: a 10k PB, a half marathon, and a runner for life

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⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 – "I would die at the end of a 5k" - Reggie Yates on becoming a runner
0:30 – Who is Reggie Yates? BBC broadcaster, filmmaker & first-time marathon runner
2:25 – Why doing uncomfortable things matters - and how marathon training fills that gap
4:20 – "It's weird how quickly we adapt" - the beginner runner mindset & marathon training tips
6:33 – Reggie Yates' documentary work: prisons, war zones & the mental side of marathon training
7:27 – Treadmill marathon training in Germany - the hardest sessions of his training block
8:30 – "So freeing and so liberating" - the runner's high and why outdoor running changes everything
10:17 – The longest training run: "I suffered" - marathon training reality for beginner runners
12:40 – How marathon training builds unexpected running motivation
17:40 – "I've never run that fast" - how a marathon training plan gamified running for Reggie Yates
18:40 – Race day atmosphere: the crowd, the celebrities and the marathon start line buzz
21:12 – Internal temp of 40.5°: what really happened on marathon race day in London
23:30 – "I want to run again" - why race day setbacks don't define your running journey
25:00 – Running for the Sickle Cell Society - why purpose makes marathon training meaningful
31:41 – "If you can lace up your trainers and move - you're a runner"