Christchurch Marathon Week Hype: Tapers, National Champs & Expo Deals | Run Spesh Oska, Tom and Maia (from Frontrunner Colombo) kick off Run Spesh with some banter, then dive into Christchurch Marathon week—the biggest week on the local running calendar and a major week for the shop. They reflect on achieving a longtime goal of being headline sponsor for the Christchurch Marathon, preview the nervous community energy around Hagley Park, and discuss Maia's lead-in to her second half marathon (workouts, running with Ruth Croft, and back-to-back rest days) and Tom's no-taper approach as he races the half at national champs. They outline shakeout run details (9am Saturday at the finish with giveaways), explain course congestion and safety on the four-lap route, share expo hours and shoe deals, preview key contenders in the half and marathon fields, and debate new standalone marathon world champs plus doping and record implications. 00:00 Podcast Introductions 01:11 Dad at the Concert 03:25 Marathon Week Buzz 05:10 Maya Taper Week 09:04 Tom Racing Approach 12:36 Run Club and Course Tips 15:37 Shakeout Run and Expo 19:33 Race Day Cheering 22:02 Race Morning Mindsets 28:38 Women and Men Predictions 33:57 Old School Speed Era 34:37 Race Picks and Comebacks 35:50 Marathon Fields Breakdown 38:13 Pace Groups and Strategy 39:30 Why Marathons Sell Out 41:44 Standalone Marathon Worlds Debate 46:30 European Road Racing Highlights 50:08 Running What Ifs 54:16 Doping and Record Stripping 56:44 Shoe Industry Purist Rant 59:22 On LightSpray Tech Future 01:03:44 LightSpray Fit and Ride Review 01:09:50 Release Info and Sign Off

Edit to the episode - the Nike unfortunatley isn't 40mm or under! On Cloudboom Vault vs Nike Zoom Fly 6 | (Run Spesh: Sole Mates) Oska and Tom from Frontrunner Colombo's Run Spesh "Sole Mates" compare two new the On Cloudboom Vault and the Nike Zoom Fly 6. They discuss why staying under the 40mm stack limit matters for age-group racing, then break down specs and ride feel. The Cloudboom Vault is ~210g with a 5mm drop, Helion HF foam, and a carbon-infused composite plate that's more forgiving than full carbon, but it has a narrow base and less stability, with a roomy upper and a stronger rocker for quicker turnover. The Zoom Fly 6 is slightly heavier (~214g women's US8), wider and more stable with heel protection, ZoomX foam, a flexible plate, strong waffle traction, but a shallower, cinched upper; it's also noted as sharp value at NZ$290 versus the On at NZ$340. They recommend trying both due to fit and feel differences. 00:00 Welcome to Soulmates 00:46 Shoes on Deck 01:34 Race Legal Trainer Racers 02:33 Cloudboom Vault Breakdown 02:55 Carbon Infused Plate Explained 04:21 Fit Stability and Ride 06:48 Zoom Fly 6 Overview 08:39 Upper Fit and Value 09:53 Pricing and Comparisons 10:44 Final Picks and Wrap Up

https://frontrunnercolombo.co.nz/

Run Spesh: Wild Hamner Training Camp Tales + Nike Pegasus 42 Review + Christchurch Marathon Week Plans Oska, Tom, and Maia from Frontrunner Colombo chat through a chaotic weekend training camp trip to Hamner that started with sideways rain, TT bikes in gale-force winds, and a mid-ride turnaround before salvaging the camp with cycling, running, swimming, and pub hangs, plus stories about their wheelchair-using swim coach Rolly and his personality. They cover injury updates on a hamstring, upcoming Christchurch racing (including a 10K and the women's half marathon field), mindset around pacing and workouts, and frustration with elite-level doping while noting standout performances like Kai Robinson's sub-27 10K and Christian's rapid-fire 70.3 wins. They discuss Nike product returning to stores and review the Nike Pegasus 42: $240, durable ReactX feel, full-length Air Zoom, curvy last, and an everyday "more fun Ghost" option. They finish with Christchurch Marathon week run club and expo details and taper advice. 00:00 Podcast intro chaos 01:20 Christchurch long run vibes 01:57 Headwind bike mission 05:21 Hamner camp recap 05:53 Rolly stories and laughs 08:20 Training load and recovery 10:16 Watching the podcast back 12:41 Hamstring update and rehab 15:32 Christchurch 10K plans 18:02 Mindset chats and sleep 21:30 Workout confidence debate 25:27 Christchurch half field hype 29:07 Doping in distance running 32:37 Doping and Integrity 33:49 Aussie Sub-27 Breakthrough 35:13 Triathlon Double Win 38:54 Nike Returns to NZ 41:27 Run Club Community 43:40 Cartoon Nostalgia Detour 45:20 Topless Winter Runner 50:40 Pegasus 42 Deep Dive 58:27 Marathon Week Plans 01:01:14 Taper Week Mindset