Sam & Katie sit down with Phil & Ady, the founders of Parola Run Club. Since summer 2023, the crew has been meeting at the North Gong Kiosk every Tuesday at 6 am – rain, hail or shine. What started as a way to keep their uni friend group connected and accountable has grown into a thriving community, with 30 runners turning up to the very first session. Phil shares how the club boosted his basketball fitness and led to a half marathon, while Ady talks through running a sub-4 marathon time trial around Wollongong and balancing her training with strength and HIIT work.

Training Weeks Ady’s week includes a mix of strength training, HIIT sessions, and three runs, giving her a well-rounded approach to fitness. Phil is getting back into the rhythm of run club and regular gym sessions after returning from a long holiday in Europe. Katie logs 50 kilometres for the week, fitting in track K reps on Tuesday, a Friday threshold run, bike cross-training, and Hyrox. Sam starts the week with mile repeats, follows up with an iron infusion on Wednesday, and rounds it out with a gritty but solid City2Surf in 56 minutes.

Café Kit of the Week Low bun hairstyle Body Glide Vital+ Steam Sauna

Round the Club Shoutouts Amy O’Halloran – RMA Pete Naseby – Wollongong Track Club The whole Parola Run Club crew

Down the Track – Episode 1: Lucy Holman

We're kicking off the very first episode of Down the Track with none other than Lucy Holman — a powerhouse on the local distance running scene.

Lucy stamped her authority in 2024 by winning both Shellharbour Marathons — in April and September — and clocking a rapid 2:56 marathon in the process. But she didn’t stop there. Just recently, she took on the Huskisson Ultra, running an incredible 110km in 10 hours and 13 minutes, winning the women’s race and finishing 2nd overall.

We chat about her evolution as a runner, the mental and physical demands of ultras, and what keeps her chasing the next challenge. A perfect guest to launch our new series and set the tone for what’s to come.

This week, Sam & Katie chat with James Constantine — a well-known face in the running scene as the Digital Marketing Manager for Pont3, the team behind Sydney Marathon’s push for World Major status. James shares insights into the campaign, his personal running journey, and how he’s now balancing training with family life. With standout PBs including 16:06 for 5K (solo lockdown TT) and 2:52 for the marathon, James is setting his sights on Ballarat Marathon 2026 with a new PB in mind.

James also takes us back to a memorable training week from two years ago, packed with solid sessions alongside his run crew.

Training Recap • Katie clocks 24km while juggling a house move and maintaining cross-training consistency on the bike. • Sam hits his biggest week in a while with 108km, including a 17:55 5K TT and a "not-quite-hilly" tempo run dodging a bit of traffic.

☕ Café Kit of the Week

• Nike Trail Pegasus

• Meteo Weather App (for runners)

• Arm Sleeves by One Running

🏃‍♀️ Round the Club Shoutouts

• Kaitlin Gleeson

• Alex Bergan

• Lauren Reid