Runbelievable: Real Runners, Unreal Stories

At 33 years old, Jen found herself starting over.

Her marriage had ended, she had moved back in with her parents, and for the first time in years she was trying to rediscover who she was outside of a relationship that had slowly taken over her life.

Then her sister suggested something simple: parkrun.

Jen had never been a runner, but something about the idea sparked a curiosity... and it completely transformed her life.

In this episode...

Brett Petersen has been logging every single exercise session since 1994. Yup, madness!

Long before Strava and smartwatches existed, Brett opened a spreadsheet and started tracking his runs. Three decades later, the streak continues.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Natty (yes, you read correctly) sit down with Brett to unpack a lifetime shaped by running. From sprinting 2k home from kindergarten as a 5-year old (his poor...

Channa Marsh knows what it means to reset.

In 2020, she travelled from Perth to Queensland for a triathlon… and never went home. COVID border closures stripped away her house, job direction, and community overnight. What followed was months of rebuilding; and a shift from triathlon to running that would redefine her path.

Since then, Channa has podiumed in road races, won the SEQ Trail Series long course, endured her first DNF after ...

Jill Genereux never saw herself as “the runner type.”

When she started running in 2015, her first mile took 18 minutes.. and she nearly burnt herself out trying to improve too quickly. But what began as a weight-loss and mental-clarity experiment slowly evolved into something far deeper.

In this powerful episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Jill to unpack her transformation; from burnout and rebuilding, to winter ...

Most runners ignore injury advice… until they can’t run.

Joe Keain is different. An endorsed podiatrist and director at Podfit Podiatry in Adelaide... and a runner himself... Joe understands both sides of the injury conversation. From shin splints and Achilles tendinopathy to load management, orthotics, and overuse, he’s lived the mistakes many runners repeat.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Joe to ta...

Ari Ethel has always been active; but running didn’t become hers until life became proper full.

After competitive Division II soccer, three kids, and a schedule that never slowed down, running shifted from off-season conditioning to a non-negotiable outlet. What started as short, humbling runs.. became a steady practice that helped her manage anxiety, reclaim autonomy, and rebuild identity on her own terms.

In this episode of Runbeli...

Rodney Law might be the most recognisable face in the local running community... and not just because he’s routinely dressed as Santa.

Since being talked into a 500km relay back in 2014, Rodney’s running journey has been filled with highs, humour, and a truly impressive list of setbacks. Narcosis of the toes, a torn meniscus, bike crashes, and a near on-course collision with a car... yet he keeps coming back with the same grin and w...

Carly Barkle’s running journey isn’t a straight line... it’s a true masterclass in persistence.

From elite junior sport and state-level netball to months of illness with glandular fever, chronic fatigue, single parenting, and a staggering run of surgeries, Carly’s story is defined not by uninterrupted success, but by her refusal to stay down (as she says, get knocked down seven times. get up eight).

In this powerful episode of Runbel...

Shona Farr didn’t set out to become a runner; she just wanted to walk 5k in under 50min.

What started as power-walking at the back of the pack quietly turned into running, racing, injury setbacks, and a deep love for the running community. Along the way, Shona navigated a broken ankle (in fact, twice), torn ligaments, post-menopause training, and the self-doubt that comes with starting later in life.

In this truly uplifting episode o...

Will Pattinson didn’t ease into change; he went all in.

After years of a destructive lifestyle, Will reached a point where something snapped. No dramatic trigger. No slow build. Just a day where he’d had enough. What followed was a radical lifestyle overhaul that began with daily steps and quickly evolved into marathon running, ultra distances, and an uncompromising commitment to change.

In this raw and fast-moving episode of Runbeli...

Nat Rischin never saw herself as a runner.

She grew up doubting her physical ability, struggled with confidence, and spent years stopping and starting; both in running and in believing in herself.

What began with a 5km "fun run" in 2008... while still smoking... slowly evolved into something far deeper. Through knee pain, health scares, heart surgery, near-miss goals, and plenty of self-doubt, Nat kept showing up... and alw...

Nothing says Christmas like dragging your festive pudding to parkrun and sticking a microphone in people’s faces (we literally did that!).

In this very special Christmas episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty take the podcast out of the studio and straight to their local parkrun for a festive vox-pop extravaganza. From milestone runners and volunteers to semi-elites and everyday legends who were just happy to still be standing i...

Natasha Sneddon never imagined she’d be a runner... and was embarrassed to even walk her first parkrun. Yet somehow, one step at a time, she found herself racking up over 100 parkruns, training with a coach, and lining up for the Sydney Marathon in honour of her late grandfather.

Along the way, running became more than exercise. It became connection, purpose, and a way to navigate the emotional weight of having Huntington’s disease ...

Garry Jackson has lived two lives: one before running… and one after.

At ~120kg, smoking up to 70 cigarettes a day and drinking hard, Garry never imagined he’d become a runner. But between his father’s terminal illness and the birth of his second child, life forced a reckoning. One day (whilst mixing tunes) he stepped onto a treadmill, ran 200 metres, and everything changed.

What followed wasn’t just weight loss or fitness, it was a ...

She walked every school sports event. Struggled with asthma. Hated anything remotely physical. Yet somehow... became an ultra-runner.

Crystal Barnes has one of the most unexpected running journeys you’ll hear. From joining a run club at 21, to smashing out a half marathon, full marathon, and then an ultra just weeks later, Crystal’s rise was fast, determined, and fuelled by a love of community as much as the sport itself.

But the las...

Running isn’t always about pushing harder; sometimes, it’s about knowing when to pull back.

For Melbourne-based runner Eva Bertram, running has always been about joy: no Strava, no data, no watch... just the feeling of getting out the door. From conquering Point to Pinnacle (the world’s "toughest half marathon"), to a New Year’s Eve “Run the Clock” adventure at the You Yangs complete with fireworks, a wine necklace, and a ...

Running doesn’t just build fitness; sometimes, it rebuilds a sense of self.

For carpenter and father of three Craig Parsons, running began in a rather unique way. Balancing long hours, physical work, and family life, Craig has faced anxiety, alcohol, and self-doubt head-on... proving that strength isn’t about muscle, it’s about mindset.

In this raw and honest episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty talk with Craig about the challe...

Episode Description

Some running stories start with a race. Nicole’s started with a pair of worn Reeboks and a cotton T-shirt.

The day before her 40th birthday, she went for her first jog; a spontaneous decision that changed everything. From San Rafael to New York, Nicole discovered how running could rebuild confidence, reshape body image, and connect her to a global community.

In this funny, fearless, and deeply human episode, Joshie...

Episode Description

Some runners live for data. Andy Reddiex isn’t one of them.

The chicken-breeding, surfing, DIY-loving accountant has battled abdominal injuries, ankle problems, and even heart surgery; yet somehow keeps running with quiet determination and minimal fanfare. Not on Strava, not chasing medals, just running for the love of it.

In this grounded and inspiring episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Andy ...