Explore every episode of the podcast The Back Straight Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Ep. 80 - Luke Dinsmore Interview - Belfast Half Results - Seaton Classic - XC Season Opening Fixture | 30 Sep 2026 | 01:16:40 | |
I know we say this every time, but there sure has been a lot on running-wise the past two weeks! In episode 80 we have a great interview with Annandale Strider's Luke Dinsmore fresh off a brilliant Half Marathon debut in Copenhagen. In addition that we packed the episode full of results and talking points from all of the great road racing and off-road events that have occurred since we last released. Not an episode to be missed, thanks for being here! If you are interested in checking out the great offerings from Precision Fuel and Hydration, please support the pod and use our discount code TBS15 or use this link and it'll automatically apply the discount! Thanks! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com
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| Ep. 79 - Ultimate Champs Recap - New ANI XC League - Local Results | 16 Sep 2026 | 01:05:21 | |
Plenty on for episode 79 of the Back Straight! We begin with some great results from the Laganside 10k, Derry HM, Dromiskin 5k before moving to a preview of the Belfast Half marathon this weekend! Alongside these great discussions we get chatting about the Ultimate Championships in Budapest, the new ANI XC league for 26/27 as well as preview the Irish contingent at the World Road Running Championships this weekend in Copenhagen. Plenty in there to satiate the hungry athletics ears, we hope you enjoyed it! If you are interested in checking out the great offerings from Precision Fuel and Hydration, please support the pod and use our discount code TBS15 or use this link and it'll automatically apply the discount! Thanks! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 78 - Antrim Coast Half - Coleraine Campus 5k - Zurich Diamond League ft. Stephen Connolly | 02 Sep 2026 | 01:47:35 | |
It's a really long format episode this week so bear with us! We had lots to go through including all of the main talking points from the local road racing action at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon as well as the Colerain Campus 5k + more! In part 2 we welcome friend of the podcast, Stephen Connolly, on to chat about his trip to the Zurich Diamond league where he was able to get up close and personal with the athletes and provide some brilliant insights! The sport is on fire in such a good way at the moment, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Hooroo. If you are keen to try some Precision Fuel and Hydration products for yourself feel free to use our discount code TBS15 or click this link for it to be directly applied at the checkout! Thanks for supporting us! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com
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| Ep. 77 - The European Championships catch-up ft. Conor Curran | 19 Aug 2026 | 01:02:44 | |
The title says it all! In this week's episode Michael is joined by Conor Curran, friend and frequent contributor to the podcast, for a catch-up on all the action from the European Championships! The fellas go deep on all of the major highlights with specific focus on the key Irish performances from the meet. In addition that we have some chat about the recent road racing and what is coming up on the Isle! Until next week hooroo! Check out Precision Fuel and Hydration if you want to level up your nutrition nd hydration game like Dan did in his race. Use this link or the code TBS15 for 15% of at checkout. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 76 - European Champs 2026 - Comm Games Recap - Dan's 100k race recap - Local results | 12 Aug 2026 | 00:54:56 | |
The Back Straight hosts might be trotting across the globe a bit currently but that is not going to stop the show from going on! In this episode we recap Dan's 2nd place at the Fjällmaraton 100k, some local results from the Carlingford 5k and Feile 10k, the Commonwealth games as well as some impressive track performances in GB as well as Europe. The episode then rolls into a full recap of the distance events at the European Champs thus far where Michael was in attendance to see the return of the king, Jakob Ingebritsen. We throw out two cents at how Nick must be feeling after his impressive 8th place in the 5000m with only one shoe for the last kilometre. Plenty of good stuff this episode, we hope you enjoy it! Check out Precision Fuel and Hydration if you want to level up your nutrition nd hydration game like Dan did in his race. Use this link or the code TBS15 for 15% of at checkout. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 75 - Nick Griggs - Irish National Champs - London Diamond League | 29 Jul 2026 | 01:13:39 | |
Welcome to episode 75 of the Back Straight Podcast! This episode is a real cracker as we are joined by Nick Griggs for a chat prior to him competing at both the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham. Nick is always a great guest and one of our favourites, we wish him well! In addition to the interview we have a full run-down of the distance results at the Irish National Track and Field Championships and a cap of the London Diamond League where Dan was there in person to witness the Mile World Record fall! As always, a big thanks to Precision Fuel and Hydration for their support. Feel free to check out their website for some great nutrition and hydration products as well as information about training and fuelling! Use TBS15 or this link to receive 15% off at the checkout. Take care of yourselves and we will see you soon! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 74 - Jasper McDowell Interview - Cork City & Morton Games Results - Diamond League chats | 17 Jul 2026 | 01:28:19 | |
Big old episode this week with a tonne of results from Cork City Sports, Morton Games, Watford BMC, Prefontaine Classic and the Monaco Diamond League! We round out part 1 with some speculations of what might happen in the London Diamond League. In part 2 we are joined by 2.19 marathoner and winner of the Rathmullan 5k for 2026, Jasper McDowell! Jasper has a very interesting story and he chats us through his Northern Irish roots, his running career so far being based in Geneva and what he thinks of the content creation world in relation to running! Big thanks to Precision Fuel and Hydration for supporting this episode, feel free to use TBS15 at the checkout or use this link for 15% off your next purchase! Until next time, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Zak Hanna on the Back Straight | 08 Jul 2026 | 01:00:14 | |
This week's interview features one of Ireland's leading mountain runners, Zak Hanna. Zak hails from the edge of Slieve Croob, is a Newcastle AC athlete, and sponsored runner for New Balance and Precision Fuel and Hydration. Zak talks us through how he got into running, the journey it has taken him on so far and the specific training requirements for his discipline. This was a great interview and we thank Zak for his time! If you have another athlete you want us to chat to, let us know! Keen on some Precision Fuel and Hydration products, feel free to use our discount code TBS15 for 15% off or checkout this link. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com
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| Ep. 73 - James Gormley Interview - Local Results and Track Action | 03 Jul 2026 | 01:12:19 | |
Another great interview on the Back Straight! This week we have James Gormley from Carmen Runners to chat about his career in running which has led to his selection for the mile at the Commonwealth Games. James breaks down his journey through the sport, how he trains, his coaching set up and what he hopes to achieve in the future! In addition to the brilliant interview we recap a bunch of local road races as well as some action internationally on the track and in the Diamond League circuit. As always, big thanks to Precision Fuel and Hydration for sponsoring the podcast! If you're keen to improve your running via their knowledge hub or by using some of their products, click this link and get yourself 15% off at checkout with TBS15. See you next week for another interview! Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Emmett Dunleavy on the Back Straight | 24 Jun 2026 | 01:08:14 | |
We are stoked to be joined by Emmett Dunleavy for an interview on the Back Straight this week. For those that aren't familiar with Emmett, he is one of Ireland's leading coaches and has a roster of athletes competing the very pinnacle of the sport. Emmett chats to us all about coaching; how he got into it, his philosophies and where he hopes it leads Athletics Ireland as we rocket towards LA 2028. In addition to the great coaching chats, Emmett shares is boundless knowledge on lactate threshold training among other pivotal training tools and additives that many of the top athletes are incorporating into their regimes and reaping the rewards. A huge thank you to Emmett for joining us, this is not one to be missed! If you are after some great nutrition products feel free to support the podcast by checking out our partner, Precision Fuel and Hydration. Our affiliate link is here - https://visit.pfandh.com/thebackstraight - or you can use TBS15 for 15% off at checkout! Thanks as always and hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 72 - Diamond League Reviews (ft. special guest) - NI & Ulster Senior Track Champs - Road Races - How to run 85 miles in a day | 17 Jun 2026 | 01:22:48 | |
Episode 72 is absolutely bursting at the seams with race results from three diamond leagues (including a special guest that attended two of them), local road races, the NI and Ulster Senior Track and Field Championships as well as the European Off-road Championships and a long long trail race in France that Danny had the pleasure of attending as support crew. If that doesn't get you up and about, I don't know what will! Don't forget to check out Precision Fuel and Hydration for some brilliant nutrition and hydration products - use this link - https://visit.pfandh.com/thebackstraight - or enter TBS15 at the checkout for 15% off your order! Thanks for listening and supporting the podcast! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Bonus Interview - Emily Haggard-Kearney | 10 Jun 2026 | 00:53:01 | |
Hey Back Straight Family! This week we are treating you all to a great interview we recorded with North Belfast Harrier's Emily Haggard-Kearney! Emily is a 4 time Irish Senior Team representative as well as the current 10km National Champion and winner of the 2026 Armagh International Road Races 3k! We really enjoyed this interview with Emily and hope you do too. Don't forget, if you're looking for some top quality nutrition and hydration products make sure to check out Precision Fuel and Hydration and use our discount code TBS15 for 15% off. Alternatively, just click this link and it'll take you right there - https://visit.pfandh.com/thebackstraight Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 71 - Luke Kelly interview - Track Results - Dan's race recap | 03 Jun 2026 | 01:23:14 | |
It is a long auld episode this week but with the amount of results and news flying about this past couple weeks we had to cover it all! Add onto that a brilliant interview with Luke Kelly and you've got yourself a tidy episode 71! In this one we get chatting about the recent BMCs, Rabat Diamond League, local athletes abroad, a race recap from Dan and plenty of chat about standards for Comm Games and Worlds next year! Big thanks for Luke Kelly for joining us for an interview, he is certainly on a heater at the moment! We hope you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out our partner Precision Fuel and Hydration and shop with the discount code or link below! Until next week, hooroo! Precision Discount code - TBS15 Precision affiliated link - https://visit.pfandh.com/thebackstraight Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 70 - Belfast BMC ft. Mark Kirk - Partnership announcement! - Local and International Results | 22 May 2026 | 00:58:40 | |
It might not be what you expected, but it's episode 70 of the Back Straight featuring Mark Kirk! We decided to put this episode together in advance of the Belfast BMC this coming weekend, and since there has been so much happening on the roads and track locally as well as abroad! Mark was a great guest as always and talks us through what to expect at this year's iteration of the Belfast BMC, and then we get stuck into the results and some controversy about the local prizes at the Belfast Marathon. We are also stoked to announce our partnership with Precision Fuel and Hydration. Check out our affiliate link below or use the code TBS15 for 15% off on their website! Thanks for listening, until next time, hooroo! Precision Fuel and Hydration link: https://visit.pfandh.com/thebackstraight Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 69 - Judith Storm Interview - Belfast Classic Recap - Belfast Marathon Recap | 13 May 2026 | 01:15:10 | |
In episode 69 of the Back Straight Podcast we keep it pretty simple with a recap of two recent events; The Belfast City Marathon and the Belfast Classic, whilst also featuring an interview with the recent national marathon champion, Judith Storm. The action in the marathon and at the Belfast Classic was unforgettable and it was great fun delving into it together. We also really enjoyed the chat with Judith, someone that we didn't know too much about but are now eagerly watching for all of the future events she signs up to. Thanks go to Judith for joining us on the episode and also to our listeners to tuning in! Until next time, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 10 - The FINALE! | 08 May 2026 | 01:22:31 | |
Well, what can we say! Both Paddy and Dearbhla ran fantastic races and came away with podium places locally! It has been an absolute joy catching up with these legends for the past 10 weeks and I know all the listeners feel the same! In this final episode we get a blow-by-blow recap of how the race played out for both of them, get some questions answered both from the fans and from Danny and hear what is next! Thanks to everyone that has listened and supported Dearbhla and Paddy during the block and on race day - it was truely special! We are already looking forward to the Road to Belfast 2027, but for now, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 9 - Race week and everything fuelling feat. Dr. Lindsey Hunt | 01 May 2026 | 01:04:35 | |
It's race week everyone, get pumped! This episode we get stuck into the taper and how it has gone so far! Paddy and Dearbhla tell us about how they rate their block and what they are looking for on race day. After that we are joined by Precision Fuel and Hydration's Dr. Lindsey Hunt to talk us through the carb load, electrolytes, race day nutrition as well as some listener questions. Thanks to Lindsey for the great chats and as always we hope everyone enjoyed the episode! Make sure to get out there and cheer out runners on this weekend! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 68 - Belfast Marathon Preview - London Recap - Superhero Aaron Beggs - The Belfast Classic ft. Eamonn Christie | 29 Apr 2026 | 01:07:46 | |
Phew, what an episode! Huge agenda this week with lots of marathon chat including a Belfast preview and London recap. After that we are joined by Aaron Beggs from North Down AC who has recently shot to fame with his heroic antics at the Boston Marathon. In part 2 we are joined by none other than the mastermind behind the Belfast Classic - Eamonn Christie! Eamonn chats to us all about the big runners in this year's iteration of the event, new sponsors and what to expect on the day! It is always a pleasure to chat to Eamonn and we appreciate him coming on at this busy time! Good luck to everyone running Belfast and we will see you soon! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 8 - Marathon regulations and pacing strategies | 24 Apr 2026 | 01:06:46 | |
It's episode 8, mate! This is the penultimate episode before the big day and both Paddy and Dearbhla are putting the finishing touches on what has been a brilliant prep! To that end, we chat about race day, the dos and don'ts and how they are going to approach the race. The exact strategies are somewhat vague but glean what you can from the superstar duo and watch it unfold on race day! Thanks for listening, see you next week! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 7 - The psychology of marathon training ft. Michael McKnight | 17 Apr 2026 | 01:09:13 | |
Tick-tock, tick-tock!! The clock is slowly winding down for the big day but there are still plenty of great episodes left with the amazing duo that is Dearbhla Cox and Patrick McColl! In episode 7 we chat about the training weeks as usual and then get the podcasting stalwart and brilliant coach coach that is Michael McKnight on to chat running psychology! We hope you enjoy this episode and we will see you next week! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 67 - A variety of athletics chats ft. Conor Curran and Connor McCann | 15 Apr 2026 | 01:24:51 | |
It was about time we got the Conor/Connor's back on for an episode and they really came through with the goods! In episode 67 we get chatting on a range of topics from Lille road races to Larne 10 miler, European Indoor Masters to Danny meeting Mondo Duplantis in the airport. It is not an episode to be missed and big thanks to both of the fellas for joining us. Stay tuned until the end for a surprise guest who talks us through an exciting new book about the history of NBH! Thanks for listening and we will be back soon! Hooroo. Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 6 - Training weeks and loads of craic! | 10 Apr 2026 | 01:02:51 | |
The weeks are flying by as well as the miles! Episode 6 is another absolute banger episode where Dearbhla and Paddy take us through their brilliant training weeks. After we finish with the recaps we then get chatting about all things from Easter chocolate, what they are looking forward to post Belfast Marathon, running influencers, inspiration + loads more! We hope you all enjoyed this episode, see you next week! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 5 - Omagh Half recap + favourite running gear | 03 Apr 2026 | 01:03:42 | |
Episode 5 fresh out of the oven! It's a funny old episode this one with a good few laughs amongst the training week recaps and chat about running gear essentials! Dearbhla did Omagh half marathon so she talks us through that and Paddy ticks off another huge week where he learned a lot. Thanks for listening everyone, we hope you enjoyed it! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 66 - Stephen Mc Auley - World Indoors - Omagh Half - Maurie Plant Meet | 01 Apr 2026 | 01:18:41 | |
The seasons are changing, and I don't mean Winter and Spring, it is marathon season! To commemorate this change we have the brilliant Stephen Mc Auley of Letterkenny AC. Stephen has been making waves both locally and farther afield for his unique approach to training that has seen him progress from a 3.19 marathon a couple of years ago to now having run 2.15 in the 2025 Valencia Marathon. We hope you enjoy this interview alongside the recent race results and track operating discussion! As always, thanks for listening and we will see you in a couple of weeks! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 4 - Recovery and max mileage! | 27 Mar 2026 | 00:57:03 | |
It's just over 5 weeks to go until race day and both Dearbhla and Paddy are smashing it! Huge long run workouts from both the athletes and highest weekly mileage for Dearbhla, EVER! Paddy talks us through his week and some new shoes from the Running Bubble that have been giving him that extra pop! Dearbhla on the other hand has been getting it done whilst dodging sickness from all angles, she even ran a massive 20 mile workout with fellow Annadale Strider, Lea Adamson. Once we get done with the weekly recaps, it is time to chat about recovery. Let us know about your thoughts on recovery and I am sure Paddy and Dearbhla will take any tips going! Until next week, thanks for listening. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 3 - Nutrition in Training | 20 Mar 2026 | 00:55:55 | |
Feast your ears on episode 3 of the Road to Belfast ft. Patrick McColl and Dearbhla Cox! They are absolutely smashing their training at the moment and the topic for this week was an average day of eating + other tidbits about nutrition whilst marathon training! We hope you enjoy it! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 65 - Road Racing Season - World Indoors Preview - Danny's Barcelona Recap | 19 Mar 2026 | 00:58:52 | |
Monster episode this week for episode 65! We recap a load of races and talk about all of the big stories including the Queen's 5k, Craic 10k and the Inter Counties Cross Country Nottingham + heaps more! In part 2 we preview the World Indoors happening in Poland this coming weekend and Danny gives us a recap of his Barcelona Marathon experience where he went under the 2:30 barrier! Thanks for listening and we look forward to catching up in a fortnight's time! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast - Episode 2 - Race Recaps & Training Block Chat | 13 Mar 2026 | 00:58:01 | |
Dearbhla and Paddy are back after brilliant weekends competing against some awesome competition! Dearbhla is fresh off the back of competing in the Inter-counties Cross Country Championships in Nottingham where the NI ladies team took silver! Paddy, well he only went and ran a PB down in Bohermeen running 68:16 - some pup! It was a great chat for episode 2 where we recapped the races and then spoke about must-haves session ad structure wise for a marathon block. Rounding out the episode we spoke about the brilliant setup at the Running Bubble Lisburn and their gait analysis technology! Book yourself in for a consultation, it is seriously worthwhile! Thanks for listening, see you next week! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Road to Belfast 2026 - Episode 1 - Meet the Marathoners! | 06 Mar 2026 | 00:55:03 | |
The Road to Belfast is back for another year and we are stoked! This year we will be joined by none other than Annadale Strider's finest, Dearbhla Cox, and the young gun, Patrick McColl, from RoadRunners AC. Dearbhla and Paddy will be sharing their weekly training updates and giving their perspective on different marathon topics as they get closer to race day. Belfast Marathon is about 8 weeks away so there will be plenty of ground covered, we hope you enjoy it! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com Intro and outro music: Antidote by Tim Winterflood | |||
| Ep. 64 - Irish Indoors - Lughaidh Mallon - Trafford and Castellon 10k - Tokyo Marathon - USATF HM Champs - Race Previews | 04 Mar 2026 | 01:19:00 | |
Big old episode this week with a tonne of stuff happening on the indoor track on the roads! We go deep on the results from the Irish National Indoor Championships and even get chatting to the 2026 1500m champion, Lughaidh Mallon! After this it is a tonne of other results from Tokyo, the United States, Spain and more! We round out the episode with some things we are looking forward to and one of those things is the 2026 Road to Belfast Series! Stay tuned for the first episode dropping on Friday! We hope you enjoyed this episode, feel free to give us a rating if you did! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 63 - Armagh International Road Races ft. Interviews + Local and International results | 18 Feb 2026 | 01:02:24 | |
It's the Armagh recap and what a nightmare it was to edit! Big thanks to Nick, Callum, Cormac and Fiona for the interviews (unfortunately the Emily Haggard Kearney and Lughaidh Mallon audio was unusable). We had a fantastic time at the Armagh International Road Races and we go deep on our recap in this episode! Following that it is a bunch of local and international results from the Stormont XC as well as Seville and the Irish Masters XC. Back next week for an interview so send in any suggestions of people to get on or things to ask! Until then, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 62 - NI & Ulster Senior XC ft. Léa Adamson - Armagh 3k/5k preview | 11 Feb 2026 | 01:15:14 | |
Welcome to episode 62 of the Back Straight Podcast where we are previewing the Armagh International Road Races happening Thursday the 12th of February. As well as this, we get chatting about all of the local XC results from the Malcolm Cup to the NI and Ulster Senior XC. There were some brilliant results from the Trim 10 mile that also deserved a mention and then finally we recap some of the stunning results from the indoor track by local and international athletes. Hang around for part 2 of the episode where we have a very special interview with Léa Adamson who is the 2026 Senior XC Champion! Big shoutout to Léa for joining us on the episode, we hope you all enjoy it! Until next time, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 61 - Jack O'Leary | 28 Jan 2026 | 01:19:02 | |
Thanks for joining us for another episode! In part 1 of the ep. we we go through some local results in the cross country and from the indoor track meets in Boston where NI and World Records fell! In part 2 we were absolutely stoked to chat to Mullingar Harrier and 27:41 10k runner, Jack O'Leary! Jack talks to us all about his brilliant results from 2025, what has led to the fine run of recent form in the EuroCross and Valencia 10k. Jack then takes us through what is next on the calendar and what he hopes to achieve. Once again, big thanks to Jack and we wish him the best for future races. Hooroo for now! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 60 - 2026 Season Opener ft. Conor Curran and Connor McCann | 14 Jan 2026 | 01:08:43 | |
It's a banging episode to kick-off 2026 and we decided to bring in the big guns! We are joined by athletics nerds Conor Curran and Connor McCann to help us recap all of the recent local results, Valencia 10k, World Cross + loads more! Once we get through the results section we then look back at our highlights for 2025 from an Irish and international perspective and share our thoughts on what we are looking forward to in 2026. We hope you enjoy the first episode for 2026 and a HUGE thank you to the lads from NBH for joining us. Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 59 - European Cross Country ft. Nick Griggs, Callum Morgan and Mark Kirk | 19 Dec 2025 | 01:22:00 | |
This one is all about the Euro Cross! In part 1 we recap the results from each race and highlight some of the standout Irish performances. In part 2 we welcome European Champions Nick Griggs and Callum Morgan as well as the master coach that is Mark Kirk! We recap the race and what it means to the lads and then get chatting about what is to come. Big thanks to the trio for joining us on the pod and a massive thanks to all our listeners for a great year. We are excited for 2026 and all that is to come! Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 58 - Seeley Cup ft. Conall McClean - European XC preview ft. Finn Diver - Local XC action | 10 Dec 2025 | 01:22:52 | |
Busy couple of weeks calls for a jam-packed episode! In part 1 of the episode we dive into all of the results from the Irish Novice Cross Country in Abbottstown and Irwin Spiers XC before we recap the 2025 Seeley Cup! To help us with the recap we bring the men's winner - Conall McClean onto the pod to hear about what was happening at the pointy end and how this changes the game for him and his training partners. In part 2 we dive into a preview of the upcoming European Cross Country in Portugal and highlight some of the local talent and international talent that will be lacing up down there. Thanks for listening to the episode, we will be back soon! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Abdel Laadjel on The Back Straight - 9th at NCAA National Cross | 03 Dec 2025 | 00:58:37 | |
Abdel Laadjel is an Irish International and current Oregon Duck. Abdel recently became an All-American XC runner placing 9th at the NCAA Div 1 Cross Country Championships. Abdel has had a brilliant year thus far on the grass and track and looks set to smash some PBs such as his 13:29 5,000m. It was great catching up with Abdel and hearing what it is like running for Oregon alongside his teammates as well as elite athletes such as Charles Hicks. Abdel shares his plans for the future and some of his favourite bits of gear and training sessions. Thanks again to Abdel for joining us and we hope the listeners enjoyed this very special episode. Hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 57 - 2025 National XC Championships ft. Brian Fay and Fiona Everard | 26 Nov 2025 | 01:27:02 | |
The National Cross Country Championships 2025 was hosted in Derry this year and The Back Straight is delighted to welcome the National Champions onto the podcast! Super grateful to have the amazing Fiona Everard from Bandon AC and the charming Brian Fay from Raheny Shamrocks who are your champs for this year. This episode is very centred on the races in the muck over the weekend but we do venture proverbially to the US for some great results in the NCAA XC Champs. Rounding out the episode we throw out some contenders for the Seeley Cup this coming weekend, who have you got on the podium? Let us know in the comments. Look out for the Abdel Laadjel episode dropping next week and until next time, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 56 - Irish Senior XC Preview - Cross Country Results - 100 mile World Record | 12 Nov 2025 | 01:10:07 | |
This is the cross country episode of the year with epic results popping off both locally and internationally. We review all of the recent action from the McConnell Shield in Ballyclare, the Novice XC in Stranolar as well as some brilliant results out of the States and San Sebastián. A few other talking points hit the agenda such as Caitriona Jennings' amazing 100 Mile World Record this past week. In Part 2 of the episode we were delighted to welcome Dara Furey and Allan Bogle from City of Derry Spartans to help us preview the Irish National Cross Country in a few weekends time. The Derry men talk to us all about what to expect on course, how the event came about and who the big hitters will be on the day. This is not an episode to be missed and we look forward to seeing any listeners up in Derry in a few weeks. Until then, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 55 - 2025 Dublin Marathon ft. David McGlynn (Irish National Champion) - Local Results + Nick Griggs documentary premiere! | 29 Oct 2025 | 01:27:51 | |
It is an absolutely massive episode this week as we are still reeling from the amazing results at the 2025 Dublin Marathon! We are very lucky to be joined by the 2025 Irish National Marathon Champion - David McGlynn - for an interview and race recap. David was a great guest and it was epic to hear how the race played out for him as well as what went into the achievement. Plenty of Northern Irish runners toed the start-line in Dublin as well and we recapped a few standout performances. In part 2 we go through a few more results from the past fortnight and get chatting to Isaac McCollum - the man behind the new Nick Griggs documentary which had it's recent premiere. Stay tuned for a link on that front and thanks again for listening! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 54 - Armagh 10 Mile - Comber Cup - Chicago Marathon - Autumn Open XC and Dublin Marathon Previews | 15 Oct 2025 | 01:06:16 | |
Plenty to chat about in episode 54 as we have some great action on the roads of Armagh and in the fields of Comber! In addition to that we get chatting about Chicago Marathon and the main stories there as well as the upcoming Dublin Marathon that always produces some great results. Rounding out the episode we look towards the Autumn XC International and the Galloper Thompson 5k this coming weekend. Finally, we share our thoughts on training and racing over the muck and what to consider when looking for a running coach. We hope you enjoyed this episode, we certainly did! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Darragh McElhinney on The Back Straight - Tokyo World Champs Recap | 10 Oct 2025 | 01:11:48 | |
Savage guest on the pod this week, Irish international and recent representative at the Tokyo World Champs, Darragh McElhinney! We are delighted to have Darragh on the pod as he talks us through his origin in the sport and bumpy road in the lead up to the Tokyo World Champs. Agonisingly close to making the final in the 5,000m, Darragh still made Ireland proud with his efforts and we look forward to seeing where his career takes him next. Thanks for listening and cheers Darrragh for giving us the time. Until next time, hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 53 - Belfast Half ft. Dearbhla Cox - Seaton Classic ft. Craig McMeechan | 01 Oct 2025 | 01:18:23 | |
Episode 53 of the Back Straight Podcast revolves around two interviews with some local champions over the half and 10k distance on the roads of Belfast and Bangor. In the first half of the episode we recap the results from the Belfast Half Marathon where over 7,500 people took part. Top of the podium in the women's race was Dearbhla Cox from Annandale Striders so we called her up for an interview - thanks Derv! In part two of the episode we recapped the Seaton Classic 10k in Bangor, and, similar to part one, we called upon the man of the moment, Craig McMeechan, to join us for an interview after his emphatic win. Lots of other tidbits in this episode as well, we hope you enjoyed it! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 52 - Davey Seaton - World Champs - Local Races | 17 Sep 2025 | 01:06:56 | |
Michael and Danny are delighted to welcome Davey Seaton onto the Back Straight to chat about his impactful career in Northern Irish Athletics as both as a brilliant runner and top-class administrator. The Seaton Classic is looming on the calendar and Davey helps us understand the main players in this years iteration of the race named after him. In addition to the great chat we have with Davey, we also get some results and previews of some local races out and a good segment on the World Champs which has been drama-filled! Thanks for listening and share the episode round if you enjoyed it! Hooroo. Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 51 - Patrick Sheridan - Local Results | 03 Sep 2025 | 01:11:54 | |
Brilliant to welcome Newcastle man Patrick Sheridan onto the podcast after the breakout season he has had on the track. Patrick talks so us all about his return to running after a decade pursuing football and how his self-coached approach has yielded fantastic results so far. We talk all about Patrick's mindset for his focus event in the 800m and his goals for the future. In addition to all we discussed with Patrick we recap a load of results on the roads and track, this is not an episode to be missed! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 50 - Return of the Roadrunners ft. Caitlyn Harvey and Noel McNally | 20 Aug 2025 | 01:08:49 | |
Great to have Caitlyn and Noel back on the podcast for a 50th episode! We get a full catch-up with both of these local legends on how their year has been thus far and what is on the agenda in the lead up to Dublin Marathon. Noel and Caitlyn talk to us all about the Roadrunner night of the races, how the group is going, coaching plans and their nutrition sponsor that has come on board. On top of this thorough catch-up we then go into some results from the local and international track scene and then preview the NI and Ulster Road Relays and a short piece on the Antrim Coast Half Marathon. Another great episode and a big thank you to Noel and Caitlyn for joining us, hooroo for now! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 49 - Conor Curran returns - Irish National Championships - Local Road Results - Upcoming meets | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:59:50 | |
Danny is out, Conor is back! Big thank you to the man from North Belfast for jumping on the podcast and chatting all things National Championships, road running results and upcoming meets! We hope you enjoy this insightful episode with Michael and Conor! Contact us here: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com Instagram - @thebackstraightpodcast
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| Ep. 48 - Lughaidh Mallon on the Back Straight - Dan's London Diamond League Experience - Irish Track Meets & Euro U23 Champs | 23 Jul 2025 | 01:00:17 | |
Big title for a big episode! You read that right, this episode we are joined by none other than Northern Ireland's 16th person to break 4 minutes for the mile, Lughaidh Mallon! Lughaidh chat's to Michael about his rise in the sport and running in Belfast as well as his move to competing for DCU. Lughaidh has many great races ahead of him and we wish him well in the future. In part 1 of the episode we get chatting about the European U23 championships in Bergen, Norway, where there were 5 medals by Irish athletes in total! Adding to this we cover some of the big stories from the Morton Games and Cork City Sports track meets. We finish off the first half with a chat about Ruth Chepnegetich's doping ban and how we see the sport currently. Thanks for listening, we will see you soon! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Ep. 47 - Zoe Toland and Thomas Elfenbein - Plethora of results | 09 Jul 2025 | 01:15:05 | |
Lots has been happening on the track since you last heard from us here at the Back Straight! We go into all the results from France, Tullamore, Eugene Diamond League, Irish Milers Crusaders, Ards Half-marathon and the group selected to represent Ireland in Bergen, Norway! Part 2 of the episode (42 mins) we get chatting to the new Aussies in town, Zoe Toland and Thomas Elfenbein from Adelaide! These two have been tearing it up since arriving in Belfast and we are super stoked to have them on the podcast. Until next time, hooroo! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||
| Who is Andrew Thompson? Bonus episode on the Back Straight | 05 Jul 2025 | 00:29:35 | |
Andrew Thompson? Who is he? How is he running 1.46 in his second year competing in the event? What is his link to Northern Ireland and what led him to signing with North Belfast Harriers? The man from Carrickfergus shares it all in this bonus episode. We hope you enjoy it! Contact us here: Instagram: @thebackstraightpodcast Email: thebackstraightpod@gmail.com | |||