Join us for two incredible stories from the Ballarat Marathon! Dane Ottesen shares his inspiring marathon debut, clocking a remarkable 2:46, while Greg Frost reflects on his 2:28 finish—achieving a lifelong running goal.

Get a feel for the course, the atmosphere, and why this event should be on your radar for 2026. Whether you're chasing a PB or your first marathon finish, this episode will get your heart pumping.

Sam and Katie chat with Sinead MacCana. Sinead is the founder of RISE&RUN Bali, a thriving community running group based in Canggu, Bali. Her running journey began alongside her career in Personal Training in Australia, where she also completed her first marathon.

Presented with a unique opportunity, Sinead took on the Bali Hope Ultra — an 84km charity ultramarathon. To prepare, she made the bold decision to move to Bali, start a run club from her home to fundraise, and then complete the event. After the ultra, Sinead chose to keep the run club going, which has since blossomed into a vibrant community of almost 100 expats gathering each week for a group run in Canggu, along with a hill interval session every Thursday.

Sinead also shares her best tips for running safely in Bali, including:

• Being cautious of stray dogs

• Navigating scooters and traffic

• Safety tips for female runners

• Finding a supportive running community upon arrival

She also walks us through her typical training week, which during the recent RISE&RUN Bali Retreat, included a full roster of running sessions, strength training, and fun activities across Bali. The retreat capped off with a Sunday Half Marathon — and a 50km long run for Sinead!

Meanwhile, Katie faced a rough trip back to Australia, losing a day in transit and battling some knee swelling post-flight. Despite the setback, she pieced together 82km for the week, including some strong threshold work. Sam put in a solid and social 88km week, with his key session — 4 x 8-minute threshold reps — integrated into the Wollongong 10k, navigating through a busy race environment.

Café Kit of the Week:

• MapleRoo Gels

• LSKD Tights and Shorts

• Voltaren Cream

• Hirudoid Cream

Round the Club Shoutouts:

• Cameron Bailey – Four Endurance

• Reece Nikitaras – Your Local Run Club

• RISE&RUN Retreat Attendees

Find out more about RISE&RUN Bali here:

https://www.instagram.com/riserunbali/

Sam and Katie catch up with Sarah Reiter, Tracksmith athlete and longtime friend of Katie’s from college. Sarah’s resume is stacked with personal bests ranging from 16:21 for 5,000m to 2:31 for the marathon. Most recently, she placed 24th at the Boston Marathon, clocking a solid 2:33 on a course that chewed up many.

Sarah gives us an inside look at her peak training week, logging 85 miles (~137km) with plenty of hills and a mix of threshold, marathon pace, and anaerobic sessions. This was one of eight intense weeks during her marathon build. She walks us through her taper, mental approach, and how she pulled off a near-perfect day in Boston—running a controlled, even effort with just a one-minute positive split in the challenging second half.

Then, Sam shares the story behind pulling out of the Christchurch Marathon and skipping the New Zealand trip. Instead, he jumped into the Canberra Half Marathon, where he powered through a tough course before bouncing back quickly the following Saturday with a 30-minute tempo, including parkrun.

Katie rounds out the episode with her own racing update, taking 4th overall at the Run the River Half and clocking a strong 1:23. She’s stringing together some consistent work and looking sharp.

Café Kit of the Week ☕️

• Tracksmith Gloves 🧤

• Nike Trail Apparel 🏞️

• Depop for Secondhand Running Gear ♻️