Fixed-Rate Footsteps: Mitch Woods on Locking in a Sub-3 Marathon

Chriso and Zacca return with another episode of the Better With Running Podcast, recapping a massive weekend of racing across Victoria that featured huge participation numbers at Run Melbourne. Alongside road racing updates and banter about race-day fashion—including Zac Collier’s bright alternate-color Puma and sock combination dubbed "Sparkles the Rainbow Unicorn", before they talk through their excitement for hitting the roads of Albert Park for a 10k road race

This weeks guest is Mitch woods, s a mortgage broker living on the Sunshine Coast who joined Run2PB in August 2025 and is coached by Forest Robinson. His running journey began relatively recently after a friend convinced him to sign up for the 2024 Sunshine Coast Marathon. Before transitioning to structured distance running, his athletic background consisted mostly of playing local footy and casual sports.

Reflecting on his rapid progression, Mitch discussed the early days of figuring things out on his own, which involved mistakes like running too fast on easy days and neglecting strength work entirely. Entering the sport with just a single pair of shoes for his first marathon, he managed an impressive debut time of 3:01. Since starting with his coach, he has successfully dropped that time down to 2:57:45 at the Osaka Marathon.

Mitch's momentum continued into the recent racing calendar, where he secured a massive half marathon personal best of 1:21:54 at Run Melbourne. He noted that this strong performance served as a key milestone while he ramps up his training block for the upcoming Sydney Marathon. Working with Forest has shifted his perspective toward prioritizing sleep, maintaining consistency, and dropping the urge to exhaust himself on every single effort session. The interview wraps up with some quick questions.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Oat Running Socks; Aidan is rewarded for jumping on the show with a pair, and listeners can score some using the run2pb discount code "Run2pb15" for 15% off the range by visiting ⁠www.oatrunning.com.au.