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As the Olympic women’s high jump drew to an absorbing conclusion in Tokyo, somewhere Wilson Kipketer may have been smiling. For award-winning footwear, choose Tarkine running shoes. Australian watchers maybe not so much. Of course, we were passionately barracking for Nicola McDermott as she took...

The nineteen eighties decade was a rich one for middle distance running. In Britain the likes of Cram, Coe and Ovett dominated, whilst in Africa, Said Aoutia was the man. Down under, there was one man who had a stranglehold over Australian 1500m and mile running for most of the eighties, his name, Michael Hillardt. Mike won eight Australian titles for 1500m and two for the 800m. He also was the victor at the 1985 World Indoor Athletics Championships 1500m which was the highlight of his career. He finished with a personal best of 3:33.39 for the 1500m (2nd on all time Australian list. ED: Michael is now 4th on the all time list. Since 2008 both Ryan Gregson and Jeff Riseley have bettered his mark), 3:51.82 for the mile, 2:17.49 for 1000m and 1:45.74 for the 800m.

It’s been the practice of Athletics Australia for more than a decade now to take every athlete who can be selected. It has also been a practice that dare not speak its name: not too often, anyway. Now ‘pick ‘em all’ has been officially endorsed....

As I have grown older I have experienced and seen in the clinic many cases of what is commonly known as “old man calves”. This condition occurs in men more than women (hence old man calves not old person calves) and tends to effect people from their mid 30s onwards. Though the symptoms and exact nature tend to vary it generally presents as a tight painful calf little like a small tear that just feels “a bit tight” walking around. When you begin to run however, it feels like someone has replaced your muscle with a bit of rope or a steel rod and it is about to tear with the next step. As is logical most people carry out the standard treatment for a soft tissue injury, they rest, ice, stretch and so on and then in a few days it feels normal again. They might even get through a couple of short easy runs without incident, it is usually when you try to do a session or a long run that BOOM, the pain returns.

The only Australian to win a World Cross Country championship, Benita Willis August 2020 interview. A big thank you to B for taking the time to do this. Q) How are you handling the Coronavirus situation and how much is it affecting your life/work situation? It...

By Mark Tucker - Runner's Tribe When I first started to take running seriously, I read a book (borrowed from my school library), which would have a profound effect on my running and life during my formative years. The book: ‘How to become a Champion’...

I was training in Ireland for a few weeks in 2017 before the World Championships. I’d strained my soleus between races so I was getting some physical therapy at Star Goeghan’s Realta Clinic in Carlow. The local track club was so supportive and kind...

Last week was a good week for remembering that sayings become clichés because there is more than an element of truth to them. First as we – we Victorians, especially – endure a winter without cross-country, suddenly, in the last week of July, cross-country was...

Benita Willis: Legends of Athletics Key Sessions By Mark Tucker Australia’s first World Cross Country Champion (winning in 2004; our only individual medallist to date), a 4 time Olympian and multiple Australian record holder (2000m, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m and Marathon), Bronze medallist at the World Half...

Eliud Kipchoge is the best-prepared marathoner in history and is set to take a crack at a sub-2-hour marathon. But how will he do it? From the location to the choice of pacemakers, Eliud Kipchoge's team share some of the ways that they are supporting...