A group of enthusiastic runners from Tameside have created an innovative podcast, hoping to inspire athletes within the borough and share their running knowledge.

Hosted by Sean Warburton, Callum Parkinson, Dave Norman and Gavin Hill, the Local Runners Podcast began earlier this year after a conversation in a WhatsApp group sparked some interest among members.

“We were a few months into the lockdown, and we had more time on our hands, a few of us started listening to podcasts and sharing our thoughts on which were the better ones and we decided to create our own,” Dave explains.

With a plethora of backstories for each of the runners, the Local Runners Podcast combines the knowledge from those who started running in their adult life, as well as members who have loved the sport since childhood.

Dave Norman tells a thrilling backstory, having grown up watching his father Jeff Norman compete in the 1976 Olympics in the marathon discipline, he developed a love of running himself, joining Altrincham Athletic Club aged 13.

Whereas for Gavin, his running journey began in 2009, after being in the British army and competing in cross country skiing and biathlon.

Upon return from the army, he decided to give running a go, beginning to set himself goals in the sport and quickly pushing himself to complete a sub-30-minute 10k.

Callum began running in 2012 in a bid to improve his performance in games with his local football club. He often found himself confined to the bench, so decided to divert his attention solely to running.

Sean began his journey in 2007, deciding he needed to make some life changes and get fitter. Entering his first marathon in 2012, he caught the bug and has found his love for running soar.

Coming together to share their experiences with one another, the group were beyond excited to begin the podcast, sharing their tips and tricks along with meeting with special guests.

Among the array of guests they have invited on the show to date, the episode with Mike Deegan was one filled with many emotions, hearing him share the stories of the late Tameside hero, Ron Hill.

Callum named this as his favourite episode, with Sean and Gavin promoting the enthusiasm of another guest Andi Jones and Dave saying his favourite recording had to be the motivation of guest Nick Bishop.

The group have compiled a special edition episode for the Tour of Tameside, in which they speak to four special guests who have made their mark at the highly regarded race.

Looking back through the history of the tour, the podcast will feature a man who has ran every tour since its origins in 1981, a lady who was named the first female to take home the win on three occasions, a guest who has won the tour 4 times and someone who has completed the race a grand total of 18 times.

Members of the podcast will also run this 4-day event this week, with the first section, The X-Trail 10k, commencing on Thursday (29 July).

The podcast has received an honourable amount of credit from listeners, with many sending in questions for guests and looking to how they may be able to get involved in future episodes.

Bringing people together through a love of sport is an incredible talent, a talent that The Local Runners Podcast have perfected.

The team release a new episode every two weeks, filled with interviews, reviews and so much more.

You can listen to their latest episodes here https://localrunnerspodcast.co.uk as well as on Spotify under, 'Local Runners Podcast'.

You can also follow their Facebook here:

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