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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat

Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat

Claire Thomas

Join Jody, Bayo, and Guests each fortnight (Or so) as they discuss athletics' hot topics, cover live events, and host stars of the sport in longer interview specials. Hit 'subscribe', give us a rating, and join in the conversation on Twitter: @BackstraightB and IG: @BackstraightBoysPodcast .Podcast imagery: Mark Shearman @athleticsimages

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Top 10 Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

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Earlier this year, UKA announced that they were going to consult clubs, athletes, and competition organisers about cross country race distances. A host of GB runners, including three-time World Champion over the cross - Paula Radcliffe - penned a response, arguing against equal distances for men and women. As could only have been expected, Twitter immediately became the sort of rocky, perilous landscape only previously seen in Aarhus in 2019.

Why the furore? Should gender parity, something we love about athletics, extend to XC race distances? Women *can* run as far as men, but should they? With Paula’s near-peerless expertise and passion, we debate all of this in the latest Backstraight pod - before talking through some other distance goodies (or baddies, in some cases): pacing lights, shoe technology innovations, and how Mo Farah’s return to track is going.

This is a contentious one, and we’d love your thoughts, so please - as ever - get in touch on Twitter (@BackstraightB and @Claire_GThomas), or on Instagram (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

Thanks, as ever, to Mark Shearman MBE - @athleticsimages - for the photographs in our show artwork.

Don’t forget to write us a review, and hit ‘subscribe’ to make sure you never miss an episode.

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Where do we begin..? With the empty seats? The fainting marathon runners? Alberto Salazar's ban? With the DQs that were and weren't? Or the fact that we missed experiencing Mihambo's 7.30m live because it was necessary to watch (another) Mo Farah montage?

OR - how about we talk about the world records? The African fans roaring on their athletes in the distance events without stopping dancing for even a second? The women returning to the sport to earn the titles of both 'mother' and 'world-beater'? Mutaz Barshim shrugging off gravity with a series of the most implausible world leads before a rapt home crowd? The flair of Jeanette Kwakye? The chemistry between Toni Minichiello and Steve Backley? The moment Sophie McKinna threw 18.61 to qualify for a global final? The vaulters who cleared national records minutes after snapped poles? Or the fact that Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson are both World Champions?

Doha was problematic. It was frustrating. But it was also tonnes of fun, and some of the performances were staggering.

Speaking of which, here's our stagger through the champs. A look back at the 2019 Worlds, in all their humid, historic glory. Enjoy.

@BackstraightB & @Claire_GThomas

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat - Handling nerves, seizing opportunities, and PBing for fun: Niamh Emerson Interview Special
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07/09/19 • 75 min

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Being a heptathlete (we imagine; we’re hardly speaking from experience here at Backstraight HQ...) requires not only explosiveness, endurance, technical finesse, and sublime co ordination, but nerves of absolute steel. The psychological challenges of the event have proven a stumbling block for many physically-gifted athletes, and to be able to reach into your bag of tricks and deliver a third round clearance, lifetime best, or gutsy 800 metres at the end of two gruelling days of competition requires the mentality of a supreme competitor. Niamh Emerson, from what we’ve seen so far, is one of those. Bronze at her first major senior championships, gold in Tampere after the most dramatic of 800 metres, and silver behind KJT with the best pentathlon performance ever executed by a teenager: we have grown accustomed to this athlete bringing her A-game every time. Great Britain’s heptathlon heritage is as rich as they come - Mary Rand, Mary Peters, Judy Simpson, Denise Lewis, Kelly Sotherton, Jess Ennis-Hill, and Katarina Johnson Thompson - and it seems increasingly evident that Emerson’s name is destined to join that illustrious roster. A knee tendon tear in Gotzis might have brought her season to an abrupt halt, but her outlook is remarkably positive, with Tokyo drawing ever-closer, and this pause in her meteoric ascent the perfect opportunity to reflect upon her career so far. Friendships with Jess and Kat, working on her explosive power whilst maintaining that fantastic 800 metres of hers, and how on earth she always manages to find that extra centimetre when the pressure’s on: we hope you enjoy this latest interview special.

Here’s a seven-event challenge of your own, should you choose: listen to this episode, give it a share to spread the Emerson love, review the Backstraight Boys (& Girl) podcast, let us know your thoughts (@BackstraightB & @Claire_GThomas), follow us on Instagram (@BackstraightBoysPodcast), join our Fantasy DL League (PIN: 5533292), and - finally - just keep being the awesome listeners that you already are x

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Imagine being a teenager and becoming a double European Champion in 24 hours. Contemplate how it would feel to vault 6.05 just a year after being legally able to buy glue in the UK. For a second, ponder reaching a continental final in your Senior GB debut. Berlin was brilliant, but it didn't half leave us pondering our comparatively useless adolescents. Jakob, Mondo, Imani, Naomi, Laviai: the future of the sport is bright. Smile at Beth Dobbin's incredulity at her own, mesmerising, breakthrough year; celebrate Nathan Douglas' bold medal challenge; and rejoice at Meghan Beesley's hugely-deserved bronze. Feel warm inside at KJT beaming after a 13-metre shot put - laying ghosts to rest and pushing Nafi all the way - and try not to well up as you remember Abele's raw emotion at the end of that 1500 - a race nothing like as gruelling as the preceding years of injury. Sure - you might curse quietly to yourself at reflecting upon the ridiculous scheduling, but don't do that before chuckling at Matt Hudson-Smith's bonkers pacing in that 400m final, applauding Jaz Sawyers' unhesitating generosity towards the athlete who had just knocked her from the podium, and feeling more patriotic than you have in some time upon reliving Dina's imperious, sumptuous, beaming treble. There are all sorts of things you can do to reflect upon Berlin. Us? We recorded a podcast episode, and we hope you enjoy it (and rate, review, and subscribe, as per).

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat - The Ultimate Roundup Edition

The Ultimate Roundup Edition

Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat

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12/17/24 • 42 min

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The year is coming to an end so we get together for a quick catch up on all of the recent news for the world of T&F
From the Euro Cross Country to new announcements from WA and British Athletics as well as updates on the Ultimate Championships and talk of a potential Treadmill Champs. We pack in a lot before our End of Year Review, coming soon!!!

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat - Rome Day 6 - The Arrivederci Roma Edition

Rome Day 6 - The Arrivederci Roma Edition

Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat

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06/14/24 • 23 min

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A hugely successful European Champs comes to and end and after a slight travelling hitch we team up to discuss the last day or action at Rome ‘24.

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat - The Passing The Baton Edition with Martyn Rooney, Laviai Nielsen and Rio Mitcham
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02/10/24 • 81 min

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After our astonishing success with a baton in Budapest we thought we'd dedicate this edition to all things relay and who better to tell us how they did it than the main man in charge Martyn Rooney, 4 time World medalist Laviai Nielsen and new kid on the block Rio Mitchum.
Join us as they celebrate their success and let us know what's to come in 2024 with multiple chances across 4 different champs!!!

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Where to even begin? 2022 had it all: a World Indoors, World Outdoors, Commonwealths, Europeans, and the GOAT Shelly-Ann adjusting her hair mid-200 metres.
Can you even believe that Marcel Jacobs beating Coleman in that fantastic 60m was only nine months ago? Us neither. It's bonkers how much athletics there's been this year. Bonkers and brilliant - but also impossible to summarise in a single podcast episode, unless you really, really know your onions.
Enter: Jeanette. Sprint Queen turned Broadcast Queen, and an utter *delight* to discuss T&F with. Honestly - it's left us buzzing for everything that's to come in 2023.
We decide our performances, moments, athletes, and low points of the year - plus what we're most excited for next season.
So, without further ado: here's our look back at the busiest twelve months in track and field history. We loved it. It was exhausting. We can't wait for next year. Let's never have one like it again...
Twitter: @backstraightB & @Claire_GThomas
Insta: @backstraightboyspodcast & @clairegthomas
Thank you for all of your fantastic suggestions and personal highlights: we loved reading them. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Back soon xoxo

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat - Cake, Chaos, and Centuries: Our 100th episode and meandering Oregon review
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07/28/22 • 48 min

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It's our 100th episode. One *hundred* podcasts. Can you believe that? We certainly can't.
Jody and Bayo are sleep deprived after watching all of Eugene live, Claire is trying (and failing) to instil some sort of structure into our Oregon World Championships review, and all three of us are fuelled by M&S birthday cake. It's neither organised nor comprehensive, but it's certainly opinionated and enthusiastic (a sentence which applies to each of the 100 episodes we've produced so far, and will probably cover any we publish in the future, too...).
Jakob and Jake, Alison and Allyson, Jeanette and Geoff, and the queen of them all - SAFP. "It's Shelly-Ann's world, and we're all just living in it", after all. Devon's DQ and whether or not Sydney is enjoying her athletics. What we made of the event itself, and why it's left us a little confused over our stance on taking full teams to championships. There's a lot in here, if you can overlook the frequent fishing chat and sound of forks on plates...
We're not polished, but we sure love bringing you our ramblings - and hope you enjoy the listen.
Say 'hi', or let us know what *you* made of Oregon, on socials:
Twitter: @BackstraightB & @Claire_GThomas
Instagram: @BackstraightBoysPodcast & @clairegthomas
Perhaps our second century of pods will bring newfound levels of cohesion (spoiler: it won't)... xoxo

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat - Backstraight End of Year Review 2024 with Special Guest Claire Thomas
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12/30/24 • 108 min

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The old gang are all here as we're joined by OG Backstraight Girl, Claire Thomas to round up the whole of 2024!!!
We has 3 Major Champs and a whole host of stunning performances to look back on so we choose our highs and lows from an amazing year of T&F.
Special shout outs to Jazmine Sawyers and Preet Majithia for all of their help this year and of course all our special guests.
See ya in 2025 :-)

Please enjoy, please subscribe and please let us know what you think on all our socials.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Social Media at
Twitter - (@BackstraightB)
Insta - (@BackstraightBoysPodcast).

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FAQ

How many episodes does Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat have?

Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat currently has 163 episodes available.

What topics does Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat cover?

The podcast is about And, Running, Podcasts and Sports.

What is the most popular episode on Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat?

The episode title 'Re-Run: UK Sprint Queen Special' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat?

The average episode length on Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat is 59 minutes.

How often are episodes of Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat released?

Episodes of Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat are typically released every 13 days.

When was the first episode of Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat?

The first episode of Backstraight Boys (& Girl) Athletics Chat was released on Jun 14, 2017.

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