Merry Christmas 🎅
Most importantly, a massive thank you to the In The Beginning community. Your messages, questions, voice notes and support are the reason this podcast exists — and the reason we keep turning up each week. We wouldn’t do this without you.
Liam's going to be trading Christmas Day runs for Disneyland in Tokyo, while Courtney dives deep into Strava’s backend data to unpack what 2025 really looked like for runners.
We break down the anti-doom-scrolling stat (2 minutes on Strava = 1 hour of activity), the world’s most logged shoes (ASICS Novablast, Nike Pegasus, HOKA Clifton), SEQ vs Sydney run culture, Gen Z lifting for aesthetics, and why blokes jump straight to marathons while women dominate half-marathon training.
Plus:
🎄 The most intimidating sports to try
🎄 Why multi-sport athletes are the most consistent
🎄 Liam nearly concussing himself texting while running
🎄 UTA Miler prep and a Noosa Ultra Trail 50K qualification locked in
🎄 Favourite moments from a huge year of the podcast
A proper end-of-year wrap with plenty of running, laughs and perspective.
Follow the podcast on Instagram @inthebeginningpodcast
Courtney on Strava