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Sam catches up with Max Gordon 🎙️
Max's running has come a long way in a short time. After only starting structured training in 2023, he's already run 2:43:07 at the Boston Marathon after first clocking 2:44 at Sydney. Now the focus shifts to chasing a 2:38 at this year's Sydney Marathon. 💥
His training has evolved too. Long runs have moved to Saturdays with a full rest day on Sunday, workouts are now done on the flat at Windang instead of the rolling roads at home, and he's currently being coached by Ryan and Jen Gregson after initially getting guidance from ultra coach Tim.
A typical week includes marathon pace work on Monday, easy mileage Tuesday and Friday, speed sessions on Thursday, and a hilly long run around Kiama on Saturday, building 80–90km weeks.
Before all of this? Max was simply running a couple of hard 5–10km efforts each week with no real structure, before signing up for Canberra Marathon with his sister Charlotte. That first marathon ended in a 2:55, and the progression since has been remarkable.
We also chat about: • Boston Marathon and what it really took to qualify • Why moving key sessions to flatter terrain made such a difference • Running naturally lean and whether body composition gets overlooked in distance running • Using the treadmill for intervals and why he's become a fan • Upcoming races including City2Surf and the Sydney Marathon
☕️ Café Kit of the Week – Low Calorie Iced Frappe - A bag of Woolies Finger buns - Metaspeed Edge
A great conversation about smart training, rapid progression, and how a few simple changes can unlock the next level.
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"TFTV ft. Max Gordon" is an episode of Tales from the Valley Podcast. Runtime 1 hr 10 min. Published July 2, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.