1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Now we heard last week about the World Athletics Cross 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: Country Championships in Bathurst. Four Territorians took part, Emma Craft, 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: Mark Willitts, Joanna Bailey and John Birmingham. Now, John Birmingham 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: took out the seventy plus age group and he joins 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: me on the line right now. Good morning John, Yes. 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,240 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. Nice to speak to you. 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,799 Speaker 1: It is lovely to have you on the show. John. 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: How does it feel to be a world champion cross 9 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: country runner? 10 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: I look at you know, that's a nice achievement. You know, 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: I'm always happy to win races, but especially ones that 12 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 2: are world championships. Last year you may know, I also 13 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 2: went to Finland and won a couple of world championship 14 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: events here too. So it's hard to say this, but 15 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 2: I think I'm getting used to it. I love it. 16 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:53,639 Speaker 1: I love it, and mate, how absolutely incredible? How far 17 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: was the race on this occasion? 18 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: Our event was four kilometers? It was a two kilometer 19 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: lapped the course and so we ran two laps of 20 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 2: a terribly grueling course. It was but two laps for us, 21 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: so four kilometers yeah right? 22 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: So was it quite hilly? 23 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 2: Yes? Well, you know Mount Panorama. I guess a lot 24 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: of people know that terrain and have been there many 25 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 2: times as a very very hilly country and of course, 26 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 2: the whole idea across country this one is to make 27 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 2: the course challenging. And in terms of world championship at 28 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: the cross country courses, this is ranked as the toughest 29 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 2: of all time, so that we have to run that 30 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 2: course that twice. So it was tough course. 31 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: Wow, goodness me, and it sounds as though if it 32 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: was ranked the toughest course of all time, it sounds 33 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: like it was a good year to win. 34 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, it was a challenge. I don't know if 35 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 2: any if you or any of your listeners might have 36 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: seen the news on Saturday and night. But the course 37 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: was so tough that the world champions woman, the ten 38 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 2: k world record holder in the women's event, and were 39 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 2: favored to win. She was leading comfortably and just collapsed 40 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: thirty meters in the finish line, an indication of how 41 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: tough the running was. 42 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: Goodness mate, So John talked me through, how was your 43 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: race run? You know, did you get out fast or 44 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: were you sort of pacing yourself? How'd it go? 45 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: Pacing myself very much? On Friday, Katie at lunch time, 46 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: I went out and did a lap of the course. 47 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 2: It was that was lunchtime and temage was thirty five 48 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: degrees and I only jogged and I finished pretty exhausted, 49 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: and I was wishing I was back in our springs. Anyway, 50 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 2: I went along on Saturday and saw all the stars 51 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 2: run and I thought, oh, that doesn't look so bad. 52 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 2: And then they were very clearly you had to pace yourself. 53 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: You had to start off slowly and keep the energy 54 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 2: for the second lap. So yes, no, I paced myself 55 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: and finished pretty strongly actually, so I was quite pleased 56 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:52,839 Speaker 2: how the whole event went. 57 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: Good on you. I'm so super impressed that we had 58 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: four Territori ins there. But I just think it's one 59 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: fall that you that you've taken out your age category. 60 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: John seventy plus was there. Did you have a large 61 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: field to race against? 62 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 2: Well? As you get hold up higher up in the 63 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: age group, so there's sort of less and less runners 64 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 2: that turn up at the start line. So no, the 65 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 2: field wasn't very big and and I did win quite comfortably, 66 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 2: but yeah, that was that was That was the runners 67 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 2: on the day. Yeah, there were some runners who didn't 68 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: turn up. I was hoping turned up from Europe. You 69 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 2: know last year when I was in Europe and I 70 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: raced some runners over there, but they decided not to 71 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 2: make the trip over. So in a way that's disappointing 72 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 2: because I'm really in it for competition and winning is 73 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 2: always nice on top of that. But yeah, no, it 74 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: was probably, Yeah, it wasn't that strong a field in 75 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: terms of who I was hoping to be there. 76 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: Oh mate, Still, you know, I think to myself, how incredible, 77 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: how utterly incredible. I just think it's wonderful. I run myself, 78 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: so I think, yeah, I think it's incredible that you've 79 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: done this. And then to hear how tough the you know, 80 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: that course is, and and just you know what you 81 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: said there in the women's race about one of those 82 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: really elite athletes then collapsing with thirty meters to go. 83 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: That would just be heartbreaking for her. 84 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 2: Well, it was, it was, you know, it was for 85 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 2: people watching, it was a terrible thing to look to 86 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,679 Speaker 2: look at. You know, this best the best woman distance 87 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 2: running the world, and yeah, the course got the better 88 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 2: of it. So I don't know how she feels personally. 89 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 2: I imagine you'd be devastated. So but the course was tough. 90 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 2: And you know, runners at that level they push themselves 91 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: to the limit, Katie, and even runners of our level 92 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: sometimes push themselves to the limit. But at that level 93 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: why they're so good, It is because I can push 94 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: themselves harder and harder, and sometimes these things happen. 95 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, now tell me how what kind of training did 96 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: you have to put in, you know, to get to 97 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: that point and to be able to run the way 98 00:04:58,800 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: that you did on the weekend. 99 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 2: Well, look, my train is a bit hard to believe, 100 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: and I tell people it's my training was all over 101 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 2: the place. In the last few months. I've had injuries. 102 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 2: Two and a half weeks before I probably wasn't going 103 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 2: to be able to run because I was having trouble 104 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: with my achilles and I was doing deep water running 105 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 2: and training in the gym on the elliptical, that elliptical machine. 106 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 2: My training has been a bit up and down. But 107 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 2: the last ten days I've got some good training in 108 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 2: And the key. The key is if you have injuries, 109 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 2: to try and keep your fitness in different ways. And 110 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: I was able to do that. So when I got 111 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 2: to the start line, even though it wasn't in my 112 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: I wouldn't have been in my best shape. I'm still 113 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 2: in pretty good shape. 114 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: Now, tell me like, I love this for so many reasons. 115 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: I love it because you are you know, because you're 116 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: a runner. I love watching running, I love you running myself. 117 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: But also because sometimes people feel that once you get 118 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 1: to a certain age you can't take part or win 119 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: events like this, And you've absolutely smashed the age barrier. 120 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: You know what is message for anybody out there thinking 121 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: that age is a barrier to taking part really in 122 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: any event. 123 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, look, well, firstly, I love running and you've 124 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 2: said the same. So that's the key is to really 125 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 2: get yourself to a state of fitness where you can 126 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 2: run without discomfort. That's really important. But you're right, I mean, 127 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 2: Park runs every Saturday is a great way for people 128 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 2: to get into the running scene and to turn up 129 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 2: and just run along or walk and run, and eventually 130 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 2: fitness builds up and there's lots of opportunities to run 131 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 2: as you get older and participate in the sport. And 132 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: you know, one of the things I really love about 133 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 2: it running in a way, running comes fairly easy for me. 134 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 2: I've ran all my life, but for many people it's 135 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 2: not so easy, and I just get so much admiration 136 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 2: for people who persevere and really start to achieve things 137 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 2: in they're running. That perhaps comes a little bit harder 138 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: than it does for me. So yeah, look, there's lots 139 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 2: of reasons and lots of yeah good reasons to be 140 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 2: involved in it. And the opportunities are there at park run 141 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 2: level or once you get a bit fitter and fast 142 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: he mode, even try yourself at a higher level of competition. 143 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, wonderful stuff. John. Have you got a good group 144 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: of runners in Alice Springs, Well. 145 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 2: Yes and no. I mean we've got a really strong 146 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,679 Speaker 2: running club down in our Springs and our Springs Runners 147 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 2: and Running and walking club. But trail running is becoming 148 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: really big in our Springs. I don't know if you 149 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 2: know Larina trailer many much of the running takes place 150 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 2: on trails, which is not I was brought up a 151 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 2: track runner, so that's my that's my favorite form of running, 152 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 2: and unfortunately Alice Springs doesn't have that opportunity. But I 153 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: traveled to Melbourne and Darwin and you know places do 154 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 2: track running. I've got Sydney next month. That's my favorite 155 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 2: sort of running on tracks. 156 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: Good on you, John A. Big congratulations to you as 157 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: well on being the world cross country gold medalist. I 158 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: know that you said you've wanted a few times, but 159 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: absolutely wonderful to hear that you'd taken it out in 160 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: the seventy plus age group right in Bathurst over the 161 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: weekend on what sounds like was an incredibly difficult course. 162 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: Yes it was, and you know I forgot the mid 163 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 2: the hills that the other obviously was whether they created 164 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: this big mud mud pit you have to run through 165 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: about twenty five meters mud. And then I had another 166 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 2: feature which was called the chicane, you know, the race course, 167 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 2: so they had these tires positions, yet there zigzagg your 168 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 2: way through the tires. So there was a little extra 169 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 2: challenges too for the completing the course on top of 170 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 2: the hills and pom down. 171 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 1: So wow, yeah it was. 172 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 2: It was fun. 173 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh how awesome. I just think it's incredible. I 174 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: love that you you know that you are doing this, 175 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: and I love like at your age and age should never. 176 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 2: Be a barrier. 177 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely think this is a wonderful story. So John, thank 178 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: you so much for having a chat with us this morning. 179 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. Thanks Katie, nice to chat to you you too.