The Back Straight Podcast
Episodes
Episode 5 - Road to Belfast - Omagh Half recap + favourite running gear
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 5 fresh out of the oven! It's a funny old episode this one with a good few laughs amongst the training week recaps and chat about running ...
Ep. 66 - Stephen Mc Auley - World Indoors - Omagh Half - Maurie Plant Meet
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The seasons are changing, and I don't mean Winter and Spring, it is marathon season! To commemorate this change we have the brilliant Stephen Mc A...
Road to Belfast - Episode 4 - Recovery and max mileage!
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's just over 5 weeks to go until race day and both Dearbhla and Paddy are smashing it! Huge long run workouts from both the athletes and highest...
Road to Belfast - Episode 3 - Nutrition in Training
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Feast your ears on episode 3 of the Road to Belfast ft. Patrick McColl and Dearbhla Cox! They are absolutely smashing their training at the moment and...
Ep. 65 - Road Racing Season - World Indoors Preview - Danny's Barcelona Recap
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Monster episode this week for episode 65! We recap a load of races and talk about all of the big stories including the Queen's 5k, Craic 10k and t...
Road to Belfast - Episode 2 - Race Recaps & Training Block Chat
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dearbhla and Paddy are back after brilliant weekends competing against some awesome competition! Dearbhla is fresh off the back of competing in the In...
Road to Belfast 2026 - Episode 1 - Meet the Marathoners!
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Road to Belfast is back for another year and we are stoked! This year we will be joined by none other than Annadale Strider's finest, Dearbhla...
Ep. 64 - Irish Indoors - Lughaidh Mallon - Trafford and Castellon 10k - Tokyo Marathon - USATF HM Champs - Race Previews
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Big old episode this week with a tonne of stuff happening on the indoor track on the roads! We go deep on the results from the Irish National Indoor C...
Ep. 63 - Armagh International Road Races ft. Interviews + Local and International results
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's the Armagh recap and what a nightmare it was to edit! Big thanks to Nick, Callum, Cormac and Fiona for the interviews (unfortunately the Emil...
Ep. 62 - NI & Ulster Senior XC ft. Léa Adamson - Armagh 3k/5k preview
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to episode 62 of the Back Straight Podcast where we are previewing the Armagh International Road Races happening Thursday the 12th of February...
Ep. 61 - Jack O'Leary
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks for joining us for another episode! In part 1 of the ep. we we go through some local results in the cross country and from the indoor track mee...
Ep. 60 - 2026 season opener ft. Conor Curran and Connor McCann
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's a banging episode to kick-off 2026 and we decided to bring in the big guns! We are joined by athletics nerds Conor Curran and Connor McCann t...
Ep. 59 - European Cross Country ft. Nick Griggs, Callum Morgan and Mark Kirk
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This one is all about the Euro Cross! In part 1 we recap the results from each race and highlight some of the standout Irish performances. In part 2 w...
Ep. 58 - Seeley Cup ft. Conall McClean - European XC preview ft. Finn Diver - Local XC action
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Busy couple of weeks calls for a jam-packed episode! In part 1 of the episode we dive into all of the results from the Irish Novice Cross Country in A...
Abdel Laadjel on The Back Straight - 9th at NCAA National Cross
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Abdel Laadjel is an Irish International and current Oregon Duck. Abdel recently became an All-American XC runner placing 9th at the NCAA Div 1 Cross C...
Ep. 57 - 2025 National XC Championships ft. Brian Fay and Fiona Everard
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The National Cross Country Championships 2025 was hosted in Derry this year and The Back Straight is delighted to welcome the National Champions onto ...
Ep. 56 - Irish Senior XC Preview - Cross Country Results - 100 mile World Record
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the cross country episode of the year with epic results popping off both locally and internationally. We review all of the recent action from ...
Ep. 55 - 2025 Dublin Marathon ft. David McGlynn (Irish National Champion) - Local Results + Nick Griggs documentary premiere!
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is an absolutely massive episode this week as we are still reeling from the amazing results at the 2025 Dublin Marathon! We are very lucky to be jo...
Ep. 54 - Armagh 10 Mile - Comber Cup - Chicago Marathon - Autumn Open XC and Dublin Marathon Previews
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Plenty to chat about in episode 54 as we have some great action on the roads of Armagh and in the fields of Comber! In addition to that we get chattin...
Darragh McElhinney on The Back Straight - Tokyo World Champs Recap
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Savage guest on the pod this week, Irish international and recent representative at the Tokyo World Champs, Darragh McElhinney! We are delighted to ha...
Ep. 53 - Belfast Half ft. Dearbhla Cox - Seaton Classic ft. Craig McMeechan
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 53 of the Back Straight Podcast revolves around two interviews with some local champions over the half and 10k distance on the roads of Belfas...
Ep. 52 - Davey Seaton - World Champs - Local Races
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael and Danny are delighted to welcome Davey Seaton onto the Back Straight to chat about his impactful career in Northern Irish Athletics as both ...
Ep. 51 - Patrick Sheridan - Local Results
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brilliant to welcome Newcastle man Patrick Sheridan onto the podcast after the breakout season he has had on the track. Patrick talks so us all about ...
Ep. 50 - Return of the Roadrunners ft. Caitlyn Harvey and Noel McNally
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Great to have Caitlyn and Noel back on the podcast for a 50th episode! We get a full catch-up with both of these local legends on how their year has b...
Ep. 49 - Conor Curran returns - Irish National Championships - Local Road Results - Upcoming meets
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Danny is out, Conor is back! Big thank you to the man from North Belfast for jumping on the podcast and chatting all things National Championships, ro...
Ep. 48 - Lughaidh Mallon on the Back Straight - Dan's London Diamond League Experience - Irish Track Meets & Euro U23 Champs
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Big title for a big episode! You read that right, this episode we are joined by none other than Northern Ireland's 16th person to break 4 minutes ...
Ep. 47 - Zoe Toland and Thomas Elfenbein - Plethora of results
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lots has been happening on the track since you last heard from us here at the Back Straight! We go into all the results from France, Tullamore, Eugene...
Who is Andrew Thompson? Bonus episode on the Back Straight
05 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Thompson? Who is he? How is he running 1.46 in his second year competing in the event? What is his link to Northern Ireland and what led him to...
Ep. 46 - Faith Kipyegon's craic at the 4-minute mile ft. Rebekah Osborne
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
*PRE-ORDER YOUR BACK STRAIGHT MERCH NOW - Link in bio on Instagram!* Big interview this week Back Straight gang! We have the brilliant Rebekah Osborne...
Ep. 45 - BMC Belfast Preview ft. Mark Kirk - Local results
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's a slightly shorter episode this week (we will explain later hopefully!) but we have a great guest and some good chat about some local perform...
Ep. 44 - The Nick Griggs update - IFAM Brussels - Local bits and bobs
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Another jam-packed episode this week for number 44! We have got a tonne of great results from the Newells 5k and 10k, Newry Half Marathon and 10k as w...
Ep. 43 - Belfast Marathon - Belfast Irish Milers Meet - Jack Gray from Flycarb
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 43 of the Back Straight stays very local to Belfast with all the results from the Belfast City Marathon 2025 and the Belfast Irish Milers Meet...
Road to Belfast - Episode 10 - Race recaps and final thoughts
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welp, it's the final episode of the Road to Belfast series! In the last episode of the series we get to hear from Gladys and Stephen on how they w...
Road to Belfast - Episode 9 - Race Week!
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's race week and both Stephen and Gladys are locked and loaded! In this episode we reflect on the training blocks that were and how they are goi...
Ep. 42 - London Marathon Recap - Belfast Marathon Preview - IMC Belfast ft. Eamonn Christie
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Big few weeks of marathoning both close to home and fairly far! In the first half of the episode we go over some action from London Marathon and then ...
Road to Belfast - Episode 8 - The Taper!
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Things are starting to settle on the running front for Gladys and Stephen as they set their sights on the big race. This week on the R2B we do the usu...
Bonus Episode - Niamh Allen
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
G'day mates, Dan is away in Australia for the week so we are changing things up and releasing a podcast we recorded with Leevale AC athlete Niamh Alle...
Road to Belfast - Episode 7 - Three weeks out!
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Great episode this week featuring our superstar guests Gladys and Stephen. We are three weeks out from the marathon and therefore we just go over some...
Road to Belfast - Episode 6 - Race day Fuelling ft. Lindsey Hunt from Precision Fuel & Hydration
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we are excited to welcome Lindsey Hunt who is a Senior Sports Scientist at Precision Fuel & Hydration. After the usual introductio...
Ep. 41 - Queen's 5k - Omagh Half Marathon - Conor Curran World Masters Indoors 1500m Silver Medalist
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bit of drama this week in the local racing scene but some great events happened including the Queen's 5k, Omagh Half Marathon plus some exciting r...
Road to Belfast - Episode 5 - All about the gear!
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No! Not that gear! This week on the road to Belfast Marathon we are chatting all about running gear and what Gladys and Stephen are going to be using ...
Road to Belfast - Episode 4 - Stephen hits 120 miles - Recovery Advice
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Big week in the lifecycle of Road to Belfast as Stephen breaks tradition with a 120 mile week! In addition that, we get chatting to Gladys about her w...
Ep. 40 - Dunboyne 10k - Coleraine Campus 5k - World Indoors Recap - Danny runs 2:31 in Barcelona
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Plenty more than what the episode title suggests! Michael and Dan are back to recap results from the Craic 10k, Dunboyne 10k, Coleraine Campus 5k, Por...
Road to Belfast - Episode 3 - Nutrition in Training
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us (Gladys, Stephen and Dan) as we enter another week of the marathon block for Belfast Marathon! This week we chat to our runners about their ex...
Road to Belfast - Episode 2 - Training Philosophies
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gladys, Stephen and Dan are back for episode 2 of the Road to Belfast! After a great response to the first episode we thought we had better put out an...
Ep. 39 - Frank McGrath - Intercounties XC - Bohermeen Half
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 39 is a BEAST! This a two-parter with all the local results in part 1 and then a brilliant interview with the up-and-coming Frank McGrath. Res...
Road to Belfast - Episode 1 - Introductions
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome one, welcome all! This is a very special podcast series brought to you by The Back Straight Podcast! Join us as we follow two local sub-elite ...
Ep. 38 - Senior XC Championships - Justin Reid
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's a top-shelf two-parter this week! In part 1 we recap the Senior Cross Country that happened in Lurgan Park, Armagh 5k, Irwin Spiers XC, The Leagu...
Armagh Bonus Episode pt. 2 - Sebastian Lörstad
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the second part of this bonus episode on the Armagh International Road Races we are joined by the 3rd placed man in the 5k, Sebastian Lörstad. Se...
Armagh Bonus Episode pt. 1 - Verity Ockenden
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Off the back of a brilliant iteration of the Armagh International Road Races for 2025 we were lucky enough to be joined by the women's 3k winner, ...
Ep. 37 - A flood of results and previews + race entry giveaway!
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The title basically says it all for episode 37! We have tonnes of results from a plethora of different races that happened recently as well as a few p...
Ep. 36 - Vincent and Meabh Bradley - Belfast Irish Milers Meet ft. Eamonn Christie
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For episode 36 we are joined by two legends of the local running scene. First up is Vincent Bradley who is a local at the Queen's Parkrun alongside hi...
Ep. 35 - Catch-up with Ciara Mageean
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined by none other than Ciara Mageean for our first episode of 2025! Ciara is a true local legend and international running superstar. She is...
Ep. 34 - Merry Christmas ft. Anna Gardiner
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
East Down and now one of Providence's finest athletes, Anna Gardiner, joins us for episode 34 of the Back Straight! Anna is fresh off a bronze medal t...
Ep. 33 - Euro Cross - Seeley - Valencia - NCAAs ft. Conor Curran
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Big recap episode this one! We brought in well-known running nerd, Conor Curran, to help us properly analyse an assortment of recent races. We get cha...
Ep. 32 - Seeley Cup Preview ft. Ben Branagh
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The title says it all! For this week's episode we are joined by a legend of Northern Irish running, and the Seeley especially, Ben Branagh! Ben has wo...
Ep. 31 - Irish National Cross Country Recap ft. Keelan Kilrehill and Anne-Marie McGlyn
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was a brilliant day in Irvinestown for the National Cross Country Championships, and who better to help us recap the races than the winners themsel...
Ep. 30 - Parkrun World Record Holder Nick Griggs - Cross Country Previews
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Big interview this week as we are joined by the current king of Parkrun, Nick Griggs! In part 1 of the episode we chat about the results of the Novice...
Ep. 29 - Dublin Marathon ft. Caitlyn Harvey - Valencia Half
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is marathon season y'all! In this episode we are delighted to be joined by Caitlyn Harvey of Roadrunners AC. First up, Michael and Dan recap the Du...
Road Running Special - Natasha Wilson / Conall McClean & Tony McCambridge
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Big Back Straight Bonus Episode! This one is very road-running forward with hints of fast PBs. We are stoked to welcome Welsh marathoner, Natasha Wils...
Ep. 28 - Return of the Runner Bean - Masters XC trials - Comber Cup - Women's Marathon WR
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You read that right, Gerard Heaney of the Runner Beans Podcast agreed to join us on the episode this week and geez did it take some time to edit the a...
Ep. 27 - Back Straight x Tafelta - Armagh XC - Belfast Half - Bangor 10k
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The masterminds behind Tafelta AC, Cathaoir and Francis Purvis join us from Mid-Ulster/Font Romeu for episode 27 of the Back Straight! It was a real p...
Ep. 26 - Road Relays Recap - Brussels DL - Belfast Half Marathon Preview
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is a busy time to be a runner with events popping off all over the place! In this episode we recap the Victoria Park Road Relays and Michael gives ...
Ep. 25 - Dan's UTMB Adventure - Laganside 10k - NI & Ulster Road Relays Preview
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was race week for Dan and in this episode we do a before and after his 108-mile epic around the Mont Blanc massif. Spoiler alert, he survives, but ...
Ep. 24 - Connor McCann is back - NI Champs - Antrim Coast preview ft. event director James McIlroy
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Big fortnight on and off the track so we called in the experts! Both Connor McCann and James McIlroy join us on the pod this week to recap some past e...
Ep. 23 - 2 x Olympian Kevin Seaward - Paris 2024 - The local races
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's Olympic time and we have been revelling in all of the results and drama from Paris 2024! 2 x Irish Olympian Kevin Seaward joins us on the pod...
Ep. 22 - Thomas Moran Interview - Griggs on fire - Diamond Leagues and Olympic chat
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It almost time fo the big dance in Paris and we simply cannot wait! The Back Straight is delighted to welcome sub-4 minute Thomas Moran a.k.a the Ciar...
Ep. 21 - National Championships ft. Connor McCann
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lace up your spikes, folks! This week on The Back Straight, we're diving headfirst into the thrilling world of National Athletics Championships. W...
Ep. 20 - Sub 4 minutes for the mile ft. Callum Morgan
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is a stacked episode this week with tonnes of race results and an interview with Belfast's newest 3:58 miler, Callum Morgan! Callum destroyed t...
Ep. 19 - European Champs 2024 - BMC Belfast Preview with Mark Kirk
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is a fantastic time of the year with long evenings of track and road racing to be had at home and abroad! On this week's episode we are joined ...
Ep. 18 - Newell Stores Races - BMC Manchester - IFAM Belgium - Prefontaine Classic
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Faithful Back Straight enthusiasts, we are back for a packed 18th episode! In this week's ep. we cover the Newell Stores Races and are joined by K...
Ep. 17 - Belfast Irish Milers Meet - Belfast Marathon ft. Interview with Gladys Ganiel
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is a HUGE episode this week with all of the results and happenings from the Belfast Irish Milers Meet in Association with TripAdvisor as well as th...
Ep. 16 - London Marathon recap - Belfast Marathon Preview - Belfast Irish Milers ft. Eamonn Christie
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode we are joined by Eamonn Christie, the brains behind one of Ireland's most successful track meets, the Belfast Irish Mil...
Stephen Scullion - London Marathon 2024
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have only gone and done it! The Back Straight is stoked to have 2.09 marathoner and Northern Irish record holder Stephen Scullion on the pod! Steph...
Ep. 15 - NBH Afternoon of 5000s Ft. John Black and Conor Curran
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Another huge episode on the Back Straight this week as Michael and Danny are joined by some of North Belfast Harriers' finest, John Black and Cono...
Ep. 14 - Barkley Marathons - Belfast 5km
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It has been an epic couple of weeks in the local and international running scene! As usual, Michael and Dan chat about some local results including th...
Ep. 13 - Queen's 5k - Inter-Counties - Marty Rea
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 13 is jam-packed with all the local action and a great interview with Belfast running legend, Marty Rea. Michael and Dan go deep on the recent...
Ep. 12 - Grace Carson
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grace Carson is a Northern Irish runner's household name and we are absolutely delighted to have her feature on the podcast this week! Grace joins...
Ep. 11 - Senior Cross Country recap ft. sub 4 minute miler, Seamus McCann
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Back Straight is back with an action packed episode for number 11! Danny and Michael are joined by the brilliant Seamus McCann from North Belfast ...
Ep. 10 - Armagh 5k ft. special guest Stephen Connolly
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is the week of the annual Armagh 5k international road race and we are joined by Waste Land Track Club co-founder Stephen Connolly to unpack the ra...
Ep. 9 - Back Straight is back for 2024!
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
2024 is here and it is going to be a good one! Michael and Dan return to the airwaves to bring you all of the latest race results, wild speculation an...
Ep. 8 - Nick Griggs - Euro Cross - Telford 10k
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks for joining us for another episode and the last for 2023! This one is a real cracker as we are joined by the one and only Nick Griggs! Nick rec...
Ep. 7 - Seeley Cup 2023 - Conal McCambridge takes on the Valencia Marathon
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ormeau Park (Belfast) played host to the annual Seeley Cup and the stories from this year's edition will continue to be told for years to come! A ...
Ep 6.1 - Back Straight Bonus Episode! Matthew Lavery and Neill Weir
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did someone say Bonus Episode?! We could not wait to drop these two interviews that we recorded with North Belfast Harrier Matthew Lavery and Willowfi...
Ep. 6 - Irish National Cross Country Championships and the Seeley Cup Preview
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Irish National Cross Country Championships have come and gone for 2023 and it was one to be remembered! Malcolm McCausland jumps back on the pod t...
Ep. 5 - Dublin Marathon ft. Roadrunners A.C.
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's our fifth episode so what better way to celebrate than with friends! It was our great pleasure to chat to Roadrunners A.C athletes Caitlyn Ha...
Ep. 4 - Marathon Madness! Jimmy Ashworth and Dearbhla Cox
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's marathon season! Michael and Dan get chatting with the legendary Jimmy Ashworth and in-form Dearbhla Cox. Jimmy has a marathon PB of 2:11:43 ...
Ep. 3 - Crikey! It's Hannah Irwin and the Armagh 10 Mile Road Race
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
North Belfast Harrier Conor Curran joins us this week to chat about some big race results and the Chicago Marathon. We get updated on the newly crowne...
Ep. 2 - The Back Straight Podcast - Mark Kirk interview and £400 Super Shoes
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ANI Endurance Coordinator, Mark Kirk, joins us on the Back Straight to give us the inside line on altitude training camps, the future of distance runn...
Ep. 1 - The Back Straight Podcast - Track Season Review and Mullets?
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 'Back Straight' is back, baby! Michael McKnight and Daniel Squires talk results, upcoming races and hairstyles for the fashionable runner....
Ep. 0 - The Back Straight Podcast - Is there anyone out there?
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the 'Back Straight'! Daniel Squires and Michael McKnight get together to introduce the podcast and talk plans for the future. Thank...