When Ben Parker co-founded Runna, it started with one simple belief: that great coaching should be accessible to everyone. Five years later, Runna is the world's top-rated running coaching app.
This week's episode is a farewell. Ben and Anya look back across 100+ episodes: the conversations that stayed with them, the moments that had them crying with laughter, and the guests they'll never forget. And in true Ben style, he leaves you with two coaching tips worth keeping.
The Moments That Defined Two Years of Episodes
Ben and Anya revisit the guests and conversations that shaped the show, and two of them stand out above the rest.
Alex Yee, Olympic gold medallist, who sat down with them hours after winning in Paris and somehow made an Olympic final feel completely relatable. And Lucy Charles-Barclay, who came second at Kona four times, turned up to the fifth as the underdog, and broke the course record with a torn calf!
What connects both conversations, and what Ben reflects on here, isn't the medals. It's the mindset. The relentless focus on getting better rather than beating everyone else. The gold medal day, stacked over and over, until greatness happens almost by accident.
The Moments That Had Them In Stitches
Not everything on the podcast is serious! Romesh Ranganathan coaxing Anya into performing a song neither of them knew the words to. Harry Judd arriving at his first triathlon and attempting to compete with no pedals on his bike. Ben himself (twice!) forgetting his cycling shoes at Weymouth Half Ironman, and the second time, recruiting his girlfriend Jess to break into his own house to retrieve them.
These are the moments that made the show feel human. And they're worth revisiting!
Two Coaching Tips Ben Would Want You to Keep
Before signing off, Ben leaves two pieces of advice. This is the kind of advice that has come up, in one form or another, in so many great conversations on the show.
The first is about consistency. Not just showing up, but learning to love showing up: finding the version of training that makes you want to keep going, almost by accident, for years. The difference between fun and fulfilment. Between a good night out and a 4:30am run that leaves you quietly proud for the rest of the day.
The second is about nerves. If you're scared before a big race, that feeling isn't a problem to solve. It means you care. And caring – harnessing that energy rather than fighting it – is exactly what gets you over the line.
Both tips are simple. Both are things the best runners in the world already know. And both are worth carrying with you long after this episode ends.
What Comes Next?
The Runna Podcast isn't going anywhere. Anya and Kayla continue as hosts, and the show that Ben helped build carries on. But this episode is a chance to say thank you: for the coaching, the honesty, and everything that went into two years without missing a single episode.
Ben's passion has always been helping people achieve their active goals. It's what started Runna, and it's what will shape whatever comes next for him. For now, he's stepping back to focus on his own training, spend more time with Jess and Scoobie, and work out the next chapter.
You’ll continue to find Ben at parkrun, posting on Strava, and of course, on many future start lines!