Runbelievable: Real Runners, Unreal Stories

Ep 3: 41k Blackout... What Happens Next?

• Josh Rischin • Season 1 • Episode 3

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Episode Description:
Forty-one kilometres into a marathon, his body stopped... but somehow, he crossed the finish line.

In this unforgettable episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Matty sit down with Hamid to hear the incredible running story of a marathon finish he doesn’t even remember, and the community spirit and sheer determination that carried him across the line.

From the build-up to race day, to the shocking collapse, to the surreal aftermath of piecing together what happened, Hamid’s journey is a powerful reminder of both the fragility and resilience of everyday runners.

In this episode:

  • How Hamid first found his way into running
  • The marathon where his body stopped at 41K
  • The strangers who wouldn’t let him stop
  • How his commitment to faith and running intersect
  • What running means to Hamid today

Runbelievable — real runners, unreal stories.

Follow us on Instagram @rnblv_official

Got a Runbelievable story or interested in being a guest on the show? Hit us up on socials or email us at joshua@runbelievable.au

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Joshie:

You know what frustrates me, teenagers? A couple of weeks ago, I was banging out a threshier sanding, and there were about five teenagers strung out across the path. So as I s as I sandwich myself between the kid on the far right and the edge of the path, I let out this massive, like exasperated groan. Um, but then about 15 minutes later, after I'd turned around, who shall I see heading towards me? Those same five inconsiderate teenagers, they locked eyes with me and I swear, oh no, here we go. And as I ran past them, they all went, uh. Hello everybody, and welcome to Run Believable, the podcast where everyday runners share their not-so-everyday stories. I'm your host, Josh Christian, and I'm here to bring you stories of grit, glory, and overcoming adversity. Each episode we'll dive deep into what first got people running and what keeps them lacing up day after day. From the laughs and the lessons to avoiding tight festivals, we're here to share what makes running a truly human experience. And later in this episode, you'll meet a runner who's truly pushed himself to breaking point. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one. Maddie, welcome back. I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to this episode.

Matty:

Yeah, yeah, thanks for having me. And I am as well. Um I've seen our guest uh run um and seen him achieve certain things, but um it'd be good just to talk to him because I I um know very little about his backstory, so be good.

Joshie:

Yeah, really, really can't wait to get him in. Uh I know he's patiently waiting, so let's keep things moving right along. We're gonna jump into the Run believable rundown. Now, Maddie, we're here for this segment to share highlights, mishaps, and little wins, really the s sort of stuff that Strava doesn't capture. Yep. Um, and you know what frustrates me? What's that? Teenagers. And I'm not talking about I'm not necessarily talking about my own kids. Um a couple of weeks ago, I was um, I don't think I've told you this, I was banging out of threshold at Sandgate and there were about five teenagers strung out across the path. Yeah, and I certainly made it known to them uh purely by by some slightly exaggerated huffing and puffing that the runner was back. Um, but they were unmoved, yeah, completely unmoved. Yeah. So as I as I sandwiched myself between the kid on the far right and the edge of the path, I let out this massive, like exasperated groan. Um and I thought I thought nothing of it um at the time, but yeah, I certainly certainly made it known that um that I was there. Um but then about 15 minutes later, after I'd turned around and I was running back to where I'd started, where I'd parked the car, lo and behold, who shall I see heading towards me? Those same five inconsiderate teenagers still daisy chained across the path. Oh, now this time there wasn't any need for me to let out any sort of exaggerated grunts. They could see me coming, um, but I sort of naively thought that they'd be in their own little world, as you know, many teenagers um seem to be. But nah, they engaged, they locked eyes with me, and they all smiled at the same time as I got closer. And I said, Oh no, here we go. And as I ran past them in unison, they all went, uh Oh, really? Like, surely I don't sound like that when I run. But um anyway, yeah. They got me big time. So, random teenagers, if you happen to be listening to this podcast, if we even know what a podcast is, um I'm certainly glad that I gave you some worthy material. Now, let's keep moving along, Maddie, because we've got our next guest patiently waiting for us. Um and certainly if there's something that you would like to contribute to the unbelievable rundown, please send it our way. Any story is a story worth sharing.

Matty:

Exactly.

Joshie:

Now, Maddie, I know you're excited. I am, I am. Over and under is back. I'm gonna try and trip you up this time because you're three from three.

Matty:

Yeah, don't you're running trivia, mate. I'm I'm on fire.

Joshie:

Yeah, you are on fire, and um I've got these like awesome uh great um uh sound effects ready for you know when you get a correct answer and when you get the incorrect answer. And we and we haven't had we haven't had an opportunity to test the um incorrect answer sound effects. So for that reason alone, I'm really, really keen to see you get one wrong. So just a quick reminder, I'm going to throw out a running related stat or bit of trivia, and Maddie has to guess if the real number is over or under. And feel free to play along at home. And I don't know why I've done this, because this is your area of expertise running shoes.

Matty:

Oh, gee. Okay. Yeah. I have to get these right. Yep, let's go.

Joshie:

Question number one. And there are sources which I can provide for each of these answers, so you're just gonna have to trust me that it's around. The the average daily trainer weighs, and this is per shoot based on the you all knows it's size nine.

Matty:

Is that what they tend to Yeah, then it's normally size nine, yeah.

Joshie:

All right. Is that a US nine or a UK? It's a US nine. There we go. Geez, I think I'm already stuffed. Okay, the average daily trainer weighs 200 grams. Is the correct answer, the true stat higher or lower for the average daily trainer?

Matty:

Higher.

Joshie:

Yeah, you said that with confidence, correctly. 200, 250. Actually, I shouldn't have said the I should have got you to have a guess. 250 grams is the average weight of a daily trainer. Okay, uh and this is across the globe. There was a study that was conducted. The proportion of marathon finishers wearing carbon-plated shoes is at 35%. Is the real answer higher or lower?

Matty:

I would say lower. But that's a guess.

Joshie:

You are correct.

Matty:

Yeah, yeah.

Joshie:

The real answer is 25%. However, at majors such as Boston, Chicago, and now Sydney, the ratio or the percentage of people wearing carbon-plated shoes is a bit higher, closer to 45%. But the average across the globe for marathons, at least for those that were can um included in this study, was um 25%. Question number three, I really want to use this incorrectly if I sound worldwide, and I believe that this was the last stat was um two years ago. Nike sells forty-one percent of new runners. Is the real answer higher or lower?

Matty:

41% of new runners. I'd say it's higher.

Joshie:

Finally, we have an incorrect answer. The the um the correct stat is 35%.

Matty:

Okay.

Joshie:

Now, going back, I think 10 years ago, if memory serves correctly, Nike was selling over 50% of new runners, but uh we have a lot of relatively new players in the market now. So yes, um, sitting at about 35% at the moment. Okay, how did you go at home? Feel free to let us know. Now, today's guest has a true tale of resilience. He really is living proof that the mind is more capable than what we think. He has a story that I'm truly dying to explore. So please let's all welcome Hamid. Hamid, thanks for joining us. How does it feel to be a guest on Run Believable?

Hamid:

Thank you, guys, thank you, Josh, thank you, Matt.

Matty:

No worries.

Hamid:

Yeah, yeah, I'm really excited to be here. Uh running uh is yeah, I always say, has I always has become uh such a big part of my life these days. And yeah, it's nice to be able to share part of that story with you guys.

Matty:

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Joshie:

Yeah, when did I first get into yeah? Well when did you first get into running Hermaid?

Hamid:

Uh to be honest, uh I'm I can say that I'm relatively new to running. I I heard the concept of something I had about Parkrun around 2015. Uh and I'm thankful to Mina, my wife, who introduced Parkrun to me and uh yeah, she started running before me. And uh for the first yeah, we have we have our kids yeah the 2010 15-2017. For the first few years I was the uh I was taking care of kids most of the time. And I I used to play soccer. Uh Mina was running and uh I had uh my time for soccer and Mina had time for running. Uh but I I I joined parkruns casually. Uh but to be honest, the first uh good experience that I had with park run with running was Mina's first full marathon. Uh it was in Sunshine Coast 20, I think, 22. Yeah. Yeah, at the time yeah, she lost her mom uh uh a few months before the marathon and I knew that she need some sort of uh mental support, something to make herself busy with and the best thing that I found for her was uh continuing her journey with marathon and uh really I encouraged her to continue her training for marathon and to be honest when I saw the supportive community and the nice people in around running I really enjoyed running even more than Sokka at the time. And uh to be honest, one of the things as yeah, I I came I I'm originally from Iran and one of the concerns that I always had with kids here in Australia was finding a community that I can trust and let my kids grow in and running a community. Running I found lots of lovely people, lots of supportive, lovely people that they each of them can be a good uh idol for my kids to grow because running is not easy and every every every each of us who do running uh we are uh we are winners, we are champions at our at our own level because every day getting up and getting out and running and fighting with our the background part of our our mind, our brain who tries his best to convince us to stop. I think yeah, finishing a run is a win by itself.

Matty:

Yeah, and yeah, you've kind of summed it up, like why we run. Um I got goosebumps for mid. Like that's yeah, you you've explained it perfectly, and I mean that that's kind of even though it's your story, that's kind of universal. Um amazing, yeah.

Hamid:

Yeah.

Joshie:

And I think one thing, Hamid, I mean, you mentioned, you know, um Mina having lost her mum in the in the lead up to um the Sunshine Coast Marathon in 2022. I think you know, it's it's amazing how easy it is to overlook the um the journey just to get to the start line and you know um the the amount of training and the dedication um that goes into preparing for an event. And it doesn't matter if it's a marathon or a half marathon or anything, just the um, you know, what we have to um convince ourselves um mentally that we that we're ready, that we're capable, and that we're prepared to put in the hard work. I mean, uh that's a it's a tough thing to sort of put in all that all that training and to you know for um not be able to go through with the with the event. And so I think it really does show a huge amount of resilience um, you know, uh for for Mina and for yourself, um, as I guess her her primary support to be able to convince her that it it is it is okay to pull the pin um if um circumstances in your life dictate otherwise um but to then back that up and to keep training because it's um it's a it's a tough thing to do, um especially with uh a number of other commitments that you have in in life. I mean, you mentioned you know you've got two young kids that I uh I believe are both into running themselves. I mean, how do you guys um go about finding that balance between you know full-time work, full-time parenting, and trying to find time to fit running news?

Hamid:

Yeah, that is a million-dollar question.

Joshie:

Yeah.

Hamid:

To be honest, the main time that we have for our own training is during the classes, usually. And for instance, I drop off uh my I I'm I'm more responsible with my daughter, and Mina is taking care of the sun classes because they have different classes. For instance, my daughter she has taken the classes twice a week. My main sessions in the afternoon is during the time that I drop off her and I have one hour for my own run.

Matty:

Okay.

Hamid:

And sometimes, yeah, we early in the morning before they wake up, we can do our training and get back home before they wake up. And the it's more interesting, the most interesting part for me is uh being able to run with them. My daughter is 10 and my son is eight years old, and yeah, my son had almost 40 parkruns today. I was checking on the 5k app, I found that he did 3940 parkruns, and my daughter she did 39. Means that yeah, you we usually enjoy running Saturdays together, and thankfully they are they're loving it.

Matty:

Yeah, that's good. They love it. That's great.

Joshie:

I can't believe that to have uh uh achieved 40 parkruns by the age of eight. I um that's that's phenomenal. Um yeah.

Hamid:

But to be honest, their running is a luxury run because we are support crew for them, handling water bottles for them, giving pace to them, having lollies for them. We are trying our best to provide good memories for them because I know that it's an investment in the future. If they like running, running will catch them and they catch the hooch and they guarantee it for the rest of their life. Because to be honest, we as human, we are and our kids, we are uh the main motivation that we have is dopamine.

Matty:

Uh that's exactly right.

Hamid:

Yeah, yeah, it's really important to help kids to find their dopamine from a good way.

Matty:

A helping.

Hamid:

They will find dopamine from other ways if you cannot give them the good alternatives.

Matty:

Yeah.

Joshie:

Yeah. Oh, that's fantastic. So um, Hamid, can you remember your first event, your first running event, and um how how that went for you?

Hamid:

The first event, uh, to be honest, the first park run yeah, was uh a terrier for me because yeah, I was struggling to finish it. Uh yeah, for the first few years, uh my main goal was running a park run without stopping.

Matty:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hamid:

Yeah, but if you if you if you specifically ask about races, the first race that I had, I would say yeah, it was Bridge to Brisbane, I think 2018.

Matty:

Okay.

Hamid:

Yeah, something yeah, 2018. Yeah, it was the first race that I participated here in Australia. Yeah, yeah. I I was so proud that I could finish it in 55 minutes or so. Yeah, because yeah, I tried to have some training before that, but yeah, it was it was a good good memory. Uh yeah, the the most interesting part of that running was the fastest part of running that I had because I had I I I at the time I recently purchased a smartwatch and it was tracking heart rate and yeah, pace and that sort of things. And when I when I was checking the heart rate, the highest heart rate that I had at the time was the time that I was running to catch the train to get to the event. Because at the time we were in bundle, and there was only one train that was supposed to be at the station around 4:30, and when I was getting close to the train, I saw the lights of the train coming. We had to run around 1k to get to the station.

Matty:

So you would have run 48 minutes in that race if you didn't have to run at that run for the train.

Hamid:

Yeah, maybe it was interesting. The fastest part that I had was the part that I had to catch the train.

Joshie:

Oh, that's fantastic. The bridge to Brisbane, for those who don't know, is um is a 10-kilometer uh event, and um uh from what you're telling us, Hamid, your first bridge to Brisbane was actually closer to 14 or 15 kilometers. Um Hamid, how would you describe uh what uh running means to you today? What what does it give you both um both physically and and mentally?

Hamid:

Uh from my side, if I want to talk about the the the both area that you mentioned, physically and mentally was related to my own, myself. For me, running gives me more because it gives me the opportunity to be in a community. And as a as an immigrant, I came originally from Iran. And as an immigrant in Australia, having a supportive community, a community, some a bunch of like-minded people that we can talk exactly uh is really valuable. Um and yeah, running gave me that opportunity. It gave me the opportunity to enjoy and having exercise beside my family. Because when, for instance, when I was when I when I used to play soccer, I had I was alone and my wife was alone, kids were supposed to be alone, or we yeah, I I was detached from family, and now today morning we went to a new park run, it was a tourist park, and uh and we are trying to do it every Saturday uh morning, and this is this is a good opportunity. Um regarding person, also it's uh it's running running to me. I think previously we had a quick chat about it. Running to me is more mental than physical. It is physically important. Since I started running, I would say around from two two years ago. The story of starting running is interesting because I since I came to Australia, I used to play soccer or football. Australia, Australia they call it soccer. Um and I till 2022 I played at club level. I I think I was a good player, but in 2022 the knee started getting complaining, and you know, when I chased it, it was an ACL issue, it's getting to be close to be a real problem. So I decided to give it a rest. And instead of soccer, I I said, okay, I will run for a year and give some rest to my knee and get back to soccer after that. But yeah, that's the hook. Um, I couldn't get back. And I really enjoyed, I really enjoyed running, and since then I am enjoying it more and more. And it was interesting, it might be some of the audience might have the the opinion that I had before about running. Uh, because I used to believe that running is a boring sport. It doesn't make sense because when we play when you play soccer, you communicate directly with lots of people, it's a teamwork, and I couldn't believe that someone could run without having that much chat or being alone. But now I completely changed my mind. Running is not that you get you have you can't find your best friends in running.

Matty:

Yeah, and I've I've been to park runs where you've been and you've sort of come past me when I've been running with my son, and the encouragement that you give, it's kind of it's it's unlike no other. It's and you did it at another race, which I was running a 5K race with my son. And you you talk and encourage, and it actually is quite uplifting wh while you're running. And I don't know if you've ever heard that from anyone, but um, and I know at a park run you did it another time, and it was, you know, it was very uplifting, and even my my son um commented on it.

Hamid:

So thank you.

Matty:

Yeah, that's good.

Hamid:

Because I believe these guys they are doing great, and they need they need to have good experience because because it's an investment. It's an investment in future, they will definitely appreciate this sort of investment investment. Because to be honest, myself, I started my my my father is was uh I would say mountain climbing or hiking uh person. So since we were young, he encouraged us and supported us doing mountain climbing or hiking with him. And yeah, when I grew up, I found the value of that initial investment that he put on me and helped me to enjoy from the dopamine of uh healthy sport options. And I believe yeah, these guys, yeah, young kids, they are under pressure, and it's really valuable that they are they can control themselves, they can manage the pressure, they continue, they do not give up. It's really valuable. They need the support.

Matty:

Yeah, definitely.

Joshie:

And what you're saying uh uh just before, Hamid, about the perception of running being a an individual, almost boring kind of activity. Um, you know, I certainly had the same thought. It almost seems paradoxical that an activity that is inherently individual can still feel like you're part of a collaborative and supportive community. It's um it's it seems to be quite ironic that something that we typically only have as unique, uniquely individual goals, we can still feel that we're being so well supported by by a team. Um I think you know, for for those of us who have been part of events, whether it's a you know, a marathon, a half marathon, or even just a park run, um, just the the feeling of euphoria as we have our our friends and our colleagues in the community cheering us over the the finish line or helping us out when we're we're having a a tough moment. Um and Hamid, what I really was um keen to explore with you whilst we still have you on the call is um a true tale of resilience and community. Um it's not just uh being cheered on. You have um physically had the running community help you across the finish line. Um we we absolutely explore your um yeah, your your Gold Coast um uh marathon effort this year. What what can you tell us about that? What can you remember? If you can remember much of the event.

Hamid:

Yes, I can remember now. I saw the photos. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I can say that yeah, for the Gold Coast Marathon, uh yeah, this year, this year I had the opportunity, and I can say that I had the blessing to yeah, it was yeah, there are there are lots of lots of blessings in our life that we are we sometimes consider them as granted. But you have to appreciate the opportunities and the blessings that we have in our life. Uh I had the opportunity to run three uh half marathons and uh one full marathon, and the full marathon was the main race for me this season, which was Gold Coast. Uh the for Gold Coast, the my goal was uh last year, sorry, 2024 was my first uh Gold Marathon in Gold Coast. And yeah, around 24 everything was good. I think even uh my plan was running around uh SOP-4. My main plan was running sub four means then pace of 540, 41. It was uh a pace for getting to that time. Um and everything was good until sorry, 2024. Uh everything was good until kilometer 24, 25, suddenly all my all the muscles in my my both legs, all of them cramped together. And yeah, and yeah, I couldn't achieve the time that I was looking for. Yeah, I continued, I didn't give up. Uh because to me, to me, running is not only physical, it is uh it is the fight that your prefrontal cortex always have with the uh with the back of your brain. And uh I I I continued but I kept the goal alive for myself for this year to achieve the software this year, and I had a good training. And I I get experts' advice and I had a proper training, everything was good to some extent and went on plan. For the gold course marathon, the day of gold course marathon. I'm not sure if you guys remember the temperature of the day of running the gold the race was I think five degrees more than the temp the day before and the day after.

Matty:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I remember that.

Hamid:

Yeah, and I but I didn't know that my body is so sensitive to that merchant. I knew that from from previous rounds, I knew that when the temperature when it's getting warm, my heart rate increases uh exponentially when it's getting warmer, but I didn't see the real impact. Uh but in the go in the gold coast run this year, uh everything was on plan. I went over my goal was running around uh 530. And if I and conservatively, and for the last 10k picking up the pace and ideally even finishing by 520. And I for up to K 30 3233, everything was fine, and there was a nice uh lovely rain event coming, and it was so lovely. But unfortunately, after that rain, the sun came out, yeah. The humidity combined with the warmer weather, yeah, it made everything uh much more difficult. And uh yeah, I I tried to continue. I I didn't want to give up. Uh and I I tried to pick up the pace, but or at least maintain the pace. And to be honest, I cannot remember the from what happened between 41 and uh the end line. I can remember some some some very short points that for instance I can remember when the marathon finished based on my watch. 42.2 finished that point. But I can I cannot remember after that, and I can remember that some some kind people helped me and picked me up and we ran together, but seems that I dropped again after that. Anyway, the dehydration. And uh I would say I to be to be honest, I cannot call it, I'm not sure what is the proper call for it because it was not dehydration, it was more toward getting the body get warm and in order to make itself. Cool the blood came to skin to make everything cool and there the blood there isn't there isn't any blood for other parts of the body including brain. Including the brain and yeah, seems that I finished. Seems that I finished SOP 4 means that I did one time. But not in a perfect condition. Yeah, at that time I found that seems that my brain is stronger than my body. So I have to work on my body. Yeah.

Joshie:

Oh wow. There's actually footage um a finish line, Cam of um of you being um assisted over the the finish line. I mean, if if anyone ever wants to dispute the veracity of your claims, um they can watch this video. It is it is incredible to watch. Um for you to still find some strength in your legs to you know with with some assistance get over the finish line. My goodness, it's um truly awesome.

Hamid:

Yeah, yeah, thank you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely I will go for uh marathon again, but not the gold coaster. Or if I want to go for gold coast, I have to finish it before 9 a.m.

Joshie:

I'm sure you're capable of that, Hamid. You've really really proven yourself to be extraordinarily resilient in that sort of attitude of saying, well, you know, um, you know, the the the mind was stronger than the body, so I've just got to make the body stronger. I mean, you seem to be incredibly philosophical about that experience. Um one thing that you've um sort of made mention of um in in the catch-up you and I had before today was um about your faith and how faith is important to you. Um how how do you go about finding a way to still um uh recognise and honour the importance that your faith has in your life and um how sort of running intersects with that?

Hamid:

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and yeah, I am Muslim. Um yeah, and yeah, sometimes, yeah, for instance, some some is some and I have constraints in my training season, but for instance Ramadan, yes, one month that we are fasting, and it's uh yeah, it interrupts the training season. Although the last last uh year I uh I was able to run uh 7k but easy pace usually before sunset because after that I could drink and eat something. But uh once the the in in Islam in in Quran uh Allah said uh in the Akramakum and the Allah at Alkum. It means uh the most valuable person between us is the person who can control himself. Self-control, self-discipline is the most valuable thing that we can develop as humans to um be valuable. And if you look at if if you zoom out and uh from our daily life, it's completely true because those who achieve uh valuable uh achievements or those kind people, those those people who are who are good, good people or the most successful people, not necessarily financially or based on the uh the the simple factors that some people might consider someone successful or not successful. The real good and successful people are those people who can control themselves.

Matty:

That's right.

Hamid:

And running is a good example, a good very good exercise for self-control and self-discipline. Range from being committed to a training course or waking up, let's say 4 a.m. and committing yourself to do a difficult speech session before starting a full-time job. Yeah, these commitments, these disciplines, and even during the run, the fight that the prefrontal cortex always have uh with uh the the the back of your brain who's responsible for surviving the us. This this battle, this fight, I believe it is a it's a it's a it's the best way to make our makes our more human than animal.

Joshie:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. And so it it sounds as though uh me, the commitment that you have to your faith and the commitment you have to your running sort of help to sort of uh that they they feed off each other. It sounds as though you're you're a better runner, a more committed runner because of your dedication to your faith, and vice versa.

Hamid:

Yep, exactly. And I believe yeah, one of the main reasons that I encourage my kids to run at at this stage they don't have any faith, they haven't yet to the point to make their own decision. But running will help them to be able to control themselves. Running is helped them to be disciplined, to be committed to their goals. Although it's difficult, the most valuable thing that they don't give up, they continue. I don't care what their pace. The most important is when it's then when it's pains, they continue. That's the most valuable thing.

Joshie:

Yeah, yeah.

Matty:

Yeah.

Joshie:

Oh, that's fantastic. And they um oh sorry, Maddie, you go ahead.

Matty:

No, I was just gonna say there's so many life lessons that um you gain from running, and you don't um understand or have any knowledge that you're going to gain those until you actually start. Um, you know, I've learned so much over the last couple of years, it's unbelievable. Um, yeah, yeah, it's it's really good.

Joshie:

So looking ahead to um 2026, Hamid, what's on the um what's on the horizon for you? Is there anything you've got your site set on running wise?

Hamid:

Yeah, yeah. Uh for for this isn't finished for me. Uh I thought tomorrow I I will push. Uh aiming for probably 47. I yeah, if I if I assume 47 uh for in in 10k tomorrow, should be fine for me because considering the hilly race course that you expect. But uh but for now I um I'm in my building phase. Yeah, in my building phase, I'm I'm trying to make myself faster. I'll work on uh making my improving my threshold phase. Uh next year I probably I am planning for uh another marathon uh in maybe hopefully in Melbourne or Sydney. In August and yeah, during the build session I will go for a trail marathon in New Zealand, in FEP, uh which is a good I think building phase because yeah the muscles need to get stronger, and I think trail run helps it helps it a lot. And I really missed those trail hikes that I previously had back in Iran. And hopefully this New Zealand hike or trail will uh revive some of those memories, and I get definitely much better memories. Next year, yeah, they probably the plan is Frisman half, sunshine half, low cost half. Yeah, but the main race for me will be uh full marathon in Sydney or Melbourne, depends on where I can have a chance.

Matty:

That's awesome.

Hamid:

But in terms of the short-term plan, yeah, getting faster, ideally improving my 5k time. I think that I can achieve subtraining someday, but it's probably won't happen this season. Still, I have to work on it.

Joshie:

And I think as the weather's getting a bit warmer, those opportunities to run a fast 5k are starting to diminish. Um look, um Hamid, thanks so much for joining us on Run Believable. It really has been been a joy speaking to you. And um, yeah, we we wish you all all the best of success in the future with your running and other goals. And yeah, it's um it's been a true joy to speak to you today.

Matty:

Yeah, it's been great.

Hamid:

Thank you for your time. Thank you. Cheers.

Joshie:

Now, Maddie, I don't know about you, but I'm truly inspired by Hamid's story.

Matty:

Yeah, I very I very much am as well. Um, I think it's yeah, it's incredible. It was great to hear. Um he's yeah, when I listen to it, he he he's he's got everything um sort of structured and worked out. Um and I just sort of look at myself and go, oh, maybe I need to do that. Um, you know, and he's did he's been running so well uh this year yesterday.

Joshie:

You know, he's eight-year-olds he's got twice as many parts. Have you got a one-colorable story of your mind we're doing?