Kia Ora whanau, this week Eugene and Matt have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Roger Robinson. Emeritus professor at Victoria University Wellington, Roger taught English for over 30 years, in that time writing several books both on running and literature. Roger is an acclaimed commentator for TVNZ and stadium announcer at the Christchurch and Auckland Commonwealth Games. Running is deeply embedded in Roger’s history, present, and future. A runner for both England and New Zealand at world level and a man who, at 44 years old set a master’s record at the Boston Marathon. He splits his time between Wellington and New York State, where he lives with his wife Kathrine Switzer (yes, that Kathrine Switzer). This conversation is a joy. We speak to Roger from New York State, before he and Kathrine head off to the Boston Marathon about his life, from running the skyline trail in Wellington (before it was the skyline trail) to how running truly connects us in times of strife and terror, and a multitude of other topics that we lack the skill to describe here. You will just have to listen to fully appreciate how special this episode is. We do speak about Roger’s new book, When Running Made History, which is a lovingly documented history of running in the 20th and 21st centuries and a must for any student of running. We regard this conversation as epochal and are very thankful that Roger made time to speak with us. Enjoy!

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