Episode 112 — Running Your First Marathon at 48: Ryan’s Sydney Story

Send us Fan MailAt 48, Ryan Fenix thought his opportunity to run a marathon might have passed him by.He'd been a casual runner for years, juggling work, family life and three children in Manila. He'd even told himself that marathon running was a young man's game.Then he entered the 2026 Sydney Marathon. In this episode of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast, Ryan joins me to talk about going from wondering whether he was physically capable of running 26.2 miles to crossing the finish line in 5:14, 16 minutes faster than his original target and with a negative split.We talk about training through the heat, humidity and torrential rain of the Philippines, fitting marathon training around a busy family and working life, the 4am alarm clocks, learning to fuel properly and the doubts that come with preparing for your first marathon.Ryan also explains why completing the training gave him genuine confidence on the start line, how he avoided the infamous marathon 'wall', and why he was actually getting stronger towards the end of the race while others around him were fading.This is an episode for anybody in their 40s, 50s or beyond who's looked at a marathon and wondered:“Have I left it too late?”Ryan's answer is simple: it's more than possible, but you have to be prepared to do the work.🎧 Listen now to Episode 112 of the 12 Months to Marathon Podcast.Support the show