Sweat Elite Podcast

Ben and Mary Bridges (Messy Is Happy) recap Tokyo Marathon weekend, celebrating Mary's 3:00:01 PB and discussing her rapid progression from 3:13 (Chicago 2024) to 3:04 (Shanghai) to nearly breaking three hours. They attribute the improvement to consistent training, gradually building to ~100 km weeks, and focused mindset work.
Ben reflects on his emotional on-camera reaction at the finish and shares his own marathon journey, progressing from 2:50 at the 2019 London Marathon to 2:44 in Chicago, with a long-term goal of running in the 2:30s. He also recounts his Chicago trip where he raced well despite being jet-lagged and unwell.
They explain the niche they are building with This Messy Happy across YouTube and Instagram - combining coaching-focused content, relatable storytelling around their own running journeys, and light comedy reels. They also discuss how the value of traditional tutorial-style content is shifting as tools like ChatGPT become more widely used.
Looking ahead, they outline a "Six in 26" idea for 2026 - a travel-heavy year attempting six marathons while documenting the experience.
The conversation also touches on leaving teaching jobs in Thailand to pursue content creation and coaching full time, creators who inspire their work, and Thailand's rapidly growing running scene known for its celebratory atmosphere and safe places to run.
Links
Messy Is Happy Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thismessyhappy/
Messy Is Happy YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ThisMessyHappy
Be coached by Matt:
https://www.sweatelitecoaching.com/coaching-2026
Join the Shareholders Club / Private Podcast Feed:
https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders
Matt Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Matt Training Log - Strava:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359
Contact Matt:
[email protected]
Topics
00:00 Tokyo Weekend Recap
00:51 Three Hour Breakthrough
02:12 Training Behind Progress
03:34 Raw Finish Reaction
05:02 Channel Mission Explained
09:29 Future Content Direction
11:01 Ben Marathon Journey
12:26 Chicago Travel Chaos
15:13 Leaving Teaching Behind
17:24 Creators They Follow
20:46 Authentic Brand Deals
21:30 Merch Funds Independence
22:06 Staying Relevant on YouTube
22:41 Entertainment Beats Advice
23:52 Viral Running Comedy Reels
25:59 Wordless Humor vs Dialogue
27:01 Defining Content Goals
28:05 Photo Album Mindset
30:12 North Star Over Views
31:29 Upcoming Races and Targets
33:43 Running Culture in Thailand
36:43 Living Safe in Thailand
38:01 Where to Follow Next

I'm back with another fortnightly In My Opinion episode - sharing running observations, Q&A and personal updates.
Train with Matt:
https://sweatelitecoaching.com/matt-fox/
Private Podcast Feed + Discord:
https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders/
Contact:
[email protected]
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Strava Training Log:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359
I recorded this ramble episode from Phuket during a 10-day Thailand and Bali trip where I've been catching up with friends while doing some work. Part of the trip included visiting Thanyapura Sports Resort to see if it might work as a future Globe Runners Asia training camp location.
I talk about some of the longevity content from Brian Johnson and walk through his "eight steps" framework - doing hard things, building a bedtime routine, starting the day with purpose, future-proofing your body, treating food like medicine, killing distractions, removing isolation, and avoiding motivational garbage.
From there I discuss Ben Felton racing two half marathons on consecutive weekends and use it as a jumping off point to talk about training and racing more by feel rather than being overly dependent on rigid pacing data.
I also cover the Tokyo Marathon, including frustrations with the race tracking app and a breakdown of Jake Barraclough's Tokyo build - his high mileage approach, injury concerns, livestreams during the build up, race plan doubts, and the eventual DNF.
I mention other performances from the weekend including Nick Bester running 2:25 and highlight SECA member Merna finishing Tokyo while fasting during Ramadan.
Later in the episode I bring back Workouts of the Week with sessions for the 5K/10K, half marathon and marathon, read some hate mail, discuss emails about GLP-1 weight loss drugs and how they might affect fueling for endurance athletes, share Mark from Finland's perspective on the doping crisis in Kenya, and finish by answering a question about Luke's approach to the marathon.
Topics
00:00 - Welcome and Agenda
03:43 - Thailand Trip and Training Camp Idea
05:44 - Brian Johnson Longevity Lessons
07:56 - Eight Steps and Key Quotes
18:53 - Ben Felton and Racing by Feel
23:39 - Training Without Data Obsession
27:50 - Tokyo Marathon App Rant
28:40 - Jake Barraclough's Tokyo Build Up
30:54 - Taper Doubts and Volume Fear
33:17 - Race Plan and DNF Breakdown
34:14 - Rethinking Jake's Training
37:16 - Shout out Merna - SECA Member running Tokyo fasted
38:49 - Workouts of the Week Return
40:02 - 5K / 10K Ladder Session
41:04 - Half Marathon Track Alternations
42:30 - Marathon 30K Progression
44:21 - Hate Mail and Ozempic Debate
53:29 - Kenya Doping Context Email from Marc
56:40 - Luke's Osaka Marathon and Training Takeaways
01:00:43 - Wrap Up

Episode Summary
Runner and content creator Josh Berlari (Josh "Josh Berlari") breaks down the training behind his 2:29 London Marathon (2025) and a near-sub-15 5K, pushing back on rumors of "minimal training." He shares that his peak was about 100 km per week, with a focused 4-5 week speed block before a marathon block that overlapped with fasting during Ramadan.
Based in Bali for five years, Josh explains how he built a 140K+ Indonesian-language Instagram following by running in costumes (including a suit and a Go-Jek helmet), while trying to balance entertainment with a serious pursuit of elite performance. He also discusses his full-time e-commerce and digital marketing role selling hearing aids into the US, managing global operations after scaling to seven figures per month.
Now coached by Mark Scott, Josh details his build toward Tokyo up to roughly 140 km per week before an ankle injury from stepping into a pothole in heavy rain. He outlines how he's using bike and treadmill cross-training, and why he's keeping Tokyo conservative (around 2:24-2:25), while targeting sub-2:20 this year and longer-term goals that include London, Gold Coast, and Berlin.
Links
Josh Fothergill Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joshberlari/
Be coached by Matt:
https://www.sweatelitecoaching.com/coaching-2026
Join the Shareholders Club / Private Podcast Feed:
https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders
Matt Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Matt Training Log - Strava:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359/
Contact Matt:
[email protected]
Topics
00:00 - Minimal Marathon Build
00:31 - Speed Block Before London
01:47 - Fasting Through Training
02:26 - Meet The Runner
04:35 - Costumes And Content
07:20 - Going Global With YouTube
09:38 - Day Job And Hustle
11:58 - Full Time Running Dreams
16:06 - Coached By Mark Scott
18:47 - Tokyo Injury Setback
22:03 - Tokyo Goals And Potential
23:53 - Marathon Time Goals
25:17 - Instagram Origins
26:26 - Back To Back Racing
28:15 - Upgrading Content Gear
29:50 - Costumes Versus Speed
31:39 - Helmet And Suit Lessons
33:38 - Future Content Direction
37:51 - Tokyo Injury And Plan
41:01 - Where To Follow Josh
42:29 - Faith And Online Stereotypes

Episode Summary
Runner and content creator Josh Berlari (Josh "Josh Berlari") breaks down the training behind his 2:29 London Marathon (2025) and a near-sub-15 5K, pushing back on rumors of "minimal training." He shares that his peak was about 100 km per week, with a focused 4-5 week speed block before a marathon block that overlapped with fasting during Ramadan.
Based in Bali for five years, Josh explains how he built a 140K+ Indonesian-language Instagram following by running in costumes (including a suit and a Go-Jek helmet), while trying to balance entertainment with a serious pursuit of elite performance. He also discusses his full-time e-commerce and digital marketing role selling hearing aids into the US, managing global operations after scaling to seven figures per month.
Now coached by Marc Scott, Josh details his build toward Tokyo up to roughly 140 km per week before an ankle injury from stepping into a pothole in heavy rain. He outlines how he's using bike and treadmill cross-training, and why he's keeping Tokyo conservative (around 2:24-2:25), while targeting sub-2:20 this year and longer-term goals that include London, Gold Coast, and Berlin.
Links
Josh Fothergill Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/joshberlari/
Be coached by Matt:
https://www.sweatelitecoaching.com/coaching-2026
Join the Shareholders Club / Private Podcast Feed:
https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders
Matt Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Matt Training Log - Strava:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359/
Contact Matt:
[email protected]
Topics
00:00 - Minimal Marathon Build
00:31 - Speed Block Before London
01:47 - Fasting Through Training
02:26 - Meet The Runner
04:35 - Costumes And Content
07:20 - Going Global With YouTube
09:38 - Day Job And Hustle
11:58 - Full Time Running Dreams
16:06 - Coached By Marc Scott
18:47 - Tokyo Injury Setback
22:03 - Tokyo Goals And Potential
23:53 - Marathon Time Goals
25:17 - Instagram Origins
26:26 - Back To Back Racing
28:15 - Upgrading Content Gear
29:50 - Costumes Versus Speed
31:39 - Helmet And Suit Lessons
33:38 - Future Content Direction
37:51 - Tokyo Injury And Plan
41:01 - Where To Follow Josh
42:29 - Faith And Online Stereotypes

Matt interviews high performance coach Selva Yoga following Selva's earlier public comments on doping in elite distance running. Selva has worked with male athletes holding personal bests ranging from 2:25 down to 2:07 in the marathon, and female athletes as fast as 2:38. He has personally coached athletes from 2:26 down to 2:16 in the marathon.
The conversation breaks down how athletes are caught - in and out of competition testing, missed whereabouts filings, and biological passport irregularities - alongside claims of uneven enforcement. Selva alleges corruption within parts of Kenyan athletics, including bribery, advance warning of tests, falsified medical exemptions, age manipulation, and financial exploitation by managers. He also raises serious concerns around coercion and abuse of young athletes, while repeatedly framing his comments as based on accounts shared with him rather than direct proof.
Matt and Selva also discuss well known training groups and high profile athletes, with Selva careful not to make direct accusations without evidence. He emphasizes that both Kenya and Ethiopia have strong, clean systems operating alongside problematic ones, and that culture, incentives, and financial structures often shape the level of risk. The episode closes with Selva inviting athletes to connect with his Toronto-based Northern Endurance Project.
Links
Northern Endurance Project Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northern.endurance/
Be coached by Matt: https://www.sweatelitecoaching.com/coaching-2026
Join the Shareholders Club / Private Podcast Feed: https://www.sweatelite.co/shareholders
Matt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Matt Training Log - Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359/
Contact Matt: [email protected]
Topics
00:00 Podcast comment sparks debate
01:23 Coach background and philosophy
06:10 Brother Colm and Kipruto ban
07:03 Mafias and drug access
15:09 Sexual harassment by managers
22:22 Athletics Kenya testing reality
24:16 Are Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge doping?
31:38 How the truth emerges
33:42 Was David Rudisha clean?
35:12 Coaching ethics and trust
37:24 Good coaches in Kenya
38:22 Renato Canova under the microscope
42:48 How drugs get bought in Kenya
49:35 Blame the system, not athletes
53:41 Wrap up and contact info