Jody Raynsford – Ultra marathoner = EXTREME (running)

David Hellard – Competitive Obstacle Course racer = EXTREME (racing)

Jody & Dave’s Bad Boy Running podcast = EXTREME (furthest from the center of traditional running podcasts)

To justify this EXTREME podcast review label, I need to write this in a way or in a place that is equally extreme.  So I will be writing this review FROM SPACE.

OK that’s a lie. I’m not in space – can’t really run in space.  So instead I will work with this being extreme in the sense that it is the polar opposite of a podcast.

So what’s it all about? Well… Dave’s exploits on Plenty Of Fish, Jody’s adventures as a vegetarian in foreign countries? Their constantly evolving quest to compose the perfect theme tune? What you will probably see is that list does not contain a lot of things to do with running, and that is correct.

You could say that Bad Boy Running is the most non-running, running podcast out there, but don’t let that put you off.  Like a good conversational run with your running club, a coffee after Park Run, or just shooting the breeze before a race, Jody and David talk about the things that bind the runner to the running community, to life.

Sadly, talks about the aches and pains of a running adventure and  life from the perspective of ultra-runners and obstacle racers does mean that the conversation does not cater for the mere-mortals who specialize in 5-10K distances. At first that bugged me, for its alienation of the Park Run massive but then a lot of podcasts specially cater for the C25K peeps of the runsphere so in a way Bad Boy Running is filling a niche that is largely untapped on the podcast circuit. And I got over it.

So if you find yourself without company and want someone to talk in your ear while you plough out some miles in the park or on the treadmill then give these guys a go, they are still only on episode 3 (at time of posting) so there is a good long-run’s worth of material to get up to date with, but those of you in the <10K club, you have been warned.

And to start where I finished, how far has this podcast travelled? Mars! No, not really, but this blogger is reporting from the dust-bowl of Doha Qatar, so you’ve travelled at least 3,200 miles so far. How’s that for EXTREME!!?

Update – 26/04/2016

So some 7 months down the road and BBR is still going strong, and getting stronger. Who would have thought that a running podcast that tries to avoid talking about running would still be here after this long?

Well. There is still a lot of non-running related banter. But occasionally some genuine running related content slips in there, including an epic 6 part MDS special, covering each day of the MDS as Hellard runs it.

Spoiler alert: The MDS series is all pre-recorded but it kind of added to the fun, especially as Hellard nailed the bastard and finished in true Bad Boy fashion (if you don’t know what I mean, then you’ll have to listen to some episodes to find out).

Find them on the itunes store or go to their Bad Boy Running