‘elloooo runner, and happy Friday! 👋 It’s me again to distract you from the final bits of work that you may be doing before the weekend starts. And today, I’m doing it with an inspiring TED talk, a half marathon in the land of halloumi and tzatziki, and a marathon in the IKEA.

BEFORE we dive in, a quick little poll:

Whatever your goal is, if you are training for a half marathon, I invite you to check out my half marathon coaching program. There’s a 7-day free trial! Learn more here.

Alright, now let’s dive in ⬇️

Alexi Pappas breaks down for us how we should feel if we’re chasing anything hard.

A great, short talk that is bound to leave you inspired for your next (tough) run.

This video is about running, and not about running (Coach Bennett, is that you?). Advice that is applicable on the track, on the trails, on the road, and in daily life.

Natalia Gaik is a trail and road runner. But not just any.

First of all, she’s fast like a gazelle (ha… where did that username @gazzzelleeee come from?!), chasing a sub 2:45 marathon. However, she’s currently training for a 48k coming up this summer. And she just finished a Sky Race (though she accidentally turned that into an Ultra → see here).

Secondly, she shares solid advice on her Instagram drawn from her personal experiences (and she’s got quite a few!).

She’s got a fun vibe going on. She pushes herself, truly challenges herself, but still doesn’t take running too seriously. She seems to practice what she preaches, which I appreciate. So, go give her a follow!

If this course map doesn’t make you want to sign up, I don’t know what will.

All jokes aside… when I was looking for races this autumn and I spotted the Crete Half Marathon on the list, I was immediately intrigued.

A beautiful island, a route that’s mostly not an out-and-back, and a relatively small race. It’s not one to run your new PB with about 300m/~1000ft of elevation and generally pretty warm weather, but… it is the ultimate race for an autumn escape.

On top of that, the race has many positive reviews. People rave about the atmosphere, the race package, the medal, and the “Greek feast” post-race. One person wrote: “All the after-race activities and food are included in the price.” What a catch!

Registration is still open. There are also 5k and 10k options, so something for everyone.

Need help training for your half marathon? I’ve got you! → Click here for my half marathon coaching program.

Last weekend, I ran the Midnight Sun Half Marathon in Tromsø. An incredible race.

I chose to wear the Furious Future 2.0 from 361 (One Degree Beyond). These shoes were gifted to me as I’ve become one of their ambassadors. Thankfully, 361 hasn’t obliged me to “only publish good stuff”. I really appreciate this from them. They’re giving me complete freedom to write and publish what I wish to share.

So. I tried these shoes out on the track a week before, and unfortunately, they didn’t feel like the right fit for me.

Yet… I decided to pack them and take them with me to Norway as one of my two options for the race.

As I wasn’t really going to “race” this half marathon, I figured I could risk it. So about 10 minutes before I left my hotel, I threw them on. Loosened up the laces a bit and hoped for the best.

The verdict? Looser laces helped. But they’re still not really my shoes.

HOWEVER! I think they could be great for some others. If you love the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4, I think you’d really enjoy these shoes. To me, they feel very similar to that, but then with a lot more rocker. It still manages to feel stable. An important note here is that this shoe is made for faster efforts. Think 4:30 min/km (7:15 min/mile) at its slowest.

The shoe is probably best for midfoot-forefoot strikers. They’re extremely light and super propulsive. The fit is snug. This is not a shoe for people with wide feet. I’d say it’s pretty narrow.

Overall reviews are very positive. If you’re intrigued, or you’ve tried them once and want to give them a proper go, you can get them with 15% off on the European website here.

This one’s for those across the pond in the UK. If you want to be part of what may end up being one of the most iconic, special marathons ever, then get ready. Today at 6 PM, entries open for the one and only IKEA Marathon.

The marathon will take place entirely inside an IKEA (and not just “one quick lap”, like often happens with these kinds of races). There will be Swedish-themed aid stations. Oh, and the medal? You’ll have to assemble that one yourself.

Thank you for being a RunLetters reader! Last week, 260 new readers joined RunLetters. If you’re one of them… welcome. I really appreciate you all reading the newsletter, and promise to keep giving you the best, most fun content from the running space. No drama. Good vibes only.

Here’s to a great weekend ahead ☀️

Caroline