Happy 10yr Rejoovsary Yury Glikin

My Rejoov journey - by Yury Glikin

March 2026 is my 10-year anniversary since becoming part of Rejoov, the best running club in Sydney. I still remember my first ever time that I met Greta and CT. I was helping the Running for Premature Babies charity at the time, and we were celebrating at the afterparty of the SMH half marathon (now the Hoka Half). I was about 4 beers down when a friend introduced the Truscotts. We got chatting and I was complaining to them about my inability to break 95 mins for a half marathon. Chris looked at me and said something like “I reckon if you drop 4-5kg, that will help”. Greta was of course, mildly horrified and chastised him with a typical “Oh, Chris, stop it” … which pretty much summarises their relationship.

I got my first program from Greta, smashed my PB in the half marathon and haven’t looked back since. After training remotely for a couple of years, I started coming to the sessions and the rest is history. Rejoov is now part of my daily routine, my life and like a 2nd family. When I joined, we were getting around 20 people to a session. Now, to see 80-100 people come on a Tuesday/Thursday, in all types of weather, is truly remarkable.

Since joining, I’ve set PBs in all distances (5k, 10k, City 2 Surf, HM) and, most incredibly for me, have run 2 marathons (and now training for my 3rd). Being part of the 2025 Sydney marathon, our inaugural year as a major, was one of the best running memories I have. The support, the vibe, the sense of achievement crossing the finish line, nothing compares to it. If someone had told me 5 years ago that I’d be running 80k per week and training for a 3rd marathon, I’d have told them to stop being ridiculous. Running has truly become part of my DNA, and I genuinely love it (apart from the Cats Ears). The support network and friendshipgroup I’ve developed is something special. Rejoov got me through some really challenging personal times and Covid. We have so many different personalities, the banter is off the charts on most days, but you know that everyone is working towards the same goal.

I am eternally grateful for discovering Rejoov, to Chris and Greta for what they have built with this club, and to the entire Rejoov family. Just keep the hills and trails away from me.

Training for trail ultras in urban areas

by Greta Truscott 

Training for a trail ultramarathon while living in a city or urban environment can be challenging, but it is certainly achievable with some creativity and planning. The key is to mimic the physical demands of trail running: 

• endurance

• elevation gain 

• technical agility, and 

• mental toughness. 

Sufficient mileage including long runs are cornerstone for ultra training and can still be effective on roads. Your legs will be conditioned to prolonged impact from the roads. However, to reduce the monotony of running on flat pavement, plan routes that explore different neighbourhoods or incorporate mixed surfaces like gravel paths, canal/river tracks, coastal routes or parks even if you need to do multiple small loops or out and backs. Consider back-to-back long runs on weekends to simulate running on tired legs, which is a key aspect of ultra preparation. 

valuable hill repeats such as this one at moore park in the heart of sydney

If you have occasional access to trails on some weekends or short trips, use those opportunities to focus on some bigger hills, technical footwork and downhill running, but other than that make the most of what is around you close to home if you don’t have time to getaway further afield.  

Even when you’re surrounded by footpaths instead of dirt tracks, urban environments can offer unique opportunities to build the strength and resilience that trail ultras require. Since most cities lack long stretches of natural trails and mountains, you’ll need to be strategic about finding elevation and variety such as utilising: 

• stairs,

• bridges,

• grassy parks, sports fields or footy ovals,

• sandy beaches and

• steep city streets.

Sand running helps build leg strength for trail events (image Bouddi Coastal event Nov 2025)

 Running multiple repeats on flights of stairs or hills can simulate sustained climbs and descents, which are crucial for ultra endurance. You’re needing to build strength in all the muscle groups and fitness, but it’s not just about the ups, it is VERY important to work the downs to help mash up the quads etc and get them used to a lot of downhill pounding. The ups are all slower, but it’s the downs where you can make up substantial time if you’ve trained on this. Stairstepper in the gym is handy for the going up / climbing type movement. Treadmills set to an incline can be awesome for setting looong hill climb type effort. However, both the treadmill and stair stepper don’t have the downhill aspect so make sure you get outdoors on the down hills and down stairs. 

To prepare your legs for uneven terrain, seek out parks with dirt paths, grassy fields, or even sandy areas to work your leg strength harder including stabilizer muscles, particularly round the ankles and feet and your balance. You can also include agility drills (quick feet / pitter patters, side stepping, grapevine, hopping, high knee skips, bounding etc), balance work (single leg >> arabesque, knee hugs, half squat and sideways movements etc), and whole body strength training in the gym. All of this helps to mimic the demands of technical trails. Bouldering gyms can help build your whole body strength and balance including jumping off the walls (from low heights i.e. 1metre) and landing safely. 

bridge hill repeats included in a continuous tempo session

Practice wearing your hydration pack / vest with all your nutrition, water and mandatory gear. These “weighted” runs get you stronger including your upper body.

Everyone can benefit from Gym strength work including weights, elastics and body weight, but this comes in extra helpful if you're missing out on mountains and trails so be sure to add in extra time for this: 

• Squats including single leg squats / Bulgarian squats

• Step ups

• Lunges

• Deadlifts / double leg / single leg 

• Side-walks / crab side-squats with elastic

• Bridging / planks (front, back and sides) / single leg bridging 

• Pushups, burpees, pull-ups/bar rows/lat pull downs

• Variations of calf raises

• Box jumps, squat jumps, split squat jumps etc. 
  

If the event you are training for is at low levels of altitude, and you can’t get to train at altitude then the next best thing could be doing some heat training. Research into this further but it can be running with layers on, at warmer times of the day or on a treadmill in a warm gym or with extra layers. Remember to be SunSmart, hydrate well and build into any heat training carefully because it is highly fatiguing. Even adding in some heat training inside the last few weeks to an event can be beneficial. 

Finally, remember that trail ultras test not just your body but also your adaptability and mental strength. Urban training forces you to problem-solve and stay disciplined—qualities that will serve you well during an ultra. By using your environment creatively, maintaining consistency, and supplementing with targeted strength and mobility work, you can arrive at your race trail-ready, even if your daily runs are surrounded by skyscrapers instead of mountains.

Remember to build up your training sensibly, research your options and consider a coach to help structure your training. Good luck for your upcoming training and events. 

Training on grass helps build leg strength and stability for trail events

Rejoov Hall of Fame + Awards

josh arthur

Rejoov Hall of Fame (see instagram for stories and pics, links to be added soon):

Yury Glikin - Happy 10yr Rejoovsary blog

Rick Gove (2024)

Emily Bassett (2017)

Jamie Broom (2017)

Josh Arthur (2019)

Estelle Berton (2021)

Ian Gabriel (2020)

Imy Briscoe (2022)

Susan McCallum (2015) Happy 10yrs+

Max Beavis and Harriet Beavis (2021)

Belle Green (2013)

Zac Smith & Sammie Feeley (2017)

Mitch Martin-Weber (2010) Happy 15yrs+

Jacqui Fox (2008) Happy 15yrs+

Legacy Trophy 2016-2025:

2024-25 Triathletes Emily Bassett + Winston Li

2024-25 Trail Blazers Cam Grice + Danelle Dower

2024-25 Trail Blazers Matthew Morris + Keira Braybrook

2024-25 Legacy Zebra Erin Zimerman + Lisa Conlon

2024-25 Legacy Zebra Sarah Collins + Nicole Katz

2024-25 Legacy Zanther Nicola Logan + Mark Camilleri

2024-25 Legacy Zanther Megan Doyle + Sean Marquette

2024-25 Legacy Panther Ian Gabriel + Imy Briscoe

2024-25 Legacy Panther Georgina Beck + Conor Hayden

2022-23 Trail Blazers Nadya Caminer + Kernow Craig

2022-23 Triathletes Tess Aungles + Mitch Martin-Weber

2022-23 ANSW / RUNNSW Dave Hurdle + Nicola Silsby

2022-23 Just Keep Swimming Turtles Cathy Rowney + Susan McCallum

2022-23 Just Keep Swimming Stingrays Nicola Logan + Michael Martin

2022-23 Legacy Zanther Mary Stringer + Jacq Chow

2022-23 Legacy Panther Jonny Pisanelli + Cheryl Greenway

2022-23 Legacy Zebra Karin Jackson + Irene Ogola

2022-23 Legacy Panther Chris Don + Estelle Berton

2022-23 Legacy Zebra Michelle Woodman + Megan Paton

2021 Just Keep Swimming Yury Glikin + Jenna Wald

2021 Legacy Panther Barry Meehan + Lisa Sherman

2021 Legacy Zebra Graham Knox + Susan McCallum

2020 Just Keep Swimming Lisa Sherman + Grant Sherman

2020 Legacy Zebra Andy Bannister + Cathy Rowney

2020 Legacy Panther Josh Arthur + Rosy Cooper

2020 Track Charl Jansen Van Rensburg + Freya Riddel

2019 Rejoov Legacy: Jamie Broom + Maya Borthwick

2018 Rejoov Legacy: John McCormack + Sammie Feeley

ANSW x Rejoov affiliation: 2018-19 Chris Strom + Susan McCallum

ANSW x Rejoov affiliation: 2017-18 Andy Heyden + Cathy Liu

ANSW x Rejoov affiliation: 2016-17 Scott O’Connor + Erika Jordan

Performance awards in 2020-21:

- Andrew Redman (Panther trophy) Canberra half marathon PB 77 & Sydney 10 PB 34.20
- Graham Knox (Zebra trophy) Rejoov Brighton Le Sands half marathon time trial PB

- Belle Green (Tailwind Nutrition Spirit Award) - most consistent Rejoover 7yrs since 2014, always encouraging everyone, a shining star, missed out on Canberra due to injury, come back, training for debut marathon Gold Coast (which was covid cancelled) so did the Rejoov virtual GC mara 3.37, mega congrats!!

- Alley Miller (Panther trophy) Canberra half marathon PB 1.34, 5th female Sydney Trail Series 20k & come back from stress fracture
- Katherine Mountford (Zebra trophy) UTA 22k, consistent training, spirit & facing her fears

- Yury Glikin (Panther trophy) Canberra half marathon, epic swimming training for Bondi to Watson’s Bay 10k, rejoov virtual GC half marathon TT sub 90mins, thanks Andy Redman for pacing
- Jennifer Synder (Zebra trophy) debut 10k Sun Run & debut Canberra half marathon event

- Barry Meehan (Panther trophy) What a year so far! Sun run 10k PB, Huski festival 10k PB, Sydney 10k PB 36.04 over 2min PB. Canberra half mara PB, Rejoov GC virtual half mara time trial PB 78.51 a 4min PB
- Penny Johnston (Zebra trophy) 5km track PB, half marathon & Coastal Classic trail training debut, all round approach strength, running, soccer, nutrition

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Receiving Tailwind community spirit and performance awards in 2019:

- Gareth Beddoes 1.38 Melbourne half pb & sub 20 5k track Pb
- Megan Doyle massive pbs across 5k 23mins, 10k 45mins, smh half 1.43 and marathon 3.51 debut this year, dedicated and also getting into swimming
- Belle Green blackmores Pb 1.42 & c2s 66.56pb, committed to training and gets involved in many events including Bondi splash debut.
- Jenna Wald C2S Pb 73.35 & blackmores half Pb 1.55, strong ocean Bondi to Bronte 43.07 2.4k.

- Lucky draw prizes Tailwind and Runners Shop Randwick vouchers to Lux, Michelle Woodman, Cathy Rowney

-Lisa Mintz - Osteopath, Mum & Grandma, Narrabeen marathon all-nighter 76km in January and her debut 100 MILE NZ Northburn in March getting the belt buckle inside the cut off 48hour!! How amazing!

-Zac Smith 5k track pb progression currently 18.39 and 10k PB by 4mins 40.06, and all his support for the club.

-Jamie Broom for his track 5k track pb progression currently 18.35 and 10k PB by 4.29mins Sydney 10k 38.36.

Awards 2018

-Congratulations runners of the month 2018 zebras Robin Ball & Victoria Raymond on their enthusiasm & hugely fun spirit in achieving the Coastal Classic & Larapinta Trail in 2018. Prizes sponsored by thermaTech www.sherpa.com.au Check our their great gear!

- Adam Ballesty amazing team support, White Fence Track Club (WFTC) Wed nights daylight savings initiative, marathon prep as he leads into New York 2018

- Olivia Ho 10k PB 41mins, GC marathon 3.23 with 2 little kids & working 2018

- Emma Trehy community running support, Achilles running guide, pbs across 5k, 10k & half marathon this year 2018

- Cathy Rowney 10k & half marathon PBs and comeback after breast cancer 2018

August 2018. Training hard & having a laugh with @reidy__ & the gang. Congrats to rejoov monthly award winners @adamballesty Olivia Ho @em_heart_smiles & @cathyrowney with @paceathletic nifty travel drink shakers & Tailwind protein sachets. Congrats Jacqui Fox our longest rejoover ❤️of over ten years, enjoy the waist belt & 💐 flowers.

Mary Stringer - over 60 & smashing it! 42min Sydney 10k 2018, winning age groups in Sydney

Zac Smith - Alpine Ascent 50k, UTA 100k, awesome team spirit & photos 

Rachel Birds - training the house down, getting strong on trails and winning the Equaliser technical trail event 2018, Sydney 10k pb & GC half marathon pb 2018 

Maya Borthwick - 10k 38mins, c2s 55mins, half 85mins and marathon 3.09 pbs 

Matt Wacher - 5k track pb, 10k pb, C2S pb, half marathon pb 2017 what a year!! 

Jo Hadley - Sydney 10k PB 2018, Canberra marathon PB, GC half PB 

Tommy & Tara - training spirit award, C2S, Blackmores & Smh half marathon pbs   

Lisa Sherman - half marathon pb, great ocean road ultra 60k 

Sammie Feeley - PBs across all distances 5k, 10k, half marathon & a marathon debut 

Fran Boorer - trail running events, amazing team support & long runs

Lisa Studencki - training hard, friendly, wonderful spirit, Larapinta Trail Legend 

Susan McCallum - over 50s kicking goals! 

Ben Feld - over 50 age group, 17.10 park run PB 2017, 37.28 Sydney Harbour 10k PB 2018

Rachael Honeywood - Boston Marathon pb 3.23 2017 

Lesley Mason - breaking PBs across all distances

Juny Xi Yang - 102km Tarawera ultra marathon top 20 female Feb 2018. Marathon PB 3.18 GC 2018

Grant Sherman - Melbourne 10k pb and Canberra half marathon pb 

Larissa Williams - Kokoda Trail and her debut smh half marathon 2017 

We couldn't split these two, not even with a dance off ;), so congrats fellas, our 2 outstanding runners of August 2016: 
- Darren McGregor (DMac) for nailing his c2s pb and then 5 days later racing the Syd Oxfam Trailwalker 100kms his team raising $8k. He also had a half pb on the GC in July too. 
- Johnny McCormack (JMac) for his supreme training efforts & group support, C2S PB and winning the Mums and Sons team. He's also struck 10k & half pbs this year! 
Thanks @toddridge @therunningcompanybondibeach for your gift vouchers. Everyone check out the Garmin forerunner 35 / 235 including inbuilt heart rate monitor, pedometer, waterproof as well as pace, distance etc. https://buy.garmin.com/en-AU/AU/sports-recreation/running/forerunner-35/prod552962.html
#oxfamtrailwalker #100k #citytosurf #goldcoast#sydney #10k #halfmarathon #rejoovrunners

 — with Darren MacGregor, Johnny Mac, Todd Ridge and The Running Company - Bondi Beach at The Running Company - Bondi Beach.

Darren & Johnny