In this edition of Beyond the Singlet we are joined by Tommy Chapman. Tommy joined the Richmond Harriers in 2023, adding to the clubs growing pool of athletes from the UK. A regular at a number of club sessions Tommy has cemented himself as one of our speediest runners with a string of impressive performances on the track this summer, including a huge 5k PB of 15.45 at Box Hill Burn last month. Welcome Tommy!
How did you get into running?
I would say my first experience of running, by choice at least, was at a Parkrun in my home city of Norwich when I was about 14. My Mum, who at the time was a loyal weekly attendee, persuaded me to give it a go despite getting up early being the last thing I wanted to do. It definitely helped that the offer of a bacon sandwich from the cafe was there to get me out of the door! There was no method to it at this point, I just went out as fast as possible and realised after a few weeks that I might have a knack for it!
For the next few years I didn’t do many races, besides a few unsuccessful XC events (which to this day has put me off doing them again) in my last couple years of school. Other than that I just used running as a break from the regular football and hockey filled exercise schedule.
I would say it became more serious when I started University at Loughborough in 2020, which as some of our UK members may know is full to the brim with Olympians and other world-class athletes. This definitely made me take a more detailed approach to training!
How did you come to join Richmond Harriers?
Google!
When I first arrived in Melbourne I said to myself that a good running club was a priority, as it turned out I ended up ticking it off before even getting a Job or housing. Richmond Harriers were the top result on Google, so I decided to give the Wednesday social a go.
On my first week I was made to feel so welcome by everyone, and as it happens the first conversation I had was with Duncan, who as it turned out was from the same city as me in the UK! quickly discovered the Harriers had a great mix of people from all around the globe which made me feel very confident that this was the club for me.
Besides running, what are your other hobbies?
Good question! I realised whilst thinking about an answer for this that maybe I don’t have anything that stands out as particularly interesting. For now I’m just enjoying the experience of living in a new country, exploring Melbourne and all it has to offer usually fills up my spare time! Going to gigs and concerts, any sporting events but particularly the cricket, and trips out into rural Victoria to hike have been some of my favourite activities so far. Back home I would be filling up weekends by spending time with friends in London, playing hockey and football, or slowly working my way through my Netflix watchlist!
Do you have any target races coming up?
Ballarat 10k is next on the list at the end of April, where I am hoping to break 33 minutes, before a long half marathon training block to prepare for Gold Coast half in July! In between those races I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the winter XCR series with the club.
What’s your favourite running memory?
It’s a pretty recent one! The Box Hill Burn 5km would be right up there, winning my heat and running a PB under the lights was so special. But what really made it was seeing the floods of messages from my family and plenty of Harriers afterwards who unbeknownst to me had watched the whole thing on the livestream! It put a huge smile on my face and made me even more grateful for the wonderful community we have here.
What does your weekly training schedule currently look like?
I’m currently I’m trying to build some volume back after a summer period of lower mileage/higher intensity training. At the moment a typical week is looking like six days of running with three easy runs (40mins-70 mins), two session days (one is usually a threshold and the other intervals), and then a long run at the weekend.
I’m trying to hit between 50-60k a week for now, with the plan to move up to around 70k after the Ballarat 10k. My biggest struggle has always been getting to the gym regularly, so I am trying to do two trips a week to help keep the injuries away!
Headphones or no headphones when running? If yes, what three songs we would find on your playlist?
Definitely no headphones for sessions, but on those easy days they do help the time go faster!
I would say ‘Sweet Disposition’ by The Temper Trap, ‘Low Down’ by Lil Baby and then ‘Something About You’ by Elderbrook + Rudimental would all be featuring on the playlist. If I’m not feeling music then ‘The Rest Is History’ or ‘FTK’ (For The Kudos) would be my podcasts of choice!
What is your favourite running book / podcast?
FTK is a podcast which I started listening to a year or so ago, before moving here, only to find out the whole thing is based in Melbourne!
It’s hosted by a mix of professionals (Jack Rayner, Brett Robinson, Sarah Billings etc.) and a few amateur runners who discuss all things running with a focus on the Australian, and specifically the Melbourne running scene. I’ve found it really useful on advice for speed sessions, new routes, races and more. They’re also all Aussies so it’s usually a funny listen!
What running event is top of your bucket list?
In the long term, I think qualifying for Boston Marathon would be an amazing achievement, but I definitely don’t have the passion/patience for marathon training yet!
For now I would love to try and race at an event like Zatopek, we have a similar one in the UK called ‘The Night of 10,000m PBs’ which is hosted at a track in London with fireworks, big crowds and stacked fields. I always think whilst watching that the atmosphere is something special and that it would be very memorable to race at.
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