We Ran the Gold Coast Half Marathon! 🏅 Race Recap + Behind the Scenes at ASICS with Tomoko Koda

Gold Coast Half Marathon Recap, Race Weekend Highlights & Behind the Scenes with ASICS Marketing GM Tomoko Koda | Women's Running Collective

This week on the Women's Running Collective, Hayles and Jussie are recording straight from the sauna after an unforgettable Gold Coast Marathon weekend!

The girls recap everything—from travelling to the Gold Coast, the ASICS shakeout run, and race expo, to race morning nerves, pacing strategy, and what it felt like chasing a negative split through the Gold Coast Half Marathon. They share the highs, the tough moments, the music that got them through, and celebrate an incredible weekend of personal bests, community, and cheering on some of Australia's best runners.

They also chat about the amazing Gold Pass experience, post-race recovery, and dinner with the ASICS athlete team.

In the second half of the episode, Hayles and Jussie sit down with Tomoko Koda, General Manager of Marketing at ASICS, to chat about the philosophy behind one of the world's most iconic running brands.

Together they discuss the meaning behind "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano" (A Sound Mind in a Sound Body), why ASICS continues to prioritise mental wellbeing, the incredible growth of women's running, how the brand is designing specifically for female runners, the importance of community, and what exciting innovations are coming next—including ASICS' very first women-specific running shoe.

In This Episode

00:00 ASICS Sponsor & GEL-KAYANO™ 33 Launch

00:34 Recording From the Sauna: Medal Monday!

02:06 Travelling to the Gold Coast & ASICS Shakeout Run

03:05 Race Expo, Gold Pass & Pre-Race Preparation

05:09 Race Morning Routine & Our Favourite Race Hacks

07:42 Half Marathon Race Strategy & Negative Splitting

10:53 Mid-Race Moments, Music & Cheering on the Elites

15:52 The Final 5K: Digging Deep to the Finish

20:21 Gold Pass Recovery, Food & Finish Line Perks

22:06 Recovery, Ice Baths & Dinner with the ASICS Team

24:20 Supporting Friends Racing the Marathon

25:23 Introducing Tomoko Koda, Head of markerting at ASICS

26:49 The ASICS Philosophy: A Sound Mind in a Sound Body

29:00 Meet Tomoko Koda

29:55 Why Running Is About More Than Performance

30:51 The Campaign That Changed ASICS

32:33 Supporting Mental Wellbeing Through Movement

34:42 The Boom in Women's Running

37:06 How ASICS Designs for Female Runners

38:50 Community, Innovation & What's Next

41:41 Quick Fire Questions

44:11 Tomoko's Advice for New Runners

45:33 ASICS GEL-KAYANO™ 33 Feature

46:22 Sauna Debrief, Recovery & Weekly Recommendations

49:22 Wrapping Up & What's Next for the Women's Running Collective

Whether you raced Gold Coast, have a goal event on the horizon, or simply love hearing what goes on behind one of the biggest running brands in the world, this episode is packed with race-day stories, practical tips, inspiration, and plenty of laughs.

💛 Lace up, press play, and come for a run with us.