Today on the ZenRUN Podcast, I’m chatting with my wonderful friend Nancy Williams.
Nancy is a runner, ultra runner, race director, event manager, single mum, serial degree collector, cross-stitch enthusiast and the calm-looking swan behind some seriously complicated running events.
Although, as Nancy explains, there is often a LOT of frantic paddling happening beneath the surface.
Nancy grew up in Adelaide in a highly academic family and describes herself as the girl who always felt different. School was difficult, running was something she actively avoided, and she became very skilled at finding reasons not to participate in cross-country.
So naturally, she went on to run marathons, 100 milers, backyard ultras and some of Australia’s toughest trail events.
Nancy openly shares the challenging parts of her journey, including bullying, an eating disorder as a teenager, difficult relationships, becoming a single parent, discovering she is neurodivergent later in life and the long process of learning to understand and accept herself.
Running became the constant throughout it all.
It gave Nancy freedom, connection, headspace, purpose and eventually an entirely new career.
After volunteering extensively with Ultra Series, Nancy stepped into race directing and discovered she was completely in her element. She now manages seven Ultra Series races, runs two events of her own and helps organise the 24 parkruns event.
We chat about the enormous amount of work that goes into making an event appear calm and organised, why Nancy wants every runner to feel valued, and why the person completing three backyard yards deserves just as much celebration as the runner completing 60.
Nancy also shares why being an athlete can be one of the rare times she allows somebody else to look after her.
Apparently, all you need to do is run 100 miles to have someone offer to fill your drink bottle and bring you food.
Seems perfectly reasonable.
We also talk about Nancy’s own running adventures, including:
- Running her first City to Bay after barely running outdoors
- Her first half marathon in England
- Running London, New York and Dublin marathons
- Completing 31 yards at a backyard ultra
- Finishing Irrational South 100 Miler
- Surviving an incredibly tough Delirious W.E.S.T. 100 Miler
- Her plans to return for the Delirious 200 Miler
- A rare and painful tendon injury that required surgery
- Why she needs a big race goal to keep her moving
- Her love of running with other people
- Why she still wants to run forever
Links to a few of Nancy’s events:
The Australian 6 day Event:- http//:australian6day.com.au
And
The Southern Cross 24 Hour Event:- http//:southerncross24hour.com.au
Nancy’s Running Tips
Find the goal that works for you
Nancy is strongly goal-driven. Having a race on the calendar gives her a reason to train, particularly when life becomes difficult or motivation disappears.
Your goal does not need to be anyone else’s idea of impressive. It simply needs to mean something to you.
Do not lose perspective
When we spend time around ultra runners, it is easy to begin thinking that a marathon, 50K or a handful of backyard yards is somehow “not far.”
Nancy reminds us that every runner’s achievement deserves to be celebrated.
Three yards can represent the biggest distance somebody has ever covered. That matters.
Learn from the imperfect races
Some of Nancy’s most valuable races were not the ones where everything went smoothly. Difficult experiences at Irrational South and Delirious taught her about her thinking, her decisions and her ability to keep moving when things felt impossible.
There is no perfect race, but every race can teach us something.
Work with people who understand runners
After a serious injury left Nancy unable to run or even walk comfortably, her physio gave her something incredibly important: a clear path forward and confidence that she would run again.
Finding a health professional who understands your goals can make a huge difference physically and emotionally.
Notice the runs where nothing hurts
Runners are very good at focusing on the sore tendon, painful toe or grumpy Achilles.
Nancy and I discuss the importance of noticing the moments when everything actually feels okay. When you finish a run feeling comfortable, pause and appreciate it.
Bring yourself back to this step
When Nancy begins thinking too far ahead during an ultra, she uses the mantra:
“Just this moment. Just this step.”
She combines it with noticing what she can see, hear, smell and feel. This helps calm the panic, quieten the mind and return her attention to what is happening right now.
Pass the Baton
Nancy answered Jos Middleton’s question:
“Have you got one particular ritual that you do as part of your running?”
Nancy shares the simple grounding mantra she uses during backyard ultras and difficult moments in long races.
Then, in keeping with the direction our conversation took within approximately two minutes of starting, Nancy passed on a rather entertaining toilet-related question for my next guest.
You will need to listen to the episode to hear exactly what she asked.
Listen to the Episode
Join us for an honest, funny and deeply relatable conversation about running, belonging, identity, big goals, imperfect races, event directing, cross-stitch and why runners apparently cannot avoid discussing toilets.
💛 Want your running to feel lighter again?
If this conversation resonated, you might enjoy The Running Reset – a simple bundle of guided runs and practical tools to help you reset your rhythm, clear your head, and reconnect with why you run.
🙏 A couple of big favours
- If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast – it helps more runners discover these conversations.
- I’m always looking for runners to interview. If you, or someone you know, has a running story to share, I’d love to hear from you.
Find me on Facebook or Instagram at @ZenRUN.club
or email hello@zenrun.club
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