THIS IS LIZ NEWCOMER
Published: 09/04/2025, by: Alex Courbat | Photography: Joseph Ironmonger
Running was never on the cards for Liz – until her first job changed everything. Since then, she’s shown no signs of slowing down. To celebrate Liz becoming a Sports Direct Running Ambassador, we caught up with her to chat about how she got into running, personal growth, and how pushing her limits turned into a passion that’s now inspiring others.
Liz Newcomer never really saw herself as a runner. Growing up in California, she was all about team sports, especially football (or soccer, as she calls it). "It was massive," Liz laughs. "I played for ten years. Running? That was just something you did when you had to, like for conditioning. It was never something I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll just go for a run.’"
But even if running wasn’t something she really did, she wasn’t a complete stranger to it either. Both her dad and grandfather were runners, and Liz remembers joining her dad for a few runs, but it never sparked any real passion – or so she thought. "I think my grandpa’s love for marathons rubbed off on me," she says laughing, referring to his impressive marathon history, including completing the New York Marathon. "But no one else in my family really does marathons."
As Liz got older, sports naturally faded out of her life without the school or team structure keeping her engaged. She would run a few miles here and there, but nothing serious. It wasn’t until 2019, when she landed her first job, that running began to take on a new meaning. “My first boss was a big runner, and she suggested I train for my first half marathon,” Liz recalls. “So, I followed a training plan for the first time, and that’s when I thought, ‘Wow, this is something I can really get into.’”
“Your mind is so powerful, and how you talk to yourself during a race really matters - it’s often the difference between pushing through and giving up because you feel like you can’t go any further.”
The process of watching herself improve week by week was something Liz quickly became addicted to. “I’d look at a training plan and think, ‘How on earth am I going to run nine miles? I’ve never done that before.’ But then I’d do it and surprise myself,” she says. It was that feeling of pushing herself beyond her limits and achieving things she didn’t think were possible that hooked her. “It was so cool to train for something and actually see yourself improving.”
That drive for progress became a key part of Liz’s running journey. She realised how easy it was to underestimate herself and how important it was to push beyond her own limits. “A lot of the time, we don’t aim high enough,” Liz reflects, “and then we surprise ourselves when we do something we thought was out of reach.”
Take her first marathon, for example. At first, she saw it as a one-time thing, just something to check off her list. “But then I finished it and thought, ‘I want to do it again,’” she says. And just like that, Liz was hooked on setting new personal goals. "With every race, there's a new goal, and you start to build this running journey for yourself."
Five years into her running journey, Liz has fully embraced the lifestyle. And over the past couple of years, her running has even turned into a second career, thanks to her growing social media presence. "I started posting about my runs for fun, almost like a running diary," she says. But then, one day, something unexpected happened: she started getting noticed. “I was running the London 10K in 2023 when someone recognised me and asked for a photo. I was like, ‘Who, me?’” Liz laughs, still amazed. “It made me realise how much sharing my journey was impacting others.”
The messages Liz gets, especially from women, are often quite personal. Many tell her that seeing her be so open about running – whether it’s about overcoming eating disorders, managing periods, or just dealing with the struggles of everyday life – has inspired them to become better runners themselves. “I get messages from people saying that my honesty has helped them fuel their bodies better or take care of themselves better,” she says. “That really makes me happy. It’s nice to know I’m making a difference.”
When it comes to her running goals, Liz is aiming high this year. She’s been working toward a Boston Marathon qualifying time since late 2023. “London will be my fourth attempt at breaking 3:30 for the marathon,” she says. “It’s been a real learning experience – nothing comes easy with running. But I’m determined.”
And when things get too hard? Liz’s always ready. Recently, she’s started writing down things she knows she’ll have to tell herself before and during a race. “I’ll write down what I’m going to tell myself when things get tough,” she explains. Why? Because Liz has come to realise just how important the mind can be in running. “Your mind is so powerful, and how you talk to yourself during a race really matters,” she says. “It’s often the difference between pushing through and giving up because you feel like you can’t go any further.”
As she continues to challenge herself, Liz never loses sight of what running means to her – not just as a sport but as a community. “Running has given me this amazing sense of purpose,” she says. “It’s not just about the races, but about connecting with others, hearing their stories, and sharing mine.”
Her future? Well, it’s clear she’s not slowing down anytime soon. Whether she’s working toward a sub-3:30 marathon or continuing to inspire others to lace up and run their own race, Liz’s running journey is far from over – and we’re all excited to see what’s next.
