Rahema Mamodo: Mum of 3, Finding Running Later in Life – From Couch to Ultra, Inspiring Women to Break Barriers.

Rahema Mamodo is a mum of three, a passionate runner, and a trailblazer for women in sport. Growing up in Portugal and now based in Birmingham, Rahema discovered running later in life, starting with a simple couch-to-5k program. What began as a personal challenge has blossomed into a mission to inspire women—especially those who look like her—to break barriers, embrace fitness, and find joy in movement.

Since her first hesitant steps on a treadmill, Rahema has run over 180 Park Runs in more than 50 locations, completed marathons, and even tackled ultramarathons like Race to the Stones. Along the way, she’s used her platform to share her journey, celebrate diversity in sport, and encourage others to believe in themselves.

In this episode, Rahema shares how running transformed her life, the lessons she’s learned from pushing her limits, and her passion for inspiring her daughters and other women to chase their goals. From practical tips for getting started to her unforgettable experiences at marathons and ultras, Rahema’s story is a testament to the power of resilience and self-belief.

Correction:

In our recent podcast episode featuring Rahema Mamodo, we incorrectly stated that SheUltra was founded by Sophie Power. We’d like to clarify that SheUltra was actually founded by Huw Williams, a local man from North Wales who is currently living with terminal cancer. Huw has poured his heart and soul into creating and running this incredible event. Sophie Power is the founder of SheRACES, a separate initiative.

To learn more about Huw and support SheUltra, please visit She Ultra's website or donate here.

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Show notes

• Who is Rahema
• Growing up in Portugal and now living in Birmingham 
• Speaking 3 languages (Portuguese, English and Gujarati)
• What her early years were like 
• Not being into sports or any physical activities 
• Being a teenage girl 
• Being inspired to do a couch to 5k
• Using a treadmill at home and not wanting to run outdoors at first
• The benefits of joining a running group
• Her first Park Run and why she loves it 
• Wearing a hijab 
• How her running journey progressed
• 10k to Half Marathon 
• Being supported by her family 
• Wanting to inspire her girls to be active
• Increasing her distance every week 
• Using online programs and doing her best to get beyond the 5k distance
• Being a Park Run Tourist 
• 180+ park runs in over 50 different locations
• Doing the A to Z of Park Runs 
• Finding a Z Park Run
• Highlights from running and running on sand
• Practical tips to encourage women to get involved in Park Run
• The benefits of finding like minded people to run
• Tracking her running with Garmin 
• Deciding to run Manchester Marathon as her first marathon 
• Hating the experience 
• Getting the chance to run the London Marathon 
• Learning a lot from the marathon experiences 
• Running for other people 
• Muslim Runners 
• Running 3/4 times a week
• 5 weeks to prepare for the marathon
• Race strategy and goals 
• Visiting the London Marathon EXPO 
• Connecting with people from social media
• Deciding to run an ultra - Race to the Stones - 50k 
• She Ultra 
• Sophie Power on the Tough Girl Podcast 
• Training for an ultra 
• No pressure, no cut off times and just smiles!
• Racing with her daughter in 2025
• How to connect with Rahema online
• Being a cover girl! On the cover of Women’s Running 
• Wanting to inspire other women to go out and run
• The power of believing in yourself

 

Social Media

Website www.rahema.co.uk/blog 

Instagram @Rahema_m 

Facebook @rahemasw