Riine Ringi grew up in Estonia, made the Gold Coast home more than a decade ago, and ran her first marathon in 2014, six months after giving up smoking. Seventeen marathons later, she's one of Queensland's fastest: a 2:36:19 PB at this year's Gold Coast Marathon, a podium in Kobe, an Australian 50km ultra title and a growing list of trail wins. She's the kind of athlete who shows up before anyone is watching, and keeps showing up.
What made you commit to running, and what do you remember about that first finish line?
To be honest, I think I just changed one bad habit for a good one. I have a bit of an addictive personality, so once I started running, I became addicted to challenging myself and seeing what I could achieve. I wasn’t comparing myself to anyone else, I just wanted to get better and faster, setting myself little milestones along the way. Seeing my body and my health change in such a positive way definitely helped too.
My first marathon finish was such a positive experience. It was the first time I’d really experienced running alongside so many people, and I loved sharing the miles, the hard moments, the highs and the lows with people I didn’t even know. Crossing that finish line was incredibly emotional. It made me realise that when you put your heart and soul into something, so much is possible. Pain is temporary, but consistency and refusing to give up can take you somewhere pretty amazing.
What do you think has changed the most in your training and mindset between the start of your running journey to now?
So much has changed. In the beginning, I was a completely solo runner. Now my running crew is a huge part of my life, they’re my friends and honestly my social life too. The running community around me has been a complete game changer, and I don’t think I’d ever want to be a solo runner again. Having a coach and an actual training plan has changed things too. Back then I was just running without doing sessions or really knowing what I was doing!
The biggest change in my mindset is learning that both the good and bad moments are just moments, they will pass. The tough periods have taught me that I can push through things I once thought were impossible. I’ve definitely gained a lot more confidence in myself and my ability to keep going, even when things aren’t going perfectly. Sometimes the hardest moments end up giving you the biggest sense of accomplishment.
What does a typical training week look like for you, and how much do your Gold Coast training partners play into it?
There isn’t really a “typical” week because everything is periodised, but during the main part of a marathon block, it gets pretty full on. I work full time, so my alarm is usually around 3:45am to get the first run in before work, then I’ll fit in a second run or strength session afterwards.
A typical marathon block week might look like 16km easy on Monday morning, followed by another 7-8km in the afternoon. Tuesday is usually a shorter, faster session in the morning, followed by strength training. Wednesday is a midweek long run, sometimes up to 23km. Thursday is another 16km easy in the morning and 7-8km in the afternoon. Friday is another session day, often a longer endurance based session, which is much more my thing than the short, fast stuff! Saturday is another 16km easy plus strength, and Sunday is the big long run, sometimes up to 38km and often with marathon pace work included.
At peak marathon training I’m usually around 150-160km a week. I’ve learned that getting too close to 170km while also working full time doesn’t leave me enough recovery, and that’s when the niggles start appearing. So I’ve learned where my limit is and how important recovery is if I want to keep progressing.
My Gold Coast running crew is a huge part of making it all happen. It would be much harder to get out the door at 4:30 or 4:45am on my own. Knowing they’re waiting for me and that they’ve made the effort to get up early too gives me the same respect and motivation to show up for them. It’s especially hard in winter when it’s cold, dark, windy or raining and everything in you is screaming for a sleep in!
We also have runners at different levels, which works really well. We can do the easy runs, warm-ups and cool-downs together, and when the session starts, everyone can work at their own level while still being around each other. Even when a session isn’t going to plan, knowing everyone else is going through their own ups and downs gives you that extra push to finish.
I’ve also learned not to get too caught up in whether I hit a particular pace on a particular day. Sessions should be run by effort, because sometimes you’re tired, under fuelled, stressed or just don’t have it. That’s running. Having people around you who understand that makes a huge difference.
This year you've taken on the trails too, finishing fifth female at Tarawera's T50 and winning the Noosa Ultra-Trail 50K, on top of your Australian 50km ultra title. What draws you off the road, and how different does it feel?
To be honest, after so many years on the roads, my heart and soul started looking for something new. I wanted to be a beginner again, to be in a situation where I didn’t have all the answers and had to learn and figure things out as I went. Trail running has given me exactly that.
It’s a completely different world. I’m still a student when it comes to pacing, knowing when to push and when to hold back, managing elevation and figuring out nutrition over longer distances. Even a 50K can feel very different to a road 50K, and getting my stomach to handle enough fuel is still something I’m working on!
I also love where trail running takes you. You get out of the city, into nature and places you might never otherwise see, and there’s something really special about that. On the road I’m probably more competitive and aware of the other women around me. On the trails, I feel like I’m competing more against myself, my body and the hills.
For now, I like being a bit of a “hybrid” athlete; roads in winter and trails in summer. And apparently I haven’t had enough of the challenge, because I’ve decided to take on the Tarawera 102K in February. I think part of me just wants to find out where my limit is, how far I can push myself and how much discomfort I can handle. It sounds a little crazy, but I love being the beginner again and discovering what I’m capable of.
How do you approach fuelling and recovery with a plant-based diet when you're putting in that much volume?
Honestly, I don’t really see fuelling on a plant-based diet as complicated anymore because I’ve been doing it for so long. I stopped eating meat about 18 years ago, was pescatarian for a year, then vegetarian for around five years before going fully vegan. So by the time I ran my first marathon in 2014, I was already vegan. It’s just completely normal to me now.
And I just love carbs! Rice, pasta, oats, bread, basically all my favourite foods are carbs. I make sure I’m eating enough, particularly when the training load is high, and I always have a protein shake after my runs to help with recovery.
I’m also a creature of habit. I can genuinely eat the same thing every day and never get sick of it. Lately, breakfast has been my banana oat bake, lunch during the work week is almost always a rice based vegan poke bowl with avocado, tomato, cucumber and a vegan patty, and dinner is usually another rice or pasta dish.
I’m not really a fancy food person. Give me something basic with soy sauce and I’m happy! And I have a serious weakness for bread. I could quite happily eat plain bread on its own. For me, fuelling well is really just about keeping it simple, eating enough, getting plenty of carbohydrates for the training, getting enough protein and giving my body what it needs to recover.
You've said "You see it when you believe it" shaped the way you think about running. How does that mental side show up for you on race day?
I genuinely believe that a race is won in your head before you even get to the start line. I’ve always loved Wayne Dyer, the motivational speaker, and one of his mantras that really stuck with me is, “You see it when you believe it.” I feel like I’ve almost brainwashed myself with his words over the years, and every race week I go back to his books and ideas again. They really speak to me.
I truly believe that all my best races have started mentally before race day. I’ve already run the race in my head, I’ve already pictured how I want it to go, and most importantly, I believe that I can do it. That belief gives me something to hold onto when things inevitably get hard during the race.
I remember this really clearly before I won the Sunshine Coast Marathon. I had that “you see it when you believe it” mantra so ingrained in my head that I had already organised my hair and makeup for after the race because I was convinced I was going to win and wanted to look good celebrating! It probably sounds a little cocky, but I genuinely believed it and then I actually did it.
So for me, the mental side of racing is about visualising the outcome, believing in myself and going to the start line already knowing that I’m capable of what I’m about to do.
Looking back, is there a race or moment that stands out as especially meaningful?
I guess every race has its own story to tell, but the latest Gold Coast Marathon is probably the freshest one in my mind and definitely one of the most meaningful.
The lead-up was honestly pretty rough. Nine weeks before the marathon I had a pretty nasty toenail infection, and then eight-seven weeks out, during a session in the middle of winter when it was still dark, I was running full speed when a car door opened and I ran straight into it. I ended up in emergency and was pretty badly beaten up, particularly around my quad, knee and hip. I couldn’t run for about a week, and then the next few weeks were all about trying to recover and get back to some sort of normal training.
But the accident was more than just the physical injuries. I remember lying on the road in the dark and seeing the lights of a big truck coming towards me, and it missed me by literally centimetres. That really shook me to my core. Physically, I was trying to recover, but mentally I don’t think I’ve completely recovered from it either. Even now, when I’m running past cars, I can feel myself getting quite anxious. I think it’s something I’ve probably pushed away rather than properly dealt with, and I know I should probably get some help to talk it through.
So there were a lot of niggles, a lot of doubt and plenty of moments where I questioned whether I was actually going to make it to the start line in the shape I needed to be in. But standing on that start line, I’d made a deal with myself that whatever happened, I was going to finish.
And somehow, despite everything that had happened in the previous eight weeks, I ran 2:36:19 - a PB I genuinely wasn’t sure I was capable of anymore.
I think one thing I’ve learned about myself is that I can somehow switch off pain when I’m racing. I seem to feel it much less during the race than I do afterwards! But looking back, I’m proud of that race for more than just the time. It reminded me that athletes are people too. We go through injuries, setbacks, fear and things that affect us mentally, and sometimes we’re still trying to work through those things while standing on a start line.
Running that PB after such a bumpy lead-up was pretty astonishing to me. It reminded me that sometimes you’re capable of much more than you think you are but also that being strong doesn’t mean you have to pretend everything is fine.
How important is your morning routine, and where does coffee fit into it?
My morning routine is very important. I genuinely don’t leave the house without having a coffee. I’m a self confessed coffeeholic! Coffee before training, coffee after training, coffee at work… I think I’m probably around five coffees a day, so you could say coffee is a fairly important part of my life!
I do have one rule though: I make sure I’ve finished drinking coffee by 2pm, otherwise I have absolutely no chance of falling asleep. So I go pretty hard with the coffee in the morning!
I’ve actually been a Beforeyouspeak Coffee fan for years. I think I discovered it about four years ago when one of my coworkers used to bring it to work. She introduced me to it, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I genuinely can’t get enough of it.
What's next for you, on the road, the trails or beyond?
What’s next is actually a pretty exciting little stretch for me. In two weeks I’m heading to Chengdu in China to run the half marathon. This year I decided to decline the opportunity to go to Kobe as the first Queenslander and instead say yes to a really fun opportunity offered by the Gold Coast Marathon, travelling to Chengdu as the first Gold Coast resident to be offered the experience.
This trip is much more about the experience than chasing a time. It’s going to be about meeting people, being part of the running community and running as part of this bigger running family, so I’m really looking forward to just enjoying it and taking it all in.
Then at the end of November I’m heading down to Kosciuszko for a 50K. I’ve never been to that part of Australia, so I’m really excited to explore somewhere new and get back out on the trails.
That will lead nicely into the Tarawera 102K in February, which I’m definitely excited and slightly terrified about! I’ve never run that distance before, so it will be a completely new challenge for me.
Those three races are definitely locked in. Beyond that, I’m leaving things a little open. Once the Australian racing calendar starts again, there are so many races I could jump into, so I’m not sure yet whether I’ll head back to the road or stay on the trails. I quite like not having the whole year planned out, we’ll see where it takes me.
And last but not least, what's your go-to BYS blend, and how does it fit into your training days?
I’m definitely a hot coffee girl. I don’t mind a cold brew in summer, but give me a hot coffee and I’m happy. My go-to is definitely the Performance Coffee The OG.
But I have to say, the Cinnamon Spice is definitely giving the OG a run for its money. The cinnamon flavour brings back memories of being at my grandma’s place when I was younger and she used to bake these incredible cinnamon buns, so there’s a bit of nostalgia attached to it for me.
Coffee is basically part of my training routine. I’ll have it before training, after training and throughout the morning at work. But it’s also a big part of our running crew. Coffee is what brings us together after the early morning runs, and honestly, having a laugh together is just as important as the running.
There is absolutely no way I’m training without coffee. As I said, I’m a self confessed coffeeholic, and luckily Beforeyouspeak helps keep my addiction under control… or at least gives it a very good excuse!