The Just Athletics Podcast

The Just Athletics podcast is like "Curb Your Enthusiasm", we go on long hiatuses, but then come back with bangers. Kicking off 2024 we have an incredible guest in Sean Brosnan. Chris, Dave, and Travis banter a little to start the show, so if you just want to listen to Sean, skip to the 17:15 mark in the show. Sean Brosnan has established himself as one of the best coaches in sport. He made his mark at Newberry Park High School, coaching arguably the greatest high school cross country team ever. His teams at Newberry Park quickly elevated after his arrival in 2016 and won four California State Cross Country titles (three for the boys and one for the girls). The boys team won NXN in 2019 and in 2022 (after he had moved to UCLA but his influence was still felt and Aaron Sahlman won the individual title) and the Running Lane Championship in 2021. The boys team was 6th at NXN in 2018. His athletes ran ridiculously fast times on the track during his stint at NP, such as the Sahlman brothers running 1:48, with Colin also running 3:56 in the mile, Nico Young 8:40 in the 3200m, Leo Young 3:39 in the 1500m, Lex Young 13:43 in the 5000m, three school records for Samantha McDonnell in the 800, 1600, and 3200, and the lists go on and on. Sean spent one year at UCLA and quickly had the distance group performing at a very high level. He coached eight All-Americans in the distance events in that one year, highlighted with the women's DMR team placing fourth at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Sean is now a free agent and announces some big plans for his talents in 2024 on this episode. Thanks so much to Sean for jumping on to do the show on such short notice. We hope you all enjoy this time with a phenomenal coach. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

After a LONG hiatus, the boys are back and with a new format....scandals and animals, OK not that, but TRIVIA! It is a clash of the titans as Chris competes against Dave in a 10 round trivia question format where you listeners can play along in the comfort of your homes, on a drive, on on a run. Moderated by Travis Floeck, this will be a series that we come back to regularly. Please enjoy! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We have one cool cat on the show today and one of the best middle distance runners in the United States and the World. Craig Engels is only 26 years old, but already has an impressive resume as a world-class middle distance runner. He is the 2019 USATF 1500m National Champion in a race where battled the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist, Matt Centrowitz, to the line winning by .04 seconds. He went on to make the IAAF World Championship final that year in the 1500m, where he finished 10th, just .20 seconds off his personal best of 3:34.04. Craig started off 2019 with another USATF title in the mile at the USATF Indoor Championships. Another major highlight of his professional career includes a 7th place finish at the World Indoor Championships in the 1500m in 2018. He also has a personal best of 1:44.68 in the 800m. Craig is coached by Pete Julian and runs for Nike. Mr. Engels attended Ole Miss for a majority of his collegiate career after transferring from North Carolina State University. At Ole Miss, he was a multiple-time NCAA All-American, the first SEC Champion in the 1500m from Ole Miss, and the school-record holder in the 1500m. His senior season he finished 7th at the NCAA Championships in the 1500m, but just a few weeks later at the 2016 Olympic Trials he burst onto the national scene placing 4th in the 800m and 5th in the 1500m, nearly making the Olympic team. He was born and raised in North Carolina and attended Ronald W. Reagan High School in Pfafftown. He set school records in the 800m, mile, and 3200m and also won the best hair award at his high school. Craig's reputation as being cooler than the other side of the pillow held up in this pod. We hope you all enjoy it as much as we did recording it. Thanks Craig! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Oh boy, do we have a good episode for you this week on The Just Athletics podcast. Our guest, Don Kardong, has his fingerprints all over the American distance running scene the last 50 years. Don had a remarkable career at Stanford University, where he held school records in the 2 mile, 3 mile, and the 6 mile, graduating in 1971. Some of the big achievements of Don's running career after Stanford include finishing fourth place the 1976 Olympics in the marathon, just three seconds from the bronze medal, in a sensational 2:11:16, running 12:57.6 in the three-mile race behind these guys named Prefontaine and Shorter at Hayward Field in 1974, and winning both the 1976 Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta and the 1978 Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii. Don's impact goes far beyond his athletic achievements. He has been a prominent journalist in the sport of running since the early 1980s, he served as a contributing editor at Running magazine from 1980 to 1983, and a contributing editor (1983–1985) and senior writer (1985–1987) for The Runner magazine as well. Since 1987, he has been a contributing writer for Runner's World magazine also. He has also been one of the top road race directors in the country and served in a leadership role as the President of the Road Runners Club of America from 1996-2000. He founded one of the best road races in the country in 1977 when he started the Bloomsday Run in Spokane, WA, and has served as the race director at times and been heavily involved in that amazing event. This man also has a bridge named after him and an ice cream flavor. Who else can say that?We can't thank Don enough, this was an amazing episode, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks Don! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Who is on your Mt. Rushmore in terms of distance runners in the history of the United States? Chris, Dave, and Josh all give you their Mt. Rushmore on the men's side, the women's side, and overall in terms of American distance running. These guys bring it like Stephen A. Smith  on ESPN. Disagree with them? Get on the social media and let us know. We hope you enjoy another episode of The Just Athletics podcast. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We are fortunate to have running royalty as this week's guest of The Just Athletics podcast. A true hero in Joan Benoit Samuelson. Joan, of course, is the 1984 Olympic Champion in the marathon, the first time the distance was ever contested for women at the Olympic Games. She was also a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon and a winner of the Chicago Marathon in 1985 in an American Record time of 2:21:21, which stood for 18 years. Certainly one of the greatest runners of all-time and an amazing talent, another remarkable aspect of Joan's runner career is her longevity and ability to continue to run fast. She has continued to run very fast into the 21st century, most notably running 2:49:08 at the 2008 Olympic Trials at the age of 50. Joan has also made it a big goal to give back in many ways to the sport. She founded the Beach to Beacon 10k road race in 1998, which has become one of the premier road races in the United States. She has authored two books, "Running Tide" and "Running for Women".  She continues to inspire generation after generation of runners, women and men alike. This is an amazing pod and Joan is certainly an amazing person on a lot of levels. Thanks so much Joan!!Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

On a very special episode of The Just Athletics podcast we bring on Amy Flora to dive into her background as a five-time Oregon State Champion and state record-holder at the High School level for Myrtle Point in Coos County or legendary coach Pat Towne, her time at the University of Washington as a student-athlete, and her time as a middle school and high school coach. She also happens to be the better half or really the better 3/4 of host Chris Johnson, which means she's a saint in many ways. Amy is a successful and dynamic administrator, she currently is the Principal at Lincoln School of Early Learning in Coquille, OR. Amy has a unique background and a lot of wisdom to share. You'll recognize her voice quickly, as she is the voice of the JA podcast. Thank you Amy for your appearance and all you do to keep Chris Johnson's life together. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

The Men's 800m final at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR was nothing short of epic and we have an epic podcast to reflect on that amazing race for our millions of listeners. A race that people often cite as one of their favorite races of all-time. Christian Smith and Andrew Wheating join us to look back on the race, you know two of the guys who made the team and realized their dreams that day. Christian Smith is a native of Kansas decided to stay in state and attend Kansas State, where he was an NCAA Champion in the mile, four-time All-American, and NCAA record holder in the indoor 1000m. Christian ran professionally for the Oregon Track Club Elite team in Eugene directly after college, where he was part of the Oregon sweep in the race we discuss to become a 2008 Olympian in the 800m. He has a personal best of 1:44.86 in that event. He now lives back in Kansas where is a restaurant entrepreneur, including a couple Fat Shacks, and family man with three young children who keep him busy. Andrew Wheating's story we partially broke down in episode 53 with Jeff Johnson. An atmospheric breaking talent, Andy went from playing high school soccer to trying out cross country to a recruit joining the University of Oregon track & field team to earning a spot on an Olympic team in just over two years. An insane story. Besides making this Olympic team in 2008, Andy went on to become a multiple-time NCAA Champion and All-American for the Ducks. He again made the Olympic team in 2012, this time in the 1500m.  He has personal bests of 1:44.56 in the 800m and 3:30.90 in the 1500m. Andy is now playing a major role for the up and coming ON Running shoe company which is signing and supporting professional athletes across the U.S. and the world. We had an unbelievable time with Christian and Andy reflecting and breaking down this very big moment in both of their lives. Check out the race before and after the pod here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeIY_M7YJxkThank you Christian and Andy! One of the most fun and entertaining episodes we have ever recorded. We hope you enjoy the show! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcast to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We are rocking 2021 so far with amazing guests. This week we bring on one of the best coaches in the country in Scott Christensen of Stillwater High School in Minnesota. Scott is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where he majored inBiology for for his undergrad and went on to study Physiology and earn his masters degree at the University of Nebraska. Scott wears many hats in the running world. As a coach at Stillwater HS in Minnesota his teams have won with 10 State team titles in track & field and cross country and have had many individual champs, including seven in the “almost a mile” race, the 1600m. His 1997 team was ranked number one in the Harrier's national rankings. He has had three of his athletes go on to become sub-four minute milers.  He is also very involved in coaches education as one of the foremost instructors for USATF, USTFCCCA, and the IAAF. Scott has also served at the international level as a coach for TEAM USA for the 2003 Junior World Cross Country Champions and for the 2008 Senior team at the World Cross Country Championships. To continue stacking on to the many achievements, he is also a published author having written numerous numerous articles , online training courses, and  two books. He is one of the most sought out clinicians in the sports of cross country and track & field. Scott as an athlete was the captain of both his high school and college teams and has a lifetime PR of 2:30:24 in the marathon. We will have to have Scott back, as we just barely scratched the knowledge that this amazing coach has. Thanks so much Scott! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We have an all-timer for our millions of listeners. We bring on an incredibly influential and successful personality in our great sport. Jeff Johnson is famously known as Nike's first employee and is a big player in the company's rise to the giant brand it is today. He went to Los Altos HS in California … Continue reading Episode 53 – Jeff Johnson + Surprise Guest

We decided to kick off our 2021 campaign with something a little different. We bring on two guests who were involved in the 1998 dueling biopics about Steve Prefontaine to discuss and compare the two films. Jeff Atkinson joins us. Jeff both had a part, a speaking line no less, in the movie “Without Limits” … Continue reading Episode 52 – “Prefontaine”/”Without Limits” Movie Breakdown

After last week's glitch in the Matrix, Chris and Dave return for one of the best shows ever with an incredible guest. Want to be inspired? Check out this episode with American Record Holder Courtney Frerichs. We delve into Courtney's incredible rise from being a 2:24 800m runner in high school to one of the … Continue reading Episode 51 – Courtney Frerichs

We jump to another dimension with two mystery guests and dive into their backgrounds as athletes and coaches. We won't ruin the surprise, so check out this long and fun episode. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us … Continue reading Episode 50 – Multiverse Episode

This week's episode of the Just Athletics podcast we bring on one of the best young High School coaches in the country and a coach who has a little bit of experience being part of a successful program at arguably the greatest high school program of all-time at York High School. Eric Dettman is the … Continue reading Episode 49 – Eric Dettman

We got a big episode here, both in length and impact. We bring it back to having an active coach on and someone who we heard speak a week ago and just had to get on the pod. Daniel Caulfield blew us away on the Portland Coaches Social and he repeated that again on this … Continue reading Episode 48 – Daniel Caulfield

The guest this week is an athlete known for his fierce competitiveness on the track, but the pod allows us to see another side of Mr. Ben Blankenship. Ben competes for the Oregon Track Club Elite team in Eugene, OR, where he is coached by Mark Rowland. He grew up in Minnesota and ran at … Continue reading Episode 47 – Ben Blankenship

We have another amazing guest this week, another athlete currently focusing on the longer stuff, this time the marathon. Kinsey Middleton, formerly Gomez, was born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, ID. She was a seven-time State Champion at Coeur d'Alene High School, coached by Cathy Compton. Actually missed Foot Locker Nationals by just one place … Continue reading Episode 46 – Kinsey Middleton

After a week off, we are back with an exciting guest who gives us some insight into the Ultra/Trail world and beyond. David Laney had humble beginnings in the sport of running at Central Catholic High School, where co-host of the show Dave Frank was his coach. David never made his high school's varsity team … Continue reading Episode 45 – David Laney

We just keep rolling! This week we have one of the best coaches in the world in Pete Julian of Nike. Chris and Dave dive into Pete's family history in the sport and his journey from growing up in Ashland in a track family to becoming a successful collegiate and professional athlete to becoming the … Continue reading Episode 44 – Pete Julian

He returns! Our former co-host and co-founder, Josh Rowe, returns to the show to chat with Chris and Dave about a wide range of topics, but mostly about Josh's involvement with the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame and his work with the Nationals Scholastic Athletics Foundation. Josh, who was high school … Continue reading Episode 43 – The Josh Rowe

If Bill Simmons is the pod father, then our guest for episode 42 should be referred to as the lord of the zoom call. We are thrilled to have Albert Caruana as our guest, who also happens to be an amazing high school coach and influential blogger and journalist in the sport. Albert, who is … Continue reading Episode 42 – Albert Caruana

We decided to follow an American Record Holder, Olympian, and one of the best athletes in the world with Thor Esbensen, who is renowned in his own right. Coach Thor Esbensen is the Head Cross Country and Co-Head Track & Field Coach at Wilson High School in Portland, OR, where he has was named to … Continue reading Episode 41 – Thor Esbensen

We have a special release podcast today, and it is HUGE. Chris and Dave sit down with multiple American Record Holder and one of the best athletes in the world, Shelby Houlihan of the Bowerman Track Club. We really considered just introducing Shelby as simply “here is Shelby Houlihan,” but in case you don't know … Continue reading Episode 40 – Shelby Houlihan

Another weekly edition of the Just Athletics podcast coming at you and we have another amazing guest to learn from. We are thrilled to have Jason Retz, one of the best high school coaches in the country. Jason coaches at St. Joseph-Ogden High School in St. Joseph, Illinois, where he has been since 2013. He … Continue reading Episode 39 – Jason Retz

This Thursday edition of the Just Athletics podcast we welcome back a returning guest in Jay Johnson to discuss the release of his new book, “Consistency is Key:15 Ways to Unlock Your Potential as a High School Runner.” Jay is one of the most influential coaches in the country and his next book is already … Continue reading Episode 38 – Jay Johnson

This week's episode of the Just Athletics podcast, we host The Beard, no not James Harden, this guy has real talent and plays defense. The Beard on coaching zoom calls across the country has been Jason “Ozzy” Oswalt. Jason is a phenomenal coach and has had an athlete on fire this spring despite the covid … Continue reading Episode 37 – Jason Oswalt

Today's episode of the Just Athletics podcast is another fantastic session, this time we chat with one of the most knowledgeable people we know. Dr. Ross Dexter is primarily an athletic trainer, but if you read his bio below, you will get a sense of the extensive background Ross has. There is a little audio … Continue reading Episode 36 – Dr. Ross Dexter

Our guest today on the JA Podcast is arguably one of the most accomplished high school coaches in the entire country and is currently overseeing the most successful boys cross country program in the country at American Fork HS in Utah, where he has been the head coach since 1998. His boys cross country team … Continue reading Episode 35 – Timo Mostert

Special edition of the Just Athletics Podcast coming at you. We wanted to release this episode as soon as possible and out of the Thursday schedule we have set up due to the upcoming and highly anticipated Wildwood Running Clinic. We chat today with the two founders of the clinic, Marie Davis Markham and Robyn … Continue reading Episode 34 – Marie Davis Markham and Robyn McGillis

We're back! We plan to have a season of podcasts that will be out each Thursday and take us into the fall. New host Dave Frank of Central Catholic HS in Portland, OR will join original host Chris Johnson as we talk to some of the best minds in our sport over the next several … Continue reading Episode 33 – Elizabeth Carey and Melody Fairchild

We are tying something a little different with this episode. We have a guest host in Travis Floeck, the head distance coach at the University of Idaho. Travis joins the program to interview fellow collegiate coaches to get their perspective on the sport. Travis' first guest is Rhonda Riley, the Head Women's Cross County and … Continue reading Episode 32 – Rhonda Riley

Chris and Josh kick off 2019 with guest Doug Binder, arguably the best high school track & field journalist in the country and editor-in-chief of Dyestat.com. Doug has been writing about the sport of track & field for 20+ years. He started his career at the Corvallis Gazette-Times in 1994 and worked for 10 years … Continue reading Episode 31 – Doug Binder

Our latest guest on The Just Athletics podcast is Erin Clark, who recently signed with Northern Arizona Elite and Hoka One One as she starts her professional running career after graduating the University of Colorado this spring. Erin attended South Eugene High School and was a Two-Time Oregon State Champion in high school and graduated … Continue reading Episode 30 – Erin Clark

The Just Athletics podcast is back and we brought in a guest host, Dave Frank, to help Chris interview a college teammate of Dave's and 1988 Olympic finalist in the 1500m, Jeff Atkinson. Jeff was a tremendous athlete in the 1500m and mile in the 1980's. He won the 1988 Olympic Trials 1500m and went … Continue reading Episode 29 – Jeff Atkinson

Since the start of the podcast we've wanted to have Melody Fairchild on and this episode does not disappoint. Chris and Josh talk to Melody about the roots of her running career, some of her big high school races, transitioning to college at the University of Oregon, and her the role running plays in her … Continue reading Episode 28 – Melody Fairchild

Josh and Chris discuss the recent announcement of Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton retiring. They try to rationalize the motivation for two of the world's greatest athletes leaving the sport now, in their prime and the finances involed. Chris and Josh discuss what Ashton still could do if he stayed and Chris pleads for him … Continue reading Episode 27 – Eatons Retire

We are answering the cries of millions and making an effort to record more episodes. Chris and Josh give excuses why they haven't recorded a podcast in a while and debate Nike's quest for the sub 2 hour marathon in 2017. We hope you enjoy the show! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher … Continue reading Episode 26 – Sub 2 Hour Marathon Debate

The boys are back! Josh and Chris break down the Rio Olympics on the track. We hope you enjoy the show and expect more guests this fall as we get back to it. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us … Continue reading Episode 25 – Olympics Recap

We were fortunate to have one of the best coaches in the NCAA on the podcast on the morning of the first day of the Olympic Trials. Greg Metcalf is arguably coming off the best year of his coaching career, and that is saying a lot with what he has accomplished in his nearly 20 … Continue reading Episode 24 – Greg Metcalf

Ian Dobson is the latest Olympian to join us on the Just Athletics podcast. Ian chats with Chris and Josh about his experiences growing up in Klamath Falls, OR, running for the a legendary coach in Marnie Mason (now Binney) in high school, running at Stanford University for Vin Lananna on a dominant team, making … Continue reading Episode 23 – Ian Dobson

We're back! We apologize about the hiatus, but the track & field season keeps us busy. We are thrilled for our first show back to be with Jason Vigilante, one of the best coaches in the United States and the World. We picked an incredible guest to kick off our build up to the Olympic … Continue reading Episode 22 – Jason Vigilante

We are joined by John Truax, a long-time friend and a true legend in the sport. Truax has been working for over 25 years at Nike, where he has had many roles in the company. He most notably has worked in the track & field division, both as a developer of Nike track spikes and … Continue reading Episode 21 – John “Wildhorse” Truax

It's our 20th episode and we are fortunate to have arguably the greatest 400m runner of all-time on the show. What Sanya Richards Ross  has accomplished is truly remarkable. She was the National Female Athlete of the Year her senior year of high school at St. Thomas Aquinas HS in Florida, where she held a … Continue reading Episode 20 – Sanya Richards-Ross

Chris and Josh chat with one of the all-time greats and three-time Olympian, Dathan Ritzenhein, in this episode. Dathan is one of the most decorated American distance runners ever and at age 33 is still going strong after a long successful career. Dathan was a two-time Foot Locker National Champion in high school, coming out … Continue reading Episode 19 – Dathan Ritzenhein

The boys are joined by Rob Vermillion, a great mind and great voice in the sport of track & field. Rob discusses with Chris and Josh how the sport is covered, discusses possible solutions, the opportunities for expanded sponsorship in the sport, and of course gives us his top five track & field athletes of all-time. … Continue reading Episode 18 – Rob Vermillion

Josh and Chris chat about the outcome of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials contested on February 13th in Los Angeles. Josh was at the trials in LA, while Chris watched on television from his home in Dune City, OR. They discuss how their picks stacked up, how the races played out, conversations Josh had at … Continue reading Episode 17 – Marathon Trials Recap

Dan Lilot, of Arum Sports Group, joins the show to outline the Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles on February 13th and give us his picks who will make the team in Rio. Dan currently represents athletes in the sport of track & field, such as Chris Derrick, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Kara Goucher among others. … Continue reading Episode 16 – Dan Lilot

We kick it back to a coach on this episode by chatting with Steve Sheehy of Union HS, located in Eastern Oregon. Steve is one of the most decorated high school coaches in the state of Oregon. Unlike many high school coaches, Steve doesn't teach at the high school, but instead works as a software … Continue reading Episode 15 – Steve Sheehy

The legendary Alan Webb joins Chris and Josh to reflect on his career, which includes an incredible amount of highlights. Alan is the American Record Holder in the mile, running 3:46.9 in 2007. He is arguably one of the biggest stars the sport of track & field has ever seen in the United States after … Continue reading Episode 14 – Alan Webb

Since the inception of the podcast, we knew we wanted to have Dave Frank on, plus we had listeners begging us to chat with him. Dave is currently the Boys Head Cross Country/Distance Coach at Central Catholic High School in Portland, OR. He is one of the best high school coaches in the country and … Continue reading Episode 13 – Dave Frank

Chris and Josh catch up with an old friend, who happens to be one of the best high school coaches in the country. Bart Sessa is the co-owner of The Running School, one of the nation's premier running camps and has been coaching at the high school level in New York, arguably the most competitive … Continue reading Episode 12 – Bart Sessa