The Running Effect's mission is simple: to enlighten, equip, and motivate the next generation of runners with advice from the best in the sport that will elevate your running to the next level In this show, we will interview some of the top athletes, coaches, and influencers in the sport. Each episode will be new and exciting bringing you some relevant advice on all things running.
JOIN MY TEAM & SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE: https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en/teams/5Nrld5?join=1 Martin Dugard has spent his whole life at the intersection of running and history, and The Long Run is where they finally collide.Dugard is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with over 12 million copies sold, a three-time Raid Gauloises adventure racer, a co-holder of the global circumnavigation speed record, and a cross country coach who has built California state championship programs from scratch over two decades. And he's earned every word of this book.In the 1970s, running was a fringe sport. What happened in between is one of the greatest untold stories in sports history, and Dugard just wrote the book on it. The Long Run drops April 14, and he joins the show to break down exactly how Frank Shorter's 1972 Olympic gold, Steve Prefontaine's counterculture fire, Joan Benoit Samuelson's 1984 Olympic breakthrough, and Grete Waitz's nine New York City Marathon victories turned a niche obsession into a global movement.But this isn't just a history lesson. He gets into the coaching philosophy behind the 1970s greats, what today's running boom has in common with the first one, and why the athletes who built this sport still don't get the credit they deserve.Tap into the Martin Dugard Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Forty-five days ago, he told TRE he didn't know if he liked running anymore. Then he ran 37 loops. Aleksander Piotr Lingauer showed up to the 2026 BPN Go One More Ultra carrying more than a race bib. He carried a childhood spent in foster care across England and Germany, a nervous system that had been shutting down in the weeks before the start line, and a verse from Joel written on his shirt. What he left with was something harder to name—and that's what this conversation is about.This is the post-race debrief Dominic promised to deliver in person. From the moment Aleksander flew to New York on a swollen ankle just to run 8K with a guy he admired on the internet, to crewing for Kim Gottwald through storm-halted loops in Texas, to finally hearing his own name called as a competitor—every decision in this story was made on instinct, and every one of them changed his life.On the course: barefoot through the mud, keeping strangers in the race when they were about to quit, hallucinating a dragon somewhere in the second night, and fighting his way through doubt that even Mark Dowdle admitted he'd felt. Aleksander's answer to all of it was simple: if you fail to try, doubt wins.He left the loop an honest man. Tap into the Aleksander Lingauer Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Most people spend years chasing a record. Jane Hedengren did it on her first try.On April 3rd at the Stanford Invitational, BYU freshman Jane Hedengren stepped onto the track for her first-ever collegiate outdoor race and ran 30:46.80, the fastest collegiate 10,000m in NCAA history. She broke Parker Valby's record by nearly four seconds. That's who TRE is sitting down with this week. But this episode isn't really about the record. It's about what it takes to perform at that level before you've had time to be afraid of it. Jane is 19 years old, the daughter of an All-American runner, competing for BYU under head coach Diljeet Taylor—and she is doing things in her freshman year that most distance runners never do in a career. Two NCAA indoor titles. The indoor 5,000m record. And now this.The numbers are already legendary. What this conversation goes after is everything behind them: the race tactics, the mindset between back-to-back NCAA gold medals, the training system that built her, and the question that's been nagging many in the industry: does she let herself think about the 2028 Olympics?TRE does. And you will too by the end of this one.conversation that is long overdue.Tap into the Jane Hedengren Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Quentin Nauman is already a legend in Iowa. This spring season is the encoreThe greatest prep distance runner in Iowa history enters his final outdoor season with 10 state titles, two national championships, and one goal left unfinished. Two weeks ago at Nike Indoor Nationals, Nauman anchored Iowa's DMR team to a national title in 9:46.23, edging Texas by under a second in a dramatic final 200 meters. For an athlete defined by solo dominance, it was a glimpse of something new. Now he's back for his last run at the Drake Relays triple sweep (800m, 1600m, 3200m), and a legitimate shot at the national high school mile record before heading to Oregon in the fall.This is a return visit for Quentin, and the story has gotten bigger. This episode is part of The Running Effect's ongoing Festival of Miles series.One more outdoor season. One more shot at the record. One last chance to cement a legacy that's already unlike anything Iowa has ever seen. In this episode, Quentin opens up on the NIN team win, the Oregon decision, coach Elaina Biechler, and what it actually feels like to be chasing something when you've already won everything.Tap into the Quentin Nauman Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Colorado-born elite runner turned entrepreneur David Perry is here—a guy who went from captain of Adidas Runners NYC to founder of one of the most talked-about jewelry brands in the athletic world. David gained notoriety in the NYC running community before founding his own luxury jewelry brand, David Perry Jewelry. He was an All-America runner at the University of Portland, where he competed in Cross Country and Track & Field.As a middle-to-long-distance specialist, he has times like 3:45.61 in the 1500m and 23:18 in the 8,000m under his belt. Post-collegiately, he became a captain for Adidas Runners NYC, while staying heavily involved in the city's running culture. Although he set out in 2018 to make the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials and failed to do so in 2020, his ambition is nothing to frown at; he also signed Olympic gold medalist Grant Holloway as the brand's first-ever ambassador in 2024.From the trails of Colorado, to the roads of New York City, to the Olympic stage in Paris, David Perry's journey is proof that your biggest ambitions don't always look the way you planned them. He set out to make the Olympic Marathon Trials. Instead, he built a brand that made it to the Olympics anyway.Tap into the David Perry Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
He won a world title on spring break. Monday morning, he was back in class.Cooper Lutkenhaus is 17 years old and the youngest world champion in the history of track and field. Weeks after Toruń, he sits down with The Running Effect to answer the question nobody else has asked: what does life actually look like on the other side of history?The Nike contract signed at 16. The high school coach he still trusts with everything. The Tokyo wound that quietly powered an unbeaten indoor season from the inside out. Stockholm is on the calendar. June 7, Diamond League, the best half-milers alive. This episode is the discussion before that.His winning time in Poland was 1:44.24—third fastest in World Indoor Championships history. His outdoor PR is 1:42.27, the World U18 record and the U.S. high school record, set at the USATF Outdoor Championships in July 2025. He was 17 years and 93 days old when the gold went around his neck, and no individual world champion (indoors or outdoors, in any event) has ever been younger. He ran seven races this indoor season. He won all seven.The budding legend of Cooper continues here with TRE.Tap into the Cooper Lutkenhaus Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Mark Dowdle didn't grow up a runner. He was a two-sport college athlete who heard David Goggins on a podcast during a bus ride home from a losing lacrosse trip, and decided to become a different person.Six years later, he's on Team USA. He's won backyard ultras covering 283 miles in 68 straight hours. He ran 135 miles through Northern Minnesota in sub-zero January temps and took first place. He spent an entire year running the day of the month in miles (every single day), logging 6,400 miles before most people finished their morning coffee. He quit his job to go all in. And this October, he will represent the United States at the Big Dog's Backyard Ultra World Championship in Bell Buckle, Tennessee.This is the kind of athlete that makes you question every excuse you've ever made.Mark doesn't talk about motivation. He talks about systems. About decisions. About the thousand small choices inside a single race that determine who you actually are when no one is watching and everything hurts.This conversation will mess with you—in the best way.Press play.Tap into the Mark Dowdle Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
She missed NXN in the fall. By March, she was winning national titles. Braelyn Combe is a senior at Santiago High School in Corona, California, and the latest athlete to join TRE's Festival of Miles series. Right now she's the most dangerous prep distance runner in the country. Not because she's the fastest out of the gate, because she knows exactly when to move.At the 2026 Nike Indoor Nationals, Combe ran the first 800 meters of the championship mile slowly, deliberately, and patiently. Then she ran the back half in 2:12.7, closing out Ellery Lincoln and crossing in 4:38.18, the third-fastest mile in NIN history, behind only Jane Hedengren and Katie Rainsberger.She was a nationally ranked runner who never made Nike Cross Nationals, but she used it as fuel. In February, she broke the 10-minute barrier in the 3,200m. In March, she doubled at The TEN—one of the top professional distance meets in the world—winning the 800m in 2:04.52 and the 1,600m in 4:40.01 in a single night.In the fall, she heads to Arkansas. She's just getting started.Tap into the Braelyn Combe Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Comment the word "PODCAST" below and I'll DM you a link to listen.If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E SThe Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rsOur Website: https://therunningeffect.runTHE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQMy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=enTake our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Miami doesn't have a running culture by accident. Frankie Ruiz built it.From 17 Florida high school cross country state championships (9 in a row); to a junior who just finished 4th at Nike Cross Nationals; to a marathon that generates $300 million a year for Miami-Dade County; and a government appointment to make an entire city healthier—he does all of this simultaneously. And he's been doing it for over two decades.Frankie is the co-founder of the Life Time Miami Marathon and serves as Chief Running Officer at Life Time, overseeing one of the largest endurance event platforms in the country. He's the City of Miami's Chief Wellness Officer, where he'sreframing parks and public trails not as amenities, but as preventative healthcare infrastructure. And every week, he runs with hundreds of people at the Baptist Health Brickell Run Club, which he founded in 2009 and which has grown into one of the largest free weekly run clubs in the world.On the coaching side, his Belen Jesuit cross country program just broke its own Florida record with a 17th state title. If you've ever wondered what it looks like when a city decides to take running seriously—this is the blueprint.Tap into the Frankie Ruiz Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
He said it was his to lose. Then he went out and made sure of it.Josh Kerr is back on The Running Effect, and this time he's not limping off a global stage. He's walking out of Toruń with gold, and already calling his next shot.At the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Kerr reclaimed the 3000m title he first won two years ago in Glasgow. He ran a 7:35.56, the second-fastest winning time in World Indoor Championships history. February brought his return: a 2-mile against Cole Hocker at Millrose, a second-place finish that felt more like reconnaissance than defeat. He knew what was coming.Before Toruń, he called the title his to lose. On March 21, he backed it up, settling patiently, surging at the bell, making himself the target, and winning by 0.14 seconds.Now the next target is on the clock.Project 222. On July 18 at the London Diamond League, Kerr will attempt to break Hicham El Guerrouj's mile world record of 3:43.13, a mark that has stood since 1999. The goal: 222 seconds flat. A 3:42 mile. His current PB of 3:45.34 is the British record and sixth all-time. Two seconds separates him from history. Tap into the Josh Kerr Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
A sub-2-hour marathon was supposed to be impossible. Then Dr. Brad Wilkins built the mathematical model that proved it wasn't, and Nike handed him the keys to make it happen.In 2017, Kipchoge ran 2:00:25 at Breaking2—25 seconds short. Close enough to prove the science was right. Two years later, the 1:59:40 happened in Vienna. The blueprint Wilkins built made that possible.Now he's back in a university lab asking an even bigger question: what is the actual ceiling of human performance? Spoiler: he doesn't think there is one.From the gut bacteria influencing your race day performance, to the hormone data that's about to change how women train forever, to the super shoe numbers the industry doesn't want you to see, Dr. Brad Wilkins is bringing the actual science, not the headlines.He'll tell you why your wearable is lying to you, why your brain quits long before your body has to, and why most of what you've heard about VO2 max, altitude, and recovery is noise dressed up as wisdom.Ten years inside Nike's most secretive labs. Forty-plus published manuscripts. One bold claim: humans have no limits.This is the episode that changes how you train.Tap into the Dr. Brad Wilkins Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rsWhat if the secret to running faster is eating a donut? World-class coach Alex Ostberg is back for another monthly breakdown of his newsletter, The Rundown; and this one might be his most thought-provoking yet.Dominic and Alex tear through four recent editions, starting with a piece that'll make your clean-eating friends squirm: The Case for Junk Food as a Runner. Alex breaks down the real physiology behind post-run refueling—and why your muscles genuinely don't care where your carbohydrates come from. From there, the conversation shifts to one of the most emotionally charged moments in any athlete's season: the bad race. Alex's piece, What Not to Do After a Bad Race, has a surprisingly sharp analytical edge, pulling from NBA data, Fidelity investment research, and a controversial Super Bowl call to make the case for why one result should almost never rewrite your entire plan. Then Alex lays out The Best Way to Guarantee Improvement; a question every runner asks and very few coaches answer honestly. The aerobic vs. anaerobic breakdown is clear, practical, and backed by real science.Finally, they close with Five Rules for Building Mileage Without Getting Injured. The "durability lag" concept and the Ferrari-in-a-Prius metaphor will stick with you long after this episode ends.Tap into The Rundown Recap Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
What do you do after you've literally run around the world? For Isaiah Photo, apparently, you wake up at 5 AM every single morning, jump into an ice bath, and spend 75 days trying to get a six-pack. This is the kind of unhinged, disciplined, borderline-beautiful chaos that Isaiah Photo lives in. You might know him from his 10 million YouTube subscribers, or from that video where he attempted a marathon in high heels. But today, he's back on the show to discuss his 75 Hard Challenge, aka Operation Get Isaiah a Six Pack. With all the humor, Isaiah is a legit runner. He successfully ran a marathon in cheap budget shoes. And outside of stunts, he is a highly competitive runner. He recently set a personal best of 2:41:54 at the Chicago Marathon. He has also attempted a sub-4:30 mile. At the end of the day, running isn't just about miles or minutes or podiums. It's about the version of yourself you're willing to fight for: even when it's 5 AM, even when the ice bath is waiting, even when your next marathon is on a different continent and you're running it in a pair of shoes that absolutely were not designed for 26 miles.Tap into the Isaiah Photo Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Grant Fisher holds American records, world records, and an Olympic medal. He's arguably the greatest American distance runner alive—and he's only 28.But the story that shaped all of it almost didn't happen. His college coach sat him down junior year and asked one question: how much do you actually care about this? That conversation changed everything. Then, before the 2024 Olympics, Grant did something most athletes never do at the height of their power: he blew it all up. New coach, new city, new training. Complete blank slate.So what drives a man who already has the records to rebuild from scratch? What does it feel like when you can't force the magic; you just have to be ready when it comes? And how does one of the most honest athletes in the sport sit with the tension between peak performance and knowing the window is finite?He's 28, at his absolute best, being chased by a new generation of Americans who want what he has, and in this conversation, he holds nothing back.This is one of the most honest conversations we have ever had with an athlete operating at the highest level of the sport.This conversation is worth every minute.Tap into the Grant Fisher Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Adriaan Wildschutt just became the first South African in history to win the NYC Half Marathon, and it looks like he's in the middle of a memorable career.Adriaan holds five South African national records. He ran a sizzling 59:13 half marathon debut. He was 13th at the World Cross Country Championships, which was the best finish a South African man has ever had at that event. This guy is notbuilding toward something. He's already in the middle of it. Adriaan's NYC Half Marathon victory on March 15 was both historic and revelatory. If the running world didn't know him before, they do now. At the Valencia Half Marathon in October 2025, he debuted with a 59:13. And at the World Athletics Championships in August 2025, he secured a 10th-place finish in the 10,000m in Tokyo.To cap it off, he holds the South African national records in the 10,000m (outdoor): 26:50.64, the 5,000m (outdoor): 12:56.76, the 3,000m (outdoor): 7:32.99, the Half Marathon: 59:13, and the 5,000m (indoor): 12:56.67.Historic, revelatory, and long overdue for the recognition, If the running world didn't know Adriaan Wildschutt before Sunday, they do now.Tap into the Adriaan Wildschutt Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
The man behind one of the most exciting moments in collegiate track this season is here: BYU Assistant Coach Ryan Waite. His athlete, Carter Cutting, just claimed the 2026 NCAA Indoor Mile title.Ryan isn't just a coach. He's a five-time All-American who ran these same kinds of races, felt that same pressure, and now pours every bit of that experience and wisdom into the athletes he develops. He is the current Assistant Coach for the BYU men's distance program; he returned after a successful tenure as the head coach of the University of Delaware. He was instrumental in assisting the BYU Men's Cross Country team to a National Championship in 2024. He also played a pivotal role in coaching steeplechase Olympian James Corrigan.Before coaching, Coach Waite was a standout middle-distance runner for the Cougars as a five-time All-American and three-time Conference Champion. He was a part of the school's elite distance medley relay (9:29.0) at the time; he is fifth all-time at BYU in the indoor 800m (1:48.49); and sixth all-time in the outdoor 800m (1:46.83).The résumé speaks for itself. Now let's hear from the man behind it.Tap into the Ryan Waite Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Just a few months ago, Carter Cutting wasn't the favorite in the men's mile of the NCAA Indoor Championship. In fact, he was ranked 10th in the field heading into this big meet. But when the moment came, the BYU junior delivered one of the most decisive kicks of the entire meet—closing his final 200 meters in 27.35 seconds to win the 2026 NCAA Indoor Mile National Championship in 3:58.94.That victory didn't just crown a new champion, it also ended a 15-year drought for BYU men's individual indoor titles. And it capped a season where Cutting had already broken the BYU school record in the mile (3:52.84) and won the Big 12 title along the way.His PRs include the 3:52.84 indoor mile, a 3:37.03 in the indoor 1500m, 1:48.53 in the 800m, and 2:21.48 in the indoor 1000m. Carter Cutting's story is a reminder that championship racing isn't always about who has the fastest seed time: it's about who's ready when the moment arrives. He trusted his preparation, stayed patient in a tactical race, and unleashed the kick that made him a champion. Tap into the Carter Cutting Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen.If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
The last time Kimberley May joined the show, she was a 4:27 miler pulling back the curtain on what it takes to compete at the highest level of collegiate running.Since then, her career has accelerated into something much bigger.In early 2025, May ran 8:44.73 for the indoor 3,000m, breaking the Providence College record and posting one of the fastest times in NCAA history. Over the past year, she has also risen to become the second-fastest New Zealand woman ever in both the 1,500m and the mile, cementing herself among the most accomplished middle-distance athletes her country has produced.Her personal bests tell the story of remarkable range and progression: 2:03.46 (800m), 4:04.40 (1500m), 4:27.36 (mile), 8:44.73 (3,000m), and 15:26.50 (5,000m). That 4:04.40 in the 1500m ranks No. 2 all-time in New Zealand history, while her 4:27 indoor mile also sits second-fastest ever by a New Zealand woman.Now, after a historic run at Providence, May is entering the next stage of her career: signing professionally with New Balance and stepping onto the global stage of middle-distance running. From NCAA standout to international contender, the trajectory of Kimberley May is only just beginning.Tap into the Kimberley May Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
For nearly 40 years, Jeff Troesch has worked behind the scenes with NBA players, MLB All-Stars, Olympic medalists, and national championship programs.He's coached athletes at every Olympic Games since 1988, helped shape the mental systems at IMG Academy, and consulted for USA Track & Field.In 2025, he distilled 150 mental performance lessons into one book: One Day Better.Jeff doesn't preach positive thinking, he teaches neutral thinking. His approach encourages athletes to define what "one day better" looks like for each specific session, preventing the overwhelm that comes from fixating on long-term goals. Adaily decision, not a distant destination.Jeff's career path wasn't linear. After a marketing degree from Washington State University and four years as Media Relations Director for the Seattle SuperSonics, he returned to school for an advanced degree in sports psychology. He launched his performance career in 1987 as an NBA consultant, later expanding into MLB with the Mariners and Tigers."One Day Better" isn't a slogan: it's a system. Whether you're chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier, a high school PR, or just trying to stay consistent when life feels chaotic, the mental game is the game. You don't need to win the season today. You just need to win the day.Tap into the Jeff Troesch Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review!I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Mike Scannell is back on The Running Effect Podcast.The last time he joined the show, we talked about the long-term vision behind coaching one of America's most talented distance runners. Since then, that vision has turned into one of the most remarkable stretches in American distance running history.His athlete, Grant Fisher, has won two Olympic bronze medals in Paris, broken indoor world records in both the 3,000m and 5,000m, and firmly established himself as one of the most dominant distance runners on the planet.And now, the next chapter is about to begin.On March 15th at the United Airlines NYC Half, Fisher will make his professional half-marathon debut.Coach Scannell's coaching record speaks for itself: Footlocker and Dream Mile national titles, multiple state records in the 1600, Olympic Trials qualifiers, and Olympians. He was an incredible runner himself, but in many ways he's an even better coach.That is continuing to evolve with some of the best runners on the planet, and we can't wait for you to hear our latest chat with one of the best minds in the sport.Tap into the Coach Mike Scannell Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
The last time Connor Burns and Simeon Birnbaum were here, they were two highly anticipated freshmen trying to find their footing in one of the most historic distance programs in NCAA history.Now? They're conference-dominating sophomores ready for their next target.At the 2026 Big Ten Indoor Championships, Simeon Birnbaum swept the distance double, winning both the 3,000m and the 5,000m to claim two Big Ten titles while continuing to climb the Oregon all-time lists.Connor Burns dropped a 7:40 in the 3000m at Boston University, one of the fastest times in the NCAA this season, and crossed the line second in the Big Ten 5000m before a controversial disqualification changed the results of the race.Now, both are headed to the NCAA Indoor Championships, where Simeon enters as a double threat in the 3000m and 5000m, and Connor arrives as one of the top contenders in the 3000m.We're watching two of the most talented distance runners of their generation grow into championship racers at the NCAA level, and with the NCAA Indoor Championships up next, the Oregon Boys' story is still being written.Tap into the Conner Burns and Simeon Birnbaum Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Clayton Young fell early at the Marathon World Championships, and still finished as the top American. He also ran 2:07:04 at Boston (the fastest marathon of his life), and somehow it still felt like there was more in the tank. Since 2024, he's been everywhere that matters: including 2nd in the U.S. Olympic Trials, 9th at the Paris Olympics, 7th in New York, 7th in Boston, and 9th in Tokyo. This man is stacking top-10 finishes on the biggest stages in the sport of marathon running. And now, with Tokyo, Boston, and Berlin lined up in 2026, he's not just racing majors, it appears that he's chasing history as he closes in on becoming a Six Star finisher.Clayton was the 2019 NCAA Champion in the 10,000m while at BYU. He's a native of American Fork, Utah, and is a mechanical engineer by profession, often sharing detailed training data through partnerships with brands like Stryd.He runs professionally for ASICS and is coached by Ed Eyestone at Brigham Young University, his former college coach.Clayton's career is a masterclass in durability, humility, and quiet progression.Clayton Young isn't chasing attention.He's chasing excellence.Tap into the Clayton Young Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
In the span of a few months, Trent McFarland has gone from conference contender to one of the most dangerous milers in the NCAA, running 3:52.73 to break a school record and then defending his Big Ten title in a gritty, tactical 4:11 championship race. As one of the top milers in the Big Ten and the NCAA, Trent has had a tremendous 2025-26 season so far. He is the back-to-back Big Ten mile champion, and helped anchor the Michigan DMR team to gold at the 2026 Big Ten Indoor Championships.In early 2026, he set a new school record in the mile with a 3:52.73, which at the time was an NCAA number 6 all-time performance. Trent's collegiate PRs include 1:47.50 in the outdoor 800m (1:47.22 indoor), 3:38.45 in the 1500m, 3:52.73 in the mile, and 7:50.75 in the 3000m. Trent McFarland is no longer just a rising name in the Big Ten conference, he's becoming one of the defining milers of this NCAA era. From 3:52 precision to tactical championship wins when it matters most, his 2026 season has been a masterclass in evolution: speed, strength, patience, and competitive fire.Tap into the Trent McFarland Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Cameron Hanes didn't inherit greatness. He built it: one mile, one arrow, one brutally consistent day at a time. He wasn't a child prodigy hunter or a naturally gifted runner. He was a warehouse worker, a utility employee, and a guy who struggled through his first mile of running.And through obsession, discipline, and an uncompromising personal code, he became the man who can run 20 miles before breakfast, lift after work, shoot in the dark, and line up for the hardest ultras in the world, all while preaching a simple philosophy–earn it. The prominent bowhunter, endurance athlete, and author, known for his "Keep Hammering" philosophy is here, a man who epitomizes self-discipline and physical preparation. In terms of running, he has finished the Moab 240 (238 miles), the Bigfoot 200, and the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. In 2025, he completed the Cocodona 250 in approximately 84 hours (and 18th place overall) and the Leadville Trail 100 in just over 24 hours. And he has some speed to boot: his mile PR is 5:18. Whether you are reaching your potential or someone who needs a higher standard, you won't want to miss this one. As Cameron says, Keep Hammering. Tap into the Cameron Hanes Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word"PODCAST" below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word "PODCAST" below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Aleksander Lingauer is back on the show, this time putting everything on the table.Aleksander is an endurance athlete and writer, and the mind behind Project 61: a solo mission to run the length of Germany, one marathon a day, for two straight months. He's also crewed for Kim Gotthwald across two Last Man Standing victories.And this year, BPN extended him an invitation of his own.Aleksander is here to be honest and raw: about his nervous system shutting down on him. Not from one bad running session, but from weeks of training too hard, sleeping too little, and handling sudden public attention in ways he'll be the first to admit weren't healthy. What followed were tearful nights, empty churches, and one very raw conversation with himself on paper. He had to ask himself the question: what am I really doing this for?This isn't a race preview. It's an hour between two people talking honestly about ego, identity, faith, and what happens when the thing you've built your life around suddenly feels meaningless. Alexander reads aloud from a letter he wrote (Churches and Mirrors) and it stops feeling like a podcast entirely.His closing words: if you can suffer honestly, you will win honestly.Tap into the Aleksander Lingauer Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Becs Gentry isn't just an influential Peloton instructor. She's a 2:32 marathoner, a former British Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher, the first female non-elite at the 2019 NYC Marathon, and now the newest Global Brand Ambassador for HOKA.And that's not even mentioning her incredible second-place finish in The Great World Race in 2024: she ran 7 marathons, on 7 continents, in 7 days, setting a world record for the fastest time to start seven marathons across seven continents, and then turned around and kept training like it was just another chapter.Prior to that in 2021 she competed in the British Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing 4th with a personal best of 2:32:0. In 2019, she was the first female non-elite finisher at the New York City Marathon with a time of 2:37:01. Becs continues to prove that ambition and accessibility can coexist. She's not just inspiring runners to chase PRs, she'salso challenging them to redefine what progress means, whether that's a 2:32 marathon or simply showing up on a hard day. What makes her different isn't just the résumé. It's the mindset behind her mantra: Forward is a pace. And she'scontinuing to make a difference in the lives of runners across the globe each day.Tap into the Becs Gentry Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs
The story of coach Craig Kirkwood doesn't begin and end with teenage phenom Sam Ruthe. Yes, just this year the 16-year-old Ruthe ran 3:48.88 indoors, breaking the World U18 Indoor Mile record and the New Zealand senior record in one race. It was a generational performance.But this wasn't Coach Craig's first run-in with elite talent. He has coached Olympic medalists like Hayden Wilde (Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020; and silver medalist in Paris 2024 in the triathlon), New Zealand record holders like Sam Tanner (Two-time Olympian and New Zealand record holder in the 1500m), and he's done it while building athletes who balance elite performance with real life.Craig wasn't handed a blueprint. He built himself first: from self-coached teenager, studying Arthur Lydiard; to 2:13marathoner; to World Cross Country athlete; to three-time Kona Ironman competitor.Sam Ruthe's latest 3:48.88 mile wasn't an accident. Just like Hayden Wilde's Olympic medals weren't luck, and Sam Tanner's record-breaking 1500m wasn't random.They're products of a system built on belief, patience, and long-term development. Coach Craig Kirkwood has seen a lot and has lived every phase of endurance sports. And that lived experience shows up in how he develops athletes today. Tap into the Craig Kirkwood Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
The grade-two calf tear he suffered during the World Championship 1500m race in Tokyo in 2025 could have resulted inJosh Kerr stepping off the track and licking his wounds.Instead, he finished the race, committed to rehab, and returned to the stage at the Millrose Games. Kerr lined up in the 2-mile not just as the world indoor best holder (8:00.67), but as the man everyone was chasing. In a tactical, electric“kicker's battle,” he clocked 8:07.68 and finished second to American Cole Hocker, a reminder that even record holders must keep evolving.Josh's career highlights include winning the gold medal in the 1500m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest; securing another gold medal in the 3000m at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow; holding the world best time for the indoor 2-mile event, with a time of 8:00.67 set in February 2024 at the Millrose Games; and holding British national records for the outdoor 1500m (3:27.79) and the outdoor mile (3:45.34).But Milrose 2026 was a statement. If 8:07.68 in February is the starting point, the rest of the year could be something special. Because the best careers aren't built on perfect scripts. They're built on responses to adversity.And Josh Kerr has never shied away from the response.Tap into the Josh Kerr Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rsAlex returns for his monthly Run Down to unpack five recent essays that challenge how we think about talent, training, and long-term development in running.First, he explores why most prodigies don't ultimately make it at the highest level. Early success, he argues, often masks structural weaknesses. That theme flows directly into the case for delaying specialization. The athletes who diversify early, build broader movement skills, and avoid constant pressure to peak as teenagers often develop deeper physical and psychological reserves later on. From there, Alex highlights what he calls the most common training mistake runners make. It's not a lack of effort, but misapplied intensity. Many athletes spend too much time in the gray zone: running moderately hard too often, never fully easy and never truly hard.The final pieces focus on tendon health: one of the most overlooked performance variables in the sport. Tendons adapt more slowly than muscles and lungs, yet they ultimately determine durability, power transfer, and long-term ceiling. Alex discusses why progressive loading, patience, and intelligent structure matter more than chasing fitness spikes.Across all five essays, one idea connects everything: sustainable success in running is built over years, not months. Whether you're a young athlete, a competitive adult, or a coach guiding others, this conversation reframes what it really means to develop. Tap into the The Run Down Recap Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Since his last appearance on the show, Coach Pat Henner has continued shaping distance culture at the highest levels of the sport while playing a quiet but meaningful role in one of the most remarkable middle-distance arcs in recent American history.After joining the University of Georgia in June 2022, Henner coached standout athlete Will Sumner to an NCAA title and helped elevate the Bulldogs' distance program before departing in June 2024. He was succeeded by Adam Tribble.At the same time, Henner has served as a high-performance consultant for Olympic middle-distance star Hobbs Kessler, helping to shape one of the sport's most historic breakthroughs: Kessler qualifying for the Paris Olympics in both the 800m and 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Trials.More recently, Kessler shattered Kenenisa Bekele's long-standing indoor 2000m world record, running 4:48.79 in January 2026.Henner's coaching roots stretch from Blacksburg High School to James Madison, Georgetown (where he led the women to an NCAA cross country title in 2011), USC, Arizona State, and most recently the University of Georgia, where he served as Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Coach for the distance events from 2022–2024.But this episode isn't a résumé tour. It's a check-in with a coach who's still evolving; still shaping athletes at the very top of the sport; still refining how wisdom, timing, and trust converge when performance truly matters.Tap into the Pat Henner Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
What does one of the most decorated American middle-distance runners in history do after her final race? After 20 years at the top of the sport, including four global medals, a World Championship gold, an Olympic bronze, 11 U.S. titles, and a 3:57 1500m personal best, Jenny Simpson stepped off the professional stage at the 2024 New York City Marathon for the final time.But she didn't step away from running. Rather, she delved deeper into it.Now, as the first-ever Chief Running Officer at Fleet Feet, Jenny is helping shape the future of grassroots running in America. She helped launch the new @fleetfeetperformance platform, culminating in a short documentary that signals something bigger than branding. It's about culture.And while most retired pros slow down, Jenny and her husband Jason have been driving across all 50 states on a self-funded, unsponsored RUN USA Tour, partnering with Fleet Feet stores, hosting fun runs, answering questions, and celebrating the heartbeat of the sport at places like Montclair, Des Moines, and the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon kickoff.Jenny's career proved she could win on the world stage.This next chapter is about helping everyone else find their starting line.Tap into the Jenny Simpson Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en'-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Annie Kunz knows what it feels like when an Olympic dream doesn't follow the script. She's a U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the heptathlon (6,703 points in 2021), a 2020 U.S. Indoor pentathlon champion, and one of the most uncommon dual-sport athletes you'll ever meet: an All-American in track and field and an All-SEC forward in soccer at Texas A&M. But Annie's story isn't just about talent; it's about the framework she built to unlock consistency at the highest level.In this conversation, Annie challenges the idea of surface-level New Year's resolutions and introduces a more intentional way of thinking about progress. She touches on the behind-the-scenes habits and routines that shaped her career, without handing over a checklist.You'll also hear reflections on balance, longevity, and the mental demands of the heptathlon, along with perspective on navigating setbacks and uncertainty at the most critical moments of a career.Annie shares how learning to better understand her body became a turning point, and why she's now focused on helping other women build sustainable routines through coaching, challenges, and a newly evolving fitness platform designed for real life.From Olympic-level intensity to steak-as-a-love-language, this episode is thoughtful, reflective, and full of perspective worth sitting with.Tap into the Annie Kunz Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Jack Mullaney stepped into one of the most scrutinized coaching jobs in professional distance running and made it his own. In just over a year at the helm of HOKA NAZ Elite, Jack Mullaney has navigated a generational coaching handoff, delivered U.S. road titles, Olympic top-10 finishes, and team records, and helped shape one of the sport's most talked-about high-performance environments.Coach Mullaney has been with HOKA NAZ Elite since 2023, and under his leadership, the team has achieved significant milestones. A few of the big ones include Alex Masai achieving a third place finish at the 2025 Chicago Marathon, running a time of 2:04:37; Adriaan Wildschutt finishing 10th in the Men's 10,000 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games; and Olin Hacker securing a 5th-place finish in the 3,000 meters at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.Prior to that, he spent seven seasons as an assistant coach for the University of Portland, helping lead the men's program to two NCAA Cross Country podium finishes.If you care about where elite distance running is headed–and how the best teams are learning, adapting, and staying human while chasing the edge–this is a conversation you don't want to miss.Tap into the Jack Mullaney Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
In the last 14 months, Sara Hall has shattered the American marathon masters record, finished runner-up at back-to-back marathons, and proved (once again) that elite performance doesn't have an expiration date. Sara most recently finished second at the 2026 Houston Marathon with a time of 2:26:26. At 42 years of age, she is still setting Masters records, including her 2:23:45 showing at the 2024 Valencia Marathon. Even with a 5th place finish at the 2024 Marathon Olympic Trials, she steadfastly remains an elite runner on the world stage. Sara's personal best in the marathon is an impressive 2:20:32, set at The Marathon Project in 2020. She holds the U.S. masters marathon record for the 40+ age group with her 2:23:45 time from Valencia. Even more impressively, she has competed in eight consecutive U.S. Olympic Trials since 2004, spanning distances from the 1500m to the marathon.Sara is coached by her husband, Ryan Hall, who held the American record for the half marathon for many years before a new crop of men bested his time in 2025 and 2026. Sara Hall's career doesn't fit neatly into eras. It stretches across them. From Olympic Trials as a teenager to podium finishes in her 40s, Sara has quietly built one of the most resilient résumés in American distance running history.Tap into the Sara Hall Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Tayvon Kitchen joined one of the deepest programs in college running as a freshman, and immediately became top billing. He kicked the door down, and in just a few months at BYU, he's gone from high school phenom to All-American, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and now one of the fastest U20 5,000-meter runners in American history.Tayvon earned All-American status in his NCAA Cross Country Championships debut in 2025, finishing 32nd overall and as the top BYU runner. He was also named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and earned All-Big 12 honors.In his indoor track debut for BYU, he ran an indoor 5,000m time of 13:30.74, which ranked as the American U20 #3 All-Time performance at the time. And then came January of 2026: he clocked an even faster time of 13:19.17 in the 5000 meters at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. Tayvon's other PRs include 3:41.62 in the 1500m, 3:59.61 in the mile, 7:55.48 in the indoor 3,000m, 8:41.21 in the 2 mile, and 29:01.5 in the 10,000 on grass. From Oregon state records to All-American honors, Tayvon is showing what's possible when talent meets fearlessness and the right environment. And at BYU, he's only just getting started.Tap into the Tayvon Kitchen Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Jeffrey Stern is an elite ultrarunner, a coach obsessed with keeping athletes happy, and a storyteller inside the sport who understands what it really takes to stay in it for decades, not just seasons.Jeffrey has completed the oldest trail race in America, the Dipsea Race, an astounding 16 consecutive times–and even recorded a personal best in his most recent foray. He's also set several Fastest Known Times (FKTs), including the Backbone Trail (a 68-mile traverse in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the Los Padres Traverse (42 mile route).These FKTs didn't appear overnight: he has a history of crushing long-distance races of all kinds. His overall PRs in running include 15:55 for the 5000m, 1:12 for the half marathon, 2:36 for the marathon, 3:22 for the 50k, 6:07 for the 50 mile, 8:29 for the 100k, and 15:35 for the 100 mile. In the summer of 2024, he undertook a challenge to run two mountainous 100-mile races (Cascade Crest 100 and Angeles Crest 100) just two weeks apart. Jeff impacts the sport in many ways beyond just setting impressive long distance times. He serves as an assistant editor and columnist for Ultra Running Magazine, where he writes event recaps and athlete profiles.As a coach he provides customized training plans for endurance athletes. And he is the race director for the Tamalpa Headlands 50K, the same race that originally drew him into ultrarunning. His day job also includes being the Head of Sports Marketing for Suunto.If you care about running well, running long, and running for the right reasons, you don't want to miss this one.Tap into the Jeffrey Stern Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Hello 2026, and goodbye to another longstanding record in the world of professional running. Mr. Versatility himself, Hobbs Kessler, barged into the New Year like a storm and crushed Kenenisa Bekele's 2,000m Indoor World Record with a 4:48.79 at Boston University on January 24 to set a new standard. (Grant Fisher also beat the World Record time with a still-sizzling 4:49.48.) Hobbs is a one-time World Indoor Championship Bronze Medalist (he earned the bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow); a one-time World Road Running Champion (he won the inaugural road mile event at the 2023 World Road Running Championships in Riga, setting a world record at the time); he finished fifth in the 1500m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics); and he is a two-time National Indoor Champion (in 2025, he won U.S. National Indoor titles in both the 1500m and the 3000m). Simply amazing numbers for an athlete who is just 22 years old. If you want to understand where the sport is going, you need to hear from the athletes already living there. And Hobbs is at the frontline of a group of stars ready to etch their names in the history books. Tap into the Hobbs Kessler Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
The Mitch Ammons story is no longer just a comeback story. He's now a living case study of what happens when discipline compounds.Last time Mitch was here he had run a 2:16 marathon, which was fast enough to qualify for the 2024 US Olympic Marathon trials. But he had bigger dreams. And the quiet workhorse has since improved upon that impressive time with a new marathon PR of 2:14:48 at the California International Marathon in December of 2025. (This qualifies him for the 2028 US Olympic Marathon trials.)He also won the 2025 Austin Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:34, winning in a big way on his home course. Mitch continues to train as a member of the Bat City Track Club in Austin. He is also an athlete for BPN (Bare Performance Nutrition) and Altra Running.In the ultra-running realm, Mitch has expressed that he wants to run the 2026 Go One More Last Man Standing Ultramarathon again, an event he competed in last year (he finished third with 126 miles). Outside of running, he continues to work as a full-time realtor in Austin for the Landy Frost Group.Mitch Ammons didn't come back to retell the same story. He came back to show what sustained belief looks like in real time. Tap into the Mitch Ammons Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Cole Sprout and Charles Hicks are here: two Stanford running legends in the same place, ready to chop it up at the exact moment their careers diverge.Cole Sprout is just stepping into the professional ranks, leaving behind a dominant NCAA résumé to test himself on the roads and rethink how far his talent can stretch. Charles Hicks has already taken the leap to the roads, running 2:09:59 in his marathon debut at the New York City Marathon, instantly placing himself among the top American marathoners in history.Cole made the transition from a decorated career at Stanford to running professionally under Jerry Schumacher. At Stanford he was a five-time All-American. He placed 4th in the 10,000m at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 5th in the 5,000m at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships as a Cardinal. Since turning pro, he has shifted focus toward road racing, where he placed 2nd at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K in NYC.For Charles he became the first-ever Stanford runner to win the individual NCAA Division I Cross Country title in 2022. In November 2025, he completed his first-ever marathon in New York City with a remarkable 2:09:59.If you want to understand what it really takes to move from potential to permanence at the professional level, Cole and Charles are here to give you some of that insight. Tap into the Cole Sprout and Charles Hicks Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
A recent 59:23 half-marathon for American long-distance star Alex Maier wasn't a case of him catching lightning in a bottle.It was the culmination of years of quiet dominance: from Oklahoma State to national titles, American records, and a seamless transition to the roads.And with his stellar race in Houston, he's now the second-fastest U.S. man of all time at the half-marathon distance. But this isn't a random one-off occurrence. In 2025, he won the Düsseldorf Marathon in April with a time of 2:08:33; it was a top-15 all-time mark for a U.S. runner. He also claimed his first national title in March in Atlanta, running 1:00:48 to secure a spot on Team USA; and then set a 10-mile American record of 45:15 at the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in April. He was a former standout at Oklahoma State, where he earned multiple First-Team All-America honors, including a 5th-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships. He also placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 3,000m and 5,000m in 2023.He's gone from NCAA standout to national champion; from American records at 10 miles on the road to becoming the second-fastest U.S. half marathoner ever.His trajectory is impossible to ignore. And the most interesting part? It all feels like he's just getting started.Tap into the Alex Maier Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Everett Smulders has seen and done a lot in his running and coaching career: he went from running 3:58 for the mile at Ole Miss, to finishing one of the most brutal endurance events on the planet, the Ultraman Florida (a 321-mile, multi-day test of resilience). That doesn't even include the dent he's made as a coach. Everett competed for the University of Mississippi, where he became an All-American. On January 20, 2020, he became the 565th American to break the 4-minute mile barrier, clocking a time of 3:58.93. Following his collegiate career, he pivoted to ultra-marathons and triathlons. In 2022, he completed a 100-mile solo ultra-marathon in 18 hours. Then, In February of 2023, he completed the Ultraman Florida, a 321-mile triathlon consisting of a 6.2-mile swim, 261-mile bike, and 52-mile run– finishing in 29 hours and 52 minutes. This next phase also brought with it coaching; he is the founder and CEO of WesFly Athletics, a coaching and media company focused on helping runners optimize their training and lifestyle.He also serves as the head cross country and track coach at his alma mater, The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia.Everett Smulders' story isn't just about distance, it's about depth, and he's here to offer a very unique and inspiring perspective that all runners can benefit from.Tap into the Everett Smulders Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en
In the last 12 months, Andreas Almgren has rewritten European distance running history.He ran 26:45 for 10,000m (beating his previous European record), 12:44 for 5,000m and 58:41 for the half marathon.That's three European records in one calendar year. What makes Andreas' story so compelling is the winding road that led to these records: he was one of Europe's most promising middle distance talents a decade ago, winning 800m bronze at the 2014 World Athletics U20 Championships before finishing fourth at the 2015 European Indoor Championships at the age of 19. But a prolonged period of uncertainty and injury forced him to make a pivot to the longer stuff, and boy did he succeed there.In 2025 he won a bronze medal in the men's 10,000m final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Andreas' next confirmed major event is the Drammen 10,000m in April, followed by the European Championships in August. He has chosen to skip the indoor season to focus on road races and the main outdoor championships and drop down to the 1500m in a Diamond League meet in June. From winning 800m medals as a teenager to smashing European records, Andreas is brimming with confidence and poised to make 2026 the best year yet in a storied running career.Tap into the Andreas Almgren Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
If you care about running for the long haul–physically, mentally, and emotionally–this episode is for you. We want to look at what actually moves the needle for runners, and we're back with Alex Ostberg to recap his recent newsletters from The Rundown to do just that.We start with a hard truth many athletes learn too late: performance doesn't fix identity. That idea sets the tone for a broader reflection on what success in running really looks like when the noise fades. From there, we zoom out. Over the past year, certain lessons kept repeating themselves across training, racing, and life; lessons that hit harder than any single workout or result. And they tend to show up whether you're chasing a state title, a marathon PR, or just consistency.We also look back at 2025 as a whole. What trends mattered? What narratives were overblown? And what quietly reshaped the sport in ways most people missed?That leads into habits nobody talks about enough. Not revolutionary breakthroughs, but small, underrated behaviors that compound over months and years. Finally, we tackle one of running's most persistent myths, which is especially relevant in an era of super shoes, carbon plates, and constant gear discourse.This episode isn't about hacks or hot takes. It's about clarity; it's about cutting through performance culture, training dogma, and external validation to understand what really lasts in this sport.Tap into the Alex Ostberg Rundown Recap Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Charlie Lawrence isn't a loud figure, but he's one of the most dangerous endurance runners in the world. He is a professional ultramarathon and marathon runner who owns the 50-mile world record, the 100k American record, and he's an Olympic Trials qualifier.His 50-mile world record was run in an astonishing 4:48:21 in November of 2023. Most recently he set the American 100k record in December of 2025 at the Desert Solstice Track Invitational with a time of 6:07:10. He then lowered it in August of 2025 with the second-fastest 100k time in history with a 6:03:47 at the Adidas Chasing 100.He has a marathon PR of 2:16:10 from October of 2023 that qualified him for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials. He won the men's title at the USATF 50k Road Championships in April of 2025, setting a course record with a time of 2:49:01. Charlie grew up in Foley, Minnesota, and was the son of two cross-country coaches; he ran collegiately at the University of Minnesota where he owned PRs of 14:29.11 in the 5,000m indoor, 9:31.88 in the 3,000m Steeplechase, and 30:25.60 in the 10,000m outdoor. Charlie is a monster and he's only 30 years old. His times are eye popping, and he's here to give us some insight into what makes him a budding distance running legend.Tap into the Charlie Lawrence Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
We live in a world that tells us to do more, push harder, and optimize everything.Even with that, the more we chase success, the more hollow it can feel.Brad Stulberg has spent his career studying a different question: What does real excellence actually look like, and how do you pursue it without losing yourself in the process?He is one of the most influential voices in human performance and well-being. He's advised Olympians, executives, and creatives; he teaches at the University of Michigan; and he's the bestselling author of Peak Performance, The Passion Paradox, and The Practice of Groundedness.His new book, The Way of Excellence, challenges hustle culture head-on and offers a clear, grounded path to sustainable mastery in a chaotic world. And he's here to break it down and show how it can help you whether you're running a marathon or simply trying to stay fit in a chaotic world.What makes Brad so endearing is the breadth of his experience: he writes well-respected books; he blogs for his information-rich site, The Growth Equation; he's a speaker and coach; and he's on faculty at the University of Michigan's graduate school of public health. His portfolio is as wide-ranging as his impact, and he's here to break down his newest release that is sure to bless millions. Tap into the Brad Stulberg Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
One of Britain's fastest rising stars is here and he's no slouch. His name is George Couttie, and he's a 3:55 miler who is shaking up U.S. collegiate running. George competed for Great Britain English Schools in high school and was the cross-country champion during his time there. He was a U20 National 1500m champion. He currently owns personal bests of 3:36.40 in the 1500m, 13:58.32 in the 5000m, 7:36.74 in the 3000m, 3:55.44 in the mile, and 1:51 in the 800m. In 2024, he was the runner-up in the U20 race at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships, while also finishing 14th at the NCAA XC Championships. Prior to that, he spent a year at the Division 2 level at the University of Charleston, before making the move to train under the guidance of Ben Thomas, the well-known coach of Cole Hocker.In 2025, he finished 10th in the NCAA Division 1 XC Championships with an impressive time of 28:47 in the 10,000m. In December, he ran 7:36.74 in the indoor 3000m at BU.From rapid PBs to elite competition, George's story is just heating up. Trust us, you'll want to follow what comes next.Tap into the George Couttie Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Marco Langon wants all the smoke, and he isn't hiding from a soul. The last time Marco was here, he was already one of the best distance runners in the NCAA. Since then? He's leveled up. Marco went out and ran 13:05 for 5,000 meters in December, breaking Villanova's school record and becoming one of the five fastest collegiate indoor 5000m runners in history. He came in second in a thrilling race, being edged out by Habtom Samuel (the 2025 XC Champion) by 0.0004 seconds.His quotes and energy post-race continue to make him a welcome figure in the sport. He's not quiet and he's not afraid to show his emotions.As a collegiate athlete, he stacked All-American finishes across cross country, indoor, and outdoor track, and quietly established himself as one of the most consistent high-end performers in the sport.He's also Diadora's inaugural NIL partner in the track and field space, donning their gear as he bears his heart and soul on the track and grass.His PRs include the 13:05.21 indoor 5000m showing, 7:36.87 in the 3000m, and 3:54.59 in the mile, and 3:33.38 in the 1500m. What makes Marco Langon so compelling right now isn't just the times, it's the trajectory, and it's the energy and panache with which he's doing it. He's great for the sport, and he's back on the show to break it all down.Tap into the Marco Langon Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Is Sam Ruthe the most exciting teenage runner in the world right now? He may be, and when you look at the numbers, your jaw will drop. He is a New Zealand prodigy who became the youngest person in the world to break the four-minute mile barrier, at the ripe old age of 15 in March of 2025 (he ran a 3:58.35). For reference, Jakob Ingebrigtsen did it at 16.In December of 2025, He set a New Zealand under-20 record in his 5000m debut, running 13:40.48. He also won the New Zealand senior men's 3000m national championship with a time of 7:56.18, in the process becoming the youngest men'schampion in New Zealand athletics history. It doesn't stop there: he ran a 1500m PR of 3:39.17 in July, lowering his own national under-17 and under-18 1500m records. The went and smashed it again in the 800 and 1500m, with times of 1:46.81 and 3:38.62. Recently, in January, he set an all-time world best for a 16 year old in the 1000m with a time of 2:17.82.He's got world best times at 1000m, national records across distances, and a sub-4-minute mile before age 16. This isn'tjust hype, it's history. Sam Ruthe is here to break it all down. Tap into the Sam Ruthe Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Every few years, a high school runner comes along who forces the entire country to look toward one place.This fall, that place was Flagstaff, Arizona, and the runner was Yohanes Van Meerten.Yohanes is a prominent high school distance runner from Flagstaff High School in Arizona, who just finished an outstanding junior season. We're not kidding when we say outstanding: he was the runner up at Nike Cross Nationals, the highest finish ever for an Arizona athlete at the meet.He also won the Arizona state championship, setting an overall course record and becoming the first runner in state history to run a 5,000m race in under 15 minutes. He set a course record at the Mt. Sac Invitational, running three miles in 14:10.10. His outdoor PRs include 4:26 in the mile, 9:14 in the 3200m, and 14:28 in the 5,000m.Yohanes was born in Ethiopia and adopted into the U.S. at age one. His story is unique as he emerged as one of the top national high school runners during his junior year, following the impressive 14:28 performance in the 5000m at Nike Outdoor Nationals last spring.He's Arizona's fastest. He's one of the nation's best. And he's just getting started. Yohanes is here and ready to tell his story.Tap into the Yohanes Van Meerten Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Robert Gary is an Olympian, a program builder for thousands of runners, and a coach who puts athletes first. A two-time Olympic steeplechaser (Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004), 11-time World Cross Country Team member, and Track & Field News Cross Country Runner of the Year, Gary now serves as the Director of Cross Country & Track & Field at Furman University, where he has built one of the most respected distance programs in the NCAA.Before arriving at Furman in 2012, Gary coached at Ohio State University and has played a significant role on the international stage, including serving as Head Men's Coach for Team USA at the 2019 IAAF World Championships and leading the U.S. men to a silver medal at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships.While Gary's personal performances are elite (7:52.62 for 3,000m, 8:19.26 in the steeplechase, and a 4:01.05 road mile), his impact as a coach may be even more impressive. Under his leadership, athletes and teams have achieved sustained success across cross country and track at the NCAA, national, and international levels.From racing in the Olympics in the steeplechase to leading Team USA and building one of the strongest distance programs in the country at Furman, Robert Gary has seen every level of the sport.Tap into the Coach Robert Gary Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
In this episode, Dominic sits down with Alex Ostberg to distill the three biggest lessons from 2025 and set the framework for a better 2026.They unpack why you sometimes have to “throw out your long-term plans,” how to invest in preparedness without trying to predict the future, and why embracing voluntary struggle is the best training for the inevitable hardships life will bring.They also talk about a hard truth: you've already achieved goals you thought would make you happy — and why joy, fulfillment, and “a string of good days” matter more than chasing the next milestone.If you're trying to make 2026 your breakthrough year in running, business, or life, this conversation will rewire how you think about goals, uncertainty, discipline, and what success actually costs.S H O W N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
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