THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Two-time Olympian Elise Cranny has long been a model of precision, patience, and perseverance in American distance running. 

A Stanford All-American turned professional with Nike, Cranny owns a résumé that blends range and record-setting speed, most notably the American records for both the indoor 5,000m (14:33.17) and outdoor 3,000m (8:25.10). 

Now 29 and training under NAU coach Jarred Cornfield, with an altitude base in Flagstaff, she continues to redefine consistency at the highest level.

After U.S. titles in 2021, 2022, and a 10,000/5,000 double in 2023, Cranny entered 2025 seeking balance...

Yaseen Abdalla’s story is one of adaptation and ambition.

He’s a runner who has thrived across programs, distances, and continents, representing Sudan on the international stage while redefining what a new-generation distance athlete can be.

At the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Abdalla placed 21st in the marathon (2:13:32), continuing a remarkable ascent that began a year after his Olympic debut in Paris, where he set a Sudanese national record of 2:11:41.

Known for his blend of speed and endurance, Abdalla’s range is staggering. His persona...

He's one of the NCAA's brightest young stars, and his recent sophomore season proved why.

Kole Mathison, the 2022 Champs Sports Cross Country national champion, and now a rising junior steeplechaser for the University of Colorado, joins the show fresh off a breakout year on the track and a strong start to the 2025 cross country season. 

Just weeks ago, Mathison placed 10th at the Nuttycombe Invitational, helping the Buffs to a runner-up team finish; another sign that Colorado's storied distance tradition is alive and well.

But t...

In 2025, Herriman High’s Jackson Spencer became the name every prep distance fan had to know.

The Utah standout, who is headed to BYU next year, opened his season with a victory at the Simplot Games 3200m (8:56.03), then surged into spring with a breakthrough 8:51.26 at the Arcadia Invitational. 

His momentum carried into June, where he unleashed a 4:02.56 mile and 3:46.22 1500m at the HOKA Festival of Miles, performances that placed him among the fastest prep milers in the country. 

Just weeks later, he anc...

Final Surge: https://www.finalsurge.com (RUNNINGEFFECT20) 

He built a dynasty in Flagstaff, and now, Mike Smith is bringing that same fire to Nike’s Swoosh Track Club.

After nearly a decade at the helm of Northern Arizona University, where he built a dynasty that captured five NCAA men’s cross country titles and earned him 41 Big Sky Coach of the Year honors, Smith made headlines in 2025 when he left collegiate coaching to join Nike’s professional network. 

From his Flagstaff base, he’s now gu...

Sacrifice, grit, burnout, and the fight to be great: this month’s Rundown Recap dives into four stories that every driven person needs to hear.

The fellas kick things off with “Sacrifice Isn’t Sustainable,” a raw look at how constantly grinding and giving everything can start to take more than it gives. What happens when the thing you love starts burning you out?

Then, in “The Art of Championship Racing,” they unpack what separates the good from the great when everything’s on the line; the mindset, the confidence, and the qui...

Claire Manley went from chasing PRs on the track to building a storytelling engine for athletes and running brands.

She is the co-founder of Meet @ 7 Studios, a women-led social media and personal branding agency designed for professional runners and endurance athletes.

Her work focuses on giving athletes Fortune 500-level strategy and visibility while helping them own their stories and reach new audiences.

Before becoming a strategist and agency founder, Claire carved out her own story on the track.

A...

Jess McClain has become the new face of American women’s marathoning: a symbol of resilience, balance, and belief in one’s own path.

A former collegiate standout at Stanford, she stepped into the pro ranks with Brooks, only to face years of injury, transition, and even stepping away from full-time running to build a life outside the sport. 

Jess never left the track mentally. In 2024, working full time and largely self-guided, she shocked the field by placing 4th in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, narrowly missing the team by...

Kristen Holmes has worn every hat in the world of performance, including athlete, coach, scientist, and innovator.

Today, she’s setting the standard at WHOOP.

At the University of Iowa, she was a two-time First-Team All-American, the 1996 Big Ten MVP, and even pulled double duty on the women’s basketball team. From there, she rose to the U.S. National Field Hockey Team, earning a spot as an Olympic alternate in 1996 and competing in the 1998 World Cup.

When her playing days concluded, Kristen turned her c...

Few athletes have risen as fast—or raced as fearlessly—as Gary Martin.

Now a senior at the University of Virginia, he has evolved into a consistent national contender with personal bests that rank among the fastest in collegiate history. His 3:32.03 1500m at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships placed him sixth against the nation’s best, while his 3:48.82 indoor mile at the Millrose Games stunned the sport and highlighted his breakthrough season. 

He also anchored UVA to its first NCAA indoor distance medley relay title with a 3:48.12 split indoors; he is a ru...

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Progress in running is rarely smooth, often unpredictable, and sometimes shaped most by the days we’d rather forget.

Alex Ostberg is back again to discuss ideas that every runner will recognize but few stop to articulate. The Run Down recap is here and full of gold once again.

From the unseen pitfalls that quietly derail progress, to the illusions we cling to about steady improvement, to the cha...

Dathan Ritzenhein has lived two lives in running: first as one of America's most decorated distance runners, and now as the head coach of the On Athletics Club (OAC). 

As a coach, Ritzenhein has been at the center of some of the sport's biggest moments in recent years. Under his leadership, Yared Nuguse set the indoor mile world record on Feb 8, 2025 (3:46.63) before it was lowered five days later by Jakob Ingebrigtsen and stormed down New York's Fifth Avenue to win the storied road mile that fall. 

On the roads, he's maste...

Fleet Feet CEO Joey Pointer has made a career of combining community-driven retail with cutting-edge data insights.

His journey into running retail wasn't a straight line. Raised on a North Carolina farm, he began his professional life in accounting at Ernst & Young before joining Fleet Feet in 2004 as a financial manager. 

Over the next decade, he rose through the ranks: Director of Operations, CFO, and ultimately CEO in 2017. Along the way, he transformed Fleet Feet from a small specialty chain into a national leader with nearly 300 stores.

...

Andreas Almgren returns to the show, this time fresh off a bronze in the 10,000 meters at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

This marked Sweden’s first World Championships medal in a long-distance track event—and the nation’s first ever in the 10,000m. For Almgren, it was the culmination of a journey from middle-distance prodigy to one of Europe’s most versatile runners.

He burst onto the scene with a World U20 bronze in the 800m in 2014, followed by a 1:45.59 personal best in 2015 after setting the Swedish U20 record (1:45.65) in 2014.

...

Amid a pro reset in Eugene and a new flag next to his name, Charles Hicks is aiming his firepower at the marathon.

Stanford’s first NCAA individual cross-country champion turned Nike pro joins the show amidst a change. He’s shifting his firepower to the roads and is making his marathon debut at the TCS New York City Marathon on November 2, 2025.

He trains in Eugene with Nike’s Swoosh TC (launched Feb. 7, 2025) and has been based there since 2023. He’s also fresh off a USATF 10 Mile title in Washington, D.C...

Final Surge: https://www.finalsurge.com (RUNNINGEFFECT20)

Few coaches have reshaped a running program the way Laurie Henes has.

For more than three decades, she’s been at the heart of NC State running, first as a competitor, then as a builder of champions.

As an athlete, Laurie was an eight-time All-American, the 1991 NCAA 5,000-meter champion, and later competed for the U.S. at the 1995 World Championships (10,000m).

She had personal bests of 15:31 for 5,000 meters and 32:05 for 10,000 meters.

She knows the grind of the sport firsthand: the glory of winn...

Cordell Tinch just struck gold in Tokyo, and he’s back on the show to tell us how it happened.

This isn’t just about a gold medal. Cordell’s career is about resilience, reinvention, and the razor-thin line between heartbreak and glory. Just a year ago, he missed making the U.S. Olympic team by one place after undergoing mid-season surgery.

Fast forward to 2025, and he’s running 12.99 to capture the World Championship title in Tokyo, only weeks after becoming Diamond League champion with a blazing 12.92, equaling the meet reco...

At just 18, Sadie Engelhardt has lived the kind of running career most athletes dream about: national records, Olympic Trials, and head-to-head battles with pros.

Now, she’s back on the show as her next challenge looms: the grind of NCAA competition at NC State.

Sadie’s remarkable journey from rewriting the record books to embracing the challenges of collegiate running are sure to be primetime viewing. This is coming from the girl who set the high school outdoor mile record at 4:28.46 in St. Louisthen lowered it again indoors with a 4:27.97...

Final Surge: https://www.finalsurge.com (RUNNINGEFFECT20)

Tim Surface’s path runs straight through the heart of the sport of running.

Tim is a University of Tulsa Academic All-American who kept competing after college, carving out a 2:24:39 marathon at Chicago and logging PRs of 1:09:12 for the half and 30:35 for 10,000m, before channeling that discipline into coaching and product building. 

Today, from Raleigh, he wears two hats: that of a high-school coach at North Raleigh Christian Academy and co-founder/CEO of Final Surge, w...

If you smash together courtroom precision with marathon coaching, you get Jeff Cunningham.

Jeff is a licensed Texas attorney turned creator of Austin’s Bat City Track Club, and he is here to open up the playbook behind one of America’s most quietly effective pro-development groups.

From Haftu Knight’s 2:09:38 breakthrough to Lindsey Bradley’s Indy Monumental course record, Bat City’s 2024–25 results are proof that Jeff’s gritty, repeatable systems scale from first-timers to elites.

Jeff is a man who can talk about the weeks that lead...

Most runners think their biggest limiter is training volume, paces, or genetics. 

Cortney Berling says it’s something much simpler: you’re not eating enough.

Fresh off a 2:52:49 finish at the 2025 Eugene Marathon and armed with her credentials as a Registered Dietitian (MPH, RD, CDE), Cortney sits down to unpack RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport): what it is, why it matters, and how to fix it before it derails your running and your health.

Cortney’s perspective is unique because she’s lived it on ever...

Mitch Ammons is living proof that small, steady habits can transform a life.

Just a few years removed from barely jogging half a mile after rehab, the Austin realtor has run 2:16:01 in the marathon, joined Bat City Track Club, won his hometown half in 1:08:32, and even stood on the start line in Boston’s Professional Open Men’s Field–all without ever running in college.

What’s his secret? Nothing flashy.

Mitch leans on simple, controllable routines, like stacking threshold-heavy weeks, looped courses to calm rac...

As the Toledo Marathon looms just six days away, Dominic hits record for a rare solo jam session on grit, growth, and chasing what matters most.

From winging his first marathon off just two weeks of training to preparing for Toledo with modest mileage and plenty of gym sessions, he’s here to share the highs, doubts, and lessons running continues to teach him. 

Along the way, he opens up about why the marathon holds such a special place in his story, how Garmin has leveled up his training wit...

We’re going full scientist mode today, because Jonah Rosner is back on the show.

If you don’t know Jonah, he’s the applied sport scientist who went from the Houston Texans to the streets of Brooklyn, translating lab data into PRs for everyday runners.

He’s walked the talk—he ran 2:57:22 at the Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2024—and he’s been on a tear since on social media. He has unpacked what 99% of runners are missing, and then he dropped a durability framework with Stryd (plus a free 10-week plan...

Nico Felich is the kind of guy who’ll jog up to the mic fresh from a shakeout run, then drop a line that makes you want to sprint out the door and chase your life.

In his first-ever podcast sit-down, Nico shares how a quiet college kid making dorm-life vlogs turned into a full-time creator inspiring tens of thousands to run.

He’s here to talk about walking away from the 9–5 grind, keeping your passion intact when your sport becomes your job, and why goals should guide your path—not define your worth.

From t...

What does it mean to be a prodigy who has to start over? 

Drew Hunter knows. 

Once hailed as the future of American distance running (he was the high school phenom who turned pro at 18 instead of going to college), his path has been anything but straightforward. 

The early years brought headlines and expectations, but also injuries, setbacks, and the sobering reality that talent alone doesn’t guarantee success.

After years of stop-and-start progress and searching for the right formula, Drew has redef...

Kim Gottwald is back on the pod, this time in person at BPN HQ in Texas.

If you haven’t heard of Kim yet, you will. He’s making a name for himself in the ultra-endurance world, and he’s the founder of Rappid Runs.

He co-won the Go One More Backyard Ultra at Bare Ranch, pushing 234 miles over 56 brutal loops before a storm shut it down. Kim is someone who offers raw honesty and dark humor. And he’s flipping the script on what an ultrarunner looks and sounds l...

How do you build a running shoe brand that feels rebellious, authentic, and different in a market dominated by giants? 

For Bryan Poerner, President & CEO of Diadora USA, the answer lies in blending a punk-inspired do-it-yourself ethos with Italian craftsmanship and a deep respect for the running community. 

From his roots as a Division III steeplechaser to leading Diadora’s return to the U.S. performance market, Bryan’s journey has been anything but conventional.

His path is marked by defining career highlights. In 1998–1999, he set the Stoc...

The road to greatness rarely runs smoothly. 

For Parker Wolfe, the path has twisted through injury, disappointment, and resilience. Over the past year, the NCAA champion, Olympic Trials finalist, and now Nike pro has faced some of the toughest setbacks of his young career.

Whether it’s a foot injury that threatened to derail his season, or the heartbreak of missing the Paris Olympics, he keeps finding ways to perform.

After returning from a spring foot injury, Parker lined up at the 2025 U.S. Champions...

Coach Ian Moini is not just building a strong running program at UNC, he’s building a pipeline of success.

In just his mid-20s, Ian has gone from standout athlete to one of the youngest and most effective associate head coaches in NCAA distance running. 

Since his last appearance, North Carolina’s distance squad has leveled up in a big way: ACC titles, school records, and a national 5,000m championship led by Parker Wolfe. Behind all of that? Ian — shaping the training, the mindset, and most importantly, the culture.

Part coach, part storyteller, and part entertainer, Zack Telander shows that serious training doesn’t have to be boring—or stuck in one lane.

A former Division I lacrosse player at the University of Vermont (2011–2013), Zack built his athletic base in a team sport before transitioning into Olympic weightlifting as both an athlete and coach. But recently, his followers have been watching a different kind of streak: he’s running a mile every single day—and documenting it on Instagram. (As of recording this, he’s on day 79.) 

What started as a person...

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What does it really take to peak, push through plateaus, and build a championship culture?

Alex Ostberg returns to unpack the latest four installments of The Run Down, beginning with “The Science of a Taper,” where the guys explore how dialing back training at just the right moment allows fatigue to fade while fitness shines through, unlocking peak performance when it matters most.

From there, they dive into “When the Magic Fades,” a candid look at the mom...

Maggi Congdon is blowing past expectations and Olympic medalists on her way to the world stage.

In June, she grabbed NCAA bronze in 4:09.31. Just weeks later, she was dropping under two minutes in the 800, running 1:59.39 to earn silver at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene.

Her run through the rounds in Eugene was just as electric. In the semifinals, Congdon clocked a lifetime best of 1:58.42, finishing ahead of Olympic medalist Raevyn Rogers and punching her ticket to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.

...

Final Surge: https://www.finalsurge.com (RUNNINGEFFECT20)

From Division III runner to one of the most respected coaches in the NCAA, Sean Carlson has never stopped leveling up.

Heading into his second season as Director of Cross Country & Track and Field at the University of Colorado, his journey is a story of persistence, vision, and transformation. 

From his days as a Division III All-American at North Central College, he climbed the coaching ladder at Notre Dame, where he built a powerhouse: guiding Yared Nuguse to...

Undertrain now, dominate later. 

That philosophy–his dad’s choice to undertrain him in high school–turned a patient Wisconsin high schooler named Drew Bosley into one of the NCAA’s fiercest finishers.

At Northern Arizona University, Bosley became an NCAA cross country podium finisher, broke the collegiate indoor 3000m record in 7:36.42 (which has since been broken), and stacked All-American honors across multiple distances. 

Along the way, he clocked personal bests of 3:39.32 in the 1500m, 3:59.34 in the mile, 13:13.26 indoors and 13:17.06 outdoors for 5000m, and a blazing 27:53...

He made history in college. Now he’s rewriting it on the world stage.

From Ivy League dominance at Harvard to lighting up the Diamond League, Graham Blanks is one of America’sbrightest young stars in distance running.

He was the first Ivy League male to ever win the NCAA Cross Country title — not once, but twice. In college, he set a then-NCAA indoor 5000m record of 13:03.78, ran 3:56.63 for the mile, and earned multiple All-American honors on the track and grass.

Since turning professional with New Balance...

Final Surge: https://www.finalsurge.com (RUNNINGEFFECT20)

Coach Chris Miltenberg has built champions, broken records, and rebuilt entire programs. But his real gift? Preparing athletes for what comes next.

Coach Milt returns to the show with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most pivotal phases in any runner’s career: the leap from college to pro.

As the architect of UNC’s rise, he’s been there every step of the way for Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe, two of the brightest stars in American...

What if the way you breathe is holding you back?

In this episode, we chat with Adam Ludwin, founder and CEO of FivePointFive, a science-backed breathwork app built for athletes and everyday high performers. 

Before launching FivePointFive, Adam scaled his first company, Captify Technologies, to 300 employees across 13 countries and led it to a 9-figure exit. But after facing personal burnout, he shifted focus: from chasing growth to rebuilding health. 

That turning point led him to the world of breathwork, where he trained under global exper...

Jack Fleming is more than just a figure in running history. He’s shaping its future. 

As President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), Jack leads with a mission: make running accessible to everyone, all year round.

After joining the B.A.A. in 1992, he’s worked nearly every role and now sets the course for a more inclusive, community-focused organization.

That vision was clear at the recent Shoreline 5K at Carson Beach, a new, entirely B.A.A.-run event. Planned, managed, and executed...

Cooper Lutkenhaus isn't just the greatest high school athlete alive. He might be the greatest high school athlete ever.

Most 16-year-old track stars are making noise at their state meet. Cooper Lutkenhaus is making history on the national stage—running 1:42 against the pros and smashing records. This comes after a 1:46.86 high school indoor 800m record at Millrose in addition to a 1:45.45 outdoor record at Nike Outdoor Nationals.

In Eugene, at the USATF Championships, he didn't just survive the pressure of racing America's best. He crushed expectations, broke the World U18 reco...