Jared Ward

In this week's episode of "Running: State of the Sport," Jared Ward becomes our first two-time guest on the podcast. We can't think of anyone better.

Ward placed 6th in the 2016 Rio Olympic Marathon without the super shoes worn by the podium finishers. Neither he nor anyone outside Nike even knew about super shoes at the time.

He soon began working with Saucony on that company's line of super shoes, and continued running fast times in major marathons. Ward hit his marathon PR, 2:09:25, in the 2019 Boston Marathon.

Perhaps more importantly, he mentored a gaggle of younger BYU graduates like Conner Mantz and Clayton Young to their significant marathon careers. He also helped form the public/private "Run Elite Program" to encourage professional running in Utah while promoting health and fitness to the wider population.

After moving his wife and six kids to Oxford, England, where he pursued an Executive Business Administration degree, Ward returned to near-top form this spring. Now 37, he ran a personal best 46:49 for 10 miles at Cherry Blossom, and then finished second in the Pittsburgh Marathon.

In this podcast, he explains why BYU running has reached such a high level, and what he sees in his own running and business future.

For more about Ward, see his profile on the Run Elite website.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.
"Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.

Oz Pearlman--mentalist and marathoner

 

Oz Pearlman is a well-known mentalist-entertainer and a less-well-known marathon and ultramarathon runner. However, his record on the roads and trails is just about as impressive as his mindreading tricks.

Pearlman, 43, has run a 2:23 marathon, a 2:25 at Boston, and finished the Western States 100, the Badwater 135, and the Spartathlon in Greece. 

Recently, he was the planned entertainer at the White House Correspondents dinner in Washington, D.C.--the evening interrupted by gun shots and an apparent assassination attempt.

Pearlman was crouched between President Trump and press secretary Karoline Leavitt, attempting to guess the name of her unborn child, when the first shots were heard. A moment later, he was caught in the swarm of Secret Service agents who stormed in to protect Trump, and lead him to safety.

In this podcast, Pearlman chillingly describes the scene, including the fear he felt for himself and his wife and friends in attendance.

He also talks about his early days in marathon running when he knew virtually nothing about the sport, and what he needed to learn before he became more successful. He's particularly insightful in explaining some of the shared mental strategies between his on-stage performances and in the last miles of a marathon or ultra.

For more about Pearlman, check out his website or his Instagram feed.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.


"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.
"Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.

London & Boston: Wow!

For this episode, George and I didn't need any guests. The Boston Marathon and London Marathon provided more than enough fuel for a detail-packed discussion.

Just from the top: a world record and sub-2:00-hour marathon at London; a course record at Boston; a women's-only world record at London.

And that was only the cream. Things got even more interesting when we dug into the details.

Are super-shoes still getting faster? Are marathoners using sodium bicarbonate, as milers clearly are, even though research has never proven the kitchen staple productive in events over 15 minutes? Why are there so many fast American marathoners these days?

We just witnessed arguably--no, inarguably--the greatest week of marathon running the world has ever seen. Come along and join us as we explore this amazing, fast-growing sport.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."
With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.
"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.

"Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.


Martin Dugard, author


Marty Dugard began writing for Runner's World in the late 1980s, gained more notice as the best-selling coauthor of Bill O'Reilly's "Killing" series of books--Lincoln, Kennedy, Jesus, etc--and now has returned to running with The Long Run. 

It's a epic, fast-moving history of running (and especially marathon running) from roughly 1970 to Joan Benoit's victory in the 1984 Olympic Marathon, with a few throwbacks to Pheidippides, Bill Bowerman, and others. You'll meet the people and moments that shaped running as we know it today.

Dugard isn't just a writer of historical non-fiction. He's been deeply immersed in running and running culture since his teen years. For the last 15 years, he has been coaching high school cross-country teams in California, several of which have won state championships.

For more on Dugard, you can follow his regular blogs at MartinDugard.com

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."
With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.
"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.

"Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.





Grant Fisher

In this episode of the podcast “Running: State of the Sport,” we interview American superstar Grant Fisher. Fisher is one of the greatest American distance track runners ever.


He has run the fastest American times ever in the 3000, 5000, and 10,000 meters, and he won bronze medals in both the 10,000 and 5000 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Most recently, Fisher ran his first serious road race in the super-competitive New York City Half Marathon. And he finished the tough course in a fast 60:53, although that was only good enough for 14th place. Now Fisher faces one of the toughest decisions of his running career: Should he switch to the marathon for the 2028 Olympics, or stick with the track? In this pod, he analyzes the pros and cons of his thinking on this important question. Fisher also talks about the full arc of his legendary running career. In high school in Michigan, he won two Footlocker XC Championships, and ran a 3:59 mile. He then ran successfully for four years at Stanford before signing a Nike contract and running with the Bowerman TC. Two years ago, he moved from Oregon to Park City, Utah, to reunite with his former high school coach, Mike Scannell. The pairing has worked well, especially in Paris. The whole running world will be watching Fisher’s racing the next two years as he positions himself for the LA 2028 Olympics. In this pod, he explains where he is today, and where he hopes to go. For more about Fisher, check out his Instagram account.


WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."
With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.
"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.

"Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.





Jack Fultz, 1976 Boston Marathon Champ

 

Jack Fultz is the only runner to have finished first in the Boston Marathon, and also last. In this new podcast, Fultz talks about both memorable experiences.

In April, Fultz celebrates the 50th anniversary of his epic victory in the 1976 "Run For The Hoses"--the hottest race in Boston's 129 year history. He didn't run particularly fast that day, 2:20:19, but who runs fast in 90-degree heat.

Two years later, in better conditions, Fultz returned to finish 4th in 2:11:17. 

For the last several decades, Fultz has been coaching the big Dana Farber charity team that raises funds to fight cancer. During that period, 95% of his runners, often beginners or little experienced runners, have completed the Boston course.

Fultz's history with these runners has made him a foremost authority on how to train for Boston's challenging course, and how to pace yourself on Marathon Day itself. Many of his tips are more analytical and nuanced than you can find anywhere else. 

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."
With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.
"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.

"Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.




Barbara Galloway: RIP Jeff Galloway

 

Jeff Galloway, who died recently may have been the world's most influential and beloved running ambassador. 

In this podcast, we speak primarily with his wife, Barbara, and also with his son, Westin, and his co-coach, Chris Twiggs.

Galloway was an Olympian in his competitive days, and also winner of the first Atlanta Marathon (1963) and the first Peachtree Road Race (1970).

In those early days, no one could have imagined that running would be a massive participant sport on a global scale. 

Galloway did as much or more than anyone else to make the present-day miracle happen.   

In literally thousands of clinic and talks, he spread a simple message: Yes, you can. You can run more than you have believed, and you will become a mentally and physically healthier person as you do.

Importantly, Galloway had a training plan to accompany his words. This was the now-famous Run-Walk-Run approach, also called "Jeffing" by many.

While some runners initially scoffed at the idea of walking during a workout or marathon race, others followed his inspiration and his instruction. And they succeeded. And they told friends that the program worked.

Before long, a small trickle of run-walk-run fans became millions, and the fitness world at large was forced to acknowledge Galloway's genius, method, and impact. 

His passing was met with an outpouring of love and thank-you messages, particularly on this Facebook page.

Major media around the world also noted Jeff's life and accomplishments. Many of these articles are currently linked from the home page at JeffGalloway.com.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."
With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.
"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.
"Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.






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Jared Ward

In this week's episode of "Running: State of the Sport," Jared Ward becomes our first two-time guest on the podcast. We can...

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