Listening is the key to so many things in life. From learning, to your job, to your relationships, to being a good human and even being a good race director. Chris Swenke knows this, and for him, everything starts there. He began running as a way to get in shape for his first love of curling, but soon discovered that running was his real passion. It didn’t take long before he had completed marathons, ultramarathons, then 100 mile races and crazy adventures like running across the state of MN. It also led him to starting the St Croix Running Company and directing his own race events. I catch up with him on all this, how his day at the 2026 FANS Ultra 24hr went, how his training for the iconic MN Superior 100 race is going and what’s the latest with the SCRC. So, grab your Hanes socks, your shoes and head out for your run. But whatever you do, don’t forget to “listen”.

SCRC website: https://www.stcroixrunningcompany.com/

(Blog): https://www.stcroixrunningcompany.com/blog

SCRC on IG: https://www.instagram.com/stcroixrunning

Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swenke

Chris Swenke personal website: https://www.chrisswenke.com/

Chris’ book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCK1B22R?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_mwn_dp_KYENSNCRQYZ7XZYGRMXD&bestFormat=true

Joey's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Run_Joey_Run

Running Behind on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/running.behind_pod

Joey's Strava Profile: https://www.strava.com/athletes/111237895

Artwork by Ed Linder