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The Tinmen Elite tore up the field at Lehigh University with their third consecutive USATF National Club Cross-Country championship. We speak with Tinman Coach Tom Schwartz on what it takes to win in the mud. Gregg announces his next marathon, and Brenn shares wise words from a young ballet dancer.

We give thanks to all things running in Episode 93, including an interview with coach and 2:14 marathoner Nate Jenkins. In an attempt to get his groove back after the New York Marathon, Gregg lays out his plan for running more miles this winter, and gets a dose of thoughtful feedback from the guy who coached him to Cloud 2:58 a year ago. Happy Thanksgiving all!

New York Times reporter and Central Park Track Club runner Lindsay Crouse has helped bring urgent issues in the sport to the fore, most recently with her video of Mary Cain calling out Nike and Alberto Salazar. In this episode Lindsay discusses how she developed these stories with courageous elite runners. We also discuss Lindsay’s own running in high school, college and more recently, seeking to improve on her 2:57 marathon PR. In a bit of counterpoint, Brenn and Gregg discuss their NYC marathon experiences – positive for one, awful for the other.

In our pre-NYCM shakeout podcast, we discuss the race at hand while limiting shoe talk (for the most part) to what will be on our own feet. Gregg shares an anecdote from “cutie” Nate Jenkins about chasing Meb through Central Park.

We interview New York Times reporter Matthew Futterman about his book Running to the Edge, which celebrates coach Bob Larsen, Meb Keflezighi, the Jamul Toads, and the better angels of our sport. Then we ask him about Alberto Salazar. David Alm introduces the East River 5000, a race inspired by classic cotton race tee-shirts.

Luke Puskedra, who ran 2:10 at the Chicago Marathon in 2015 and finished 4th at the 2016 Olympic Trials, retired at the tender age of 29. Now he’s dabbling at 110 miles per week. We catch up with Luke to ask whether that retirement from professional running was indeed permanent. We also catch up with Cape Verde Olympian and Lowell Running founder and head coach Ruben Sanca, who will be lacing up at Chicago on Sunday.

Fair is foul, and foul is fair in the world of track and field these days as lowlights and highlights compete for attention. Celebrate Kenenisa Bekele’s fantastic Berlin Marathon? Lament the meager crowds at Doha? Despair at drug use in the sport? Swoosh or syringe? We sift through the current events, and Gregg updates us on his approach to the upcoming Chicago Marathon.

We recap the exceptional pro races at the 5th Avenue Mile, with interviews of Jenny Simpson, Elinor Purrier, and Nick Willis. In amateur land, Brenn reports on his mile race, and Gregg, back in the USA after several years abroad, vows to adhere to Nate Jenkins’ training plan in preparation for the Chicago and NYC Marathons.

Gregg discusses the perils of scoring water from an aid station while running as a rhino, the ups and downs of an ultra, and the ethics behind finding a race he can win. Brenn reports from the comeback trail. We share wise counsel from Judge Polly, Adharanand Finn, and Ruben Sanca.

Eliud Kipchoge’s exquisite victory at the London Marathon was a sight to behold, as was Big Ben’s finish. We catch up with Big Ben and a man whose dog ate 50% of his 4% shoes before his race. Gregg gets the skinny on running as a rhino as he preps to make good on a promise he made to his daughter before he broke three.