Marathon Handbook Podcast

Content Advisory: This episode includes adult subject matter, including sexual content. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode, Michael Doyle speaks with Nick Thompson — CEO of The Atlantic and author of the new book The Running Ground: A Father, A Son, and the Simplest of Sports — about how he became faster in his 40s and why that journey uncovered a deeper story about grief, trauma, psychology, and the complexities of the father–son bond. Nick explains the book’s origins (02:04), how cancer shaped his mindset (04:09), and why writing candidly about his father was both terrifying and necessary (06:06). He recounts his father’s extraordinary life (07:15), how running kept them connected (11:59), and why midlife can break or remake us (47:12).

The conversation digs into training nerdery, including mileage and threshold work (23:05), diet and supplements (26:54), gear choices and heart-rate breakthroughs (28:59), and the central governor theory (31:10). Nick also shares insights on AI and future training tech (32:45), the powerful story of Michael Westphal (38:35), how he knew the book was finished (45:05), and what running means to him now as he chases new goals (53:21).

This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get 25% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, plus a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order!

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify.📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#NickThompson #RunningAfter40 #MarathonTraining #MasterAthlete #RunningMotivation #MarathonHandbook #RunningPodcast #runningbooks #nicholasthompson #TheAtlantic #runninglit 

This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get 25% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, plus a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order!

In this late-fall Mailbag episode of the Marathon Handbook Podcast, Michael, Alex, and Katelyn dig into listener questions covering everything from pacing strategies (08:00), understanding the difference between 5K pain and marathon fatigue (08:00), and how to break the sub-2:50 barrier (14:45), to chasing a sub-3 marathon at age 24 (16:10), marathon pacing best practices (26:20), and shoe rotation choices between the Evo SL, Superblast, and Megablast (47:15). We also break down how to train between big race cycles (54:20), balancing road marathons with ultras (59:10), essential running books (03:40), and even long-term goals like qualifying for the US Olympic Trials (01:33:00). The episode wraps with legendary advice on training after age 60 from Amby Burfoot (01:37:45).

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].

🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast

📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook

📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook

📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter

👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.

🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify and YouTube.

📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#running #marathontraining #marathonhandbook #runnersofyoutube #runpodcast #sub3marathon #bostonqualifier

In this episode, Michael sits down with Olympian and author Pete Pfitzinger, co-author of Advanced Marathoning, to discuss the brand-new 4th Edition (00:00). Pete shares the philosophy behind his approach to marathon training (09:58), the most common mistakes runners make (35:12), and how today’s advances—from super shoes (33:13) to hydrogels and heart-rate variability (50:47)—are reshaping how we prepare for 26.2 miles. They dive deep into balancing training and life (23:26), fueling and recovery (19:04), and the mindset needed to keep improving (37:09).

A must-listen for serious runners and those new to the distance aiming to train smarter, race stronger, and enjoy the process.

This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get 25% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY, plus a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order!

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify.📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#marathontraining #runningpodcast #petepfitzinger #advancemarathoning #runners #superShoes #marathonhandbook #longrun #runningtips #marathoncoach

This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get 25% OFF DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER (2025), and receive a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order!

Live from New York City during the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon weekend, this Marathon Handbook Podcast episode explores the future of running, racing, and technology. (00:00) Host Michael Doyle and co-hosts Katelyn Tocci and Alex Cyr welcome TCS futurist Bill Quinn (01:00), who explains how AI, digital twins, and smart tech are reshaping how athletes train and how races are organized. (06:00) He predicts the marathon of 2035, complete with AI-optimized start corrals, sustainable “water pods,” and smart clothing that adapts to weather in real time. (18:00)

In the second half, elite marathoner Colin Bennie (34:00) joins the show to discuss how he prepared for New York’s challenging course (39:00), the growing strength of American marathoners (40:30), and his mindset heading into the race. (47:00) Bennie also shares insights on training balance, wearable tech, and why even elites “trust the coach, not the data.” (53:00)

(1:14:00) The episode closes with Bill Quinn’s futuristic predictions—AI shoes, nanotech, and digital twins for every runner—and reflections on how human intuition and technology must evolve together.

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify.📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#NYCMarathon #MarathonHandbook #FutureOfRunning #ColinBennie #BillQuinn #MarathonPodcast #RunningTechnology #TCSMarathon #BrooksRunning #AIMarathon

NOTE: The first 45 seconds or so are silent due to a technical glitch. Please skip forward for the beginning of the episode!

In this instant reaction episode of the Marathon Handbook Podcast, recorded just after the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, we unpack everything: the race outcome, potentially Eliud Kipchoge's final marathon, a new women's course record, a photo finish in the professional men's race, and more. This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get 25% OFF during the month of November, and a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order.And by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: ⁠livemomentous.com⸻📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify.📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.#NYCMarathon #MarathonHandbook #RunningPodcast #SifanHassan #EliudKipchoge #MarathonTraining #LiveShow #RunningCommunity #NYC2025

In this week’s episode of The Marathon Handbook Podcast, hosts Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr, and Katelyn Tocci preview the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon — the final major of the year. They kick things off with a big announcement about the Marathon Handbook Live Show in New York (01:30), share race-week coverage plans and giveaways (04:30), and dive into logistics and pro tips for runners (25:40). Then, they break down the NYC course (36:55) and preview the women’s elite race, including Sifan Hassan’s bid for history (51:40). Later, the crew analyzes the men’s field with Kipchoge, Bekele, and Benson Kipruto (1:09:03), make their race predictions (1:23:15), and power-rank the World Marathon Majors (1:35:43). Finally, they speculate whether Cape Town could join as the next major (1:47:12) and share what they’re most excited to do in NYC (1:48:50).🎤 Marathon Handbook LIVE: NYC📍 Balance Arts Center, 151 West 30th Street, Midtown Manhattan🕦 Doors open: 11:30 AM | Show: 12:00–2:00 PM🎟️ Free admission — RSVP [via Google Form link in description]🎁 First 40 attendees get our limited-edition Running Sicko hat!

This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order

And by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: ⁠livemomentous.com

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected]

🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast

📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook

📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook

📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter

👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.

🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify and YouTube.

📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#NYCMarathon #MarathonHandbook #RunningPodcast #SifanHassan #EliudKipchoge #MarathonTraining #LiveShow #RunningCommunity #NYC2025

n this episode, Michael Doyle and Alex Cyr break down one of the biggest scandals in marathon history: Ruth Chepngetich’s doping ban. They trace the story from her shocking 2:09:56 world record in Chicago (04:00) to the first signs of suspicion, the January London Marathon announcement (10:00), and the moment the positive drug test surfaced (13:00). The hosts then unpack the digital evidence found on her phone (16:00), the decision behind her three-year suspension (20:00), and the incriminating WhatsApp messages about banned substances (22:00). Later, they debate what happens to her world record (33:00), how Nike and World Athletics handled the fallout (27:00), and whether she — and her agent — should be banned for life (50:00). The episode closes with a discussion about how the sport can recover from yet another doping crisis (54:00).

#Marathon #RunningPodcast #Chepngetich #Doping #MarathonRunning #WorldRecord #RunningNews #TrackAndField #Athletics #MarathonHandbook

In this week’s episode of The Marathon Handbook Podcast, hosts Katelyn Tocci and Alex Cyr take the reins while Michael is away coaching at a cross-country meet. (00:00) After covering back-to-back marathons in Chicago and Toronto, they share travel chaos stories and post-race reflections. (10:15) The conversation turns to post-marathon blues — what to do when the season ends or when your race doesn’t go to plan. (17:40) Listener Erin writes in about whether to run a redemption marathon, sparking an in-depth discussion on recovery timing, mental reset strategies, and avoiding injury. (31:00) Katelyn recounts her own mistake running too soon after a 100-miler, and Alex offers tips for managing motivation in the off-season. (50:00) The hosts close with how to structure recovery weeks, stay inspired during the winter, and find joy in running again before the next big race. (1:03:00) Plus, they tease what’s ahead for the Marathon Handbook team in New York.

This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill orderAnd by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: ⁠livemomentous.com

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify.📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#running #marathontraining #postraceblues #marathonhandbook #redemptionrace #runnerslife #runmotivation #offseasontraining

Recorded live at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo, hosts Michael Doyle, Katelyn Tocci, and Alex Cyr sit down with Natasha Wodak, Canada’s marathon record holder, for an inspiring and hilarious conversation about racing, training, and staying motivated.

They dive into Toronto Marathon weekend highlights (01:00), Natasha’s first marathon in 2013 (09:45), lessons from her comeback (12:00), rookie mistakes and pacing tips (16:00), and how to adapt to weather on race day (20:00). Natasha explains how she keeps running fun (27:30), breaks down the Toronto course (30:00), shares her ASICS super shoe preferences (33:45), and walks through her pre-race mindset (39:00).

A special thanks to Asics for sponsoring this podcast!

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify.📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#MarathonHandbook #NatashaWodak #TorontoWaterfrontMarathon #RunningPodcast #MarathonTraining #RunningMotivation #ASICS #MarathonTips

In this episode of The Marathon Handbook Podcast (00:00), Michael, Alex, and Katelyn kick off Toronto Marathon week and preview their upcoming live show (04:20). They share plans for the New York City Marathon (07:00) and Michael’s big reveal that he’s running the Philadelphia Marathon (08:25). Then, they tackle two listener questions: how to handle being assigned to a slower corral at NYC (11:06) and how to base-build for a year toward a sub-3 marathon goal (31:32).

In the second half (45:45), Alex interviews TCS futurist Bill Quinn about the future of the marathon — including AI-driven race organization (1:01:49), morphing performance clothing (57:57), nanotech wearables (56:13), smart shoes, and augmented reality for spectators (1:18:48). The conversation explores how technology could make marathons more sustainable (1:29:43) and accessible while preserving the human essence of running (1:34:22).

This episode is brought to you by the Wahoo’s KICKR RUN – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill orderAnd by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: ⁠livemomentous.com

📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at [email protected].🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify.📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives.

#MarathonHandbook #RunningPodcast #FutureOfRunning #MarathonTraining #TCSMarathon #MarathonMajors #RunningCommunity #DistanceRunning #AIinRunning #SmartShoes