In Episode 2 of the podcast, "Running: State of the Sport," we chatted with Mark Milde, race director of the Berlin Marathon. The 2023 Berlin race will be held on Sunday, September 24, with Eliud Kipchoge returning to his favorite course. In 2022, Kipchoge established the marathon world record in Berlin when he ran 2:01:09.

Among other things, Milde talked about:

* His family's long history with the Berlin Marathon, which was founded by his father, Horst, in 1974

* Many of the Berlin Marathon's primary attractions, including its famous tour of the city that was once divided into East and West Germany

* The 9000 American runners who are entered in the Berlin Marathon

* Why he believes Eliud Kipchoge is such a great marathon performer

* Plans for the 50th running of the Berlin Marathon in 2024

In a discussion of recent running news, Amby and George discussed: 

* A new running book on the famous 1984 Women's Olympic Marathon. George recalls a surprisingly fast 10-miler he ran with Joan Benoit Samuelson the morning after her dramatic victory.

* The results of the New Haven 20K race, where several BYU graduates, Clayton Young and Connor Mantz, had strong performances. And it's only 5 months until the Olympic Marathon Trials early next Feb. Watch out for the BYU runners, coached by Ed Eyestone, himself a two-time Olympic marathoner.

* Smiling. Yes, smiling! Amby notes that he saw more runners smiling on the starting line at the recent Budapest World Championships vs past Championships. And he explains why this might be a new trend among top athletes.

To find "Running: State of the Sport," search your favorite smartphone podcast app for "running state of the sport." Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible, Pandora, and Google Podcasts apps.

Or go to one of these links to find it on the Web:

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"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 Amby’s weekly newsletter with the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners.

Audio engineering by BJ McGeever.