If you've ever seen a firefighter doing a runDisney race in full gear, you've been lucky enough to have seen Fireman Rob! In this episode, we sit down with one of the most inspiring people in the runDisney community. Rob is a 26-year firefighting veteran, military medic, and 911 rescue worker who has logged over 1,400 miles completing races in his fire gear across Iron Mans, marathons, and runDisney races alike. And he's not doing it for him... he's doing it for us.

We dig into the mental side of running including what it really means to have grit, how to build resilience before you even get to the starting line, emotional control on the course, and why showing up (even when you don't want to) is the definition of resilience. Rob also shares his personal story of mental health and what keeps him coming back to Disney year after year.

Whether you're running your first half marathon or your fiftieth, this episode will leave you inspired for sure!

Fireman Rob Resources:

Website: https://www.firemanrob.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefiremanrob/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forged-in-the-fires-podcast-with-fireman-rob/id1497211493

Books: https://a.co/d/00xdmOpF and https://a.co/d/04NEJaIv

On this week's episode, we have the privilege of sharing TWO inspiring stories from friends who have been through tragic accidents, life-saving surgeries, miserable physical therapy and long, slow recovery. When we first heard their stories, we were so inspired that we asked if they’d be willing to come on the podcast and help inspire all of you as well. Grab your Kleenex, these stories are incredible.

We announced The Support Crew in this episode; to learn more or join the crew, visit https://ajanderika.com/supportcrew

Today we're sharing two exciting runDisney stories! First, we pulled off an awesome surprise for our friends who were running their first runDisney challenge and 10 Miler. It might be one of our favorite memories of 2026 so far!

Then, we sit down with Ryan Teetz, who is more commonly known as Ryan on the Run on Instagram and YouTube — who just crossed his 100th runDisney finish line. We chat about what it's like to hit that incredible milestone, the awesome costume he wore to celebrate, his best advice for first-time runDisney racers, and what keeps him coming back race after race.

Be sure to follow Ryan at https://www.instagram.com/ryanontherunn/

And here episode where we interviewed Aaron and Tricia (the friends we came down to Springtime Surprise to surprise): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-more-run-the-podcast/id1823836104?i=1000734018225

We had the privilege of getting to participate in a 5K honoring the legacy of Jeff Galloway and we're sharing our perspective on that experience. It was great to see so many runners honoring Jeff and supporting The Galloway School.

What started as a love for Disney turned into a runDisney journey—and now a podcast. In Episode 43, we're sharing our runDisney origin story, first races, marathon experiences, and the regular life challenges. Greg from the Rise and Run Podcast is our guest host to help us uncover how we got from 0 miles to where we are today. We hope this episode is encouraging and gives those of you that are new to the podcast some insights on who we are and why we do all this craziness. 

John Pelkey is back… and this time he brought some of his friends from the Pelkey Running Club.
We’re playing “What Would John Pelkey Do?”— a chaotic, funny, and surprisingly insightful game built around real runDisney scenarios.

From race morning mishaps and costume chaos to behind-the-scenes announcer moments, this episode is packed with quick thinking and plenty of laughs. You’ll also get to meet members of the Pelkey Running Club and experience the energy, encouragement, and community they bring to every race weekend.

If you love runDisney, and the people who make it all so special—this one’s for you!

As long as these amazing guests keep saying yes, we're gonna keep inviting them onto the podcast! This week we're joined by runDisney race announcer John Pelkey and founder/leader of the Pelkey Running Club, Grant. 

Known in the runDisney community for not being "a runner", John and the Pelkey Running Club just ran the St Jude Half Marathon... John's first half marathon! They're going to tell us all about that experience and go even deeper to the importance of community when you take on a big challenge.

Learn more about the Pelkey Running Club at https://pelkeyrunningclub.com and follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pelkeyrunningclub/ 

In this week's episode, we’re switching things up. After a string of incredible guests and race recaps, we're taking it easy and having a nice a "chit-chat" style Q&A to answer the questions you sent in via Instagram and email.

Here are links to some of the things we mentioned in this episode...

• Hats from Candace @Magichatterco
• Our running coach with great videos for stretching @claymurfetperformance
• Shoes we run in: Altra Torin | Altra Experience Flow |  Altra Vanish Tempo

Whether you're curious about what we do for work, our ideal vacation, favorite character stop or just looking for some motivation for your next Disney race, this episode is a fun, personal look behind the scenes. Thanks for being part of this journey with us and thanks for all the questions! 

We are so excited to have Thomas Stokes (one of the Tutu Guys) on the podcast! We're talking with him about strength, nutrition and recovery as well as his coaching programs at Stoked Metabolic Training. We even had a little surprise for him that involved his wife Kim!!

Learn more about Tom's coaching: https://stokes.fit
Tom on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themusclemouse
Kim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themusclemousewife/ 

Did you miss out on runDisney registration? Don't hang up your running shoes just yet! In this episode, we're diving into two options for snagging a sold-out runDisney bib. First, we sit down with Matt from Team #runDis to discuss his legendary Telegram alert system that notifies you the second registration spots become available between now and race day. Matt shares expert tips on how to prepare for grabbing a spot when those spots become available.

We're also joined by our friend Stefanie Shimansky who clues us in on the rewarding feeling that comes with running on behalf of a charity a charity. Whether you want to lock in your spot early or add more purpose to your miles, Stephanie clarifies what it actually takes to join a charity team.

Be sure to check out teamrundis.com to learn more about the telegram alerts, available charity bibs and so much more. To take our  podcast feedback survey, be sure to visit ajanderika.com. Thank you for taking the time to let us know how we can improve the podcast.