“To put it succinctly, I’m ready to hang up the spikes and dive into those other passions. I’m just excited to dive into my career and build a life beyond running.” 

A personal note: Robert has been one of my favorite runners since I first got into running. His grit and determination are on full display when he trains and races. His no-BS attitude, but yet kind heart has always been attractive to me. From the minute I first talked to Robert I was immediately impressed by his sincerity, kindness, and openness. I very rarely scream at the TV, but in the 2021 NCAA 10k championships, I found myself doing exactly that with 100m to go. Why was I displaying emotion at an event I had no control over? Because I know Robert and how hard he works and how badly he wants to win at whatever he does in life. Similarly, when I first found out that Robert was taking a step back from the sport of running, I shed a tear or two. While I’ll be sad to see his absence from the sport I cherish, I know he will take his passion, determination, and grit that he learned from running and apply to this next stage of his life. As the saying goes, “When you close a door another one opens”. 

So thank you, Robert. Thank you for all you’ve done to push our sport forward. Thank you for being unabashedly yourself. Thank you for the countless kids you’ve inspired to take up this sport. Thank you for leaving the sport better than you’ve found it. 

S H O W   N O T E S 

-Robert’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/robertbrandt?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 

-Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en 

-Liquid IV (USE CODE “THETHERUNNINGEFFECT” to get 25% off): https://www.liquid-iv.com 

-Stoke Performance Nut Butter (Use Code "THERUNNINGEFFECT" to get 10% off): https://stokeperformance.com/