On S1 EP7 of Laps, I sit down with John Baker — a sub-elite, 6x marathoner — to talk about the journey behind the miles. We explore how running, faith, and purpose intersect through seasons of success, pressure, and personal loss, and what it looks like to keep showing up when the weight gets heavy.

This conversation is about more than race times — it’s about resilience, identity, and finding meaning both on and off the course.

Timestamps

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0:00 Intro

0:50 Meet John Baker

1:15 About John

2:30 John’s Childhood

4:00 Early Running Days

5:20 HS Running Growth

6:43 Meaning behind memories

9:00 Collegiate running mindset

9:35 Post collegiate running mindset

10:33 Oh the Places You’ll Run

11:08 Hometown Highlights

11:30 🇩🇪Running Abroad

13:51 🇰🇪 Iten, Kenya Service Trip

18:18 Becoming a Marathoner

20:06 Marathon #1: CA Intl 2019

22:58 Marathon #2: Houston 2022

28:10 Marathon #3: Boston 2022

36:48 Losses & Lessons

43:36 Marathon #4: Grandma’s 2024

46:42 John’s 2025 Marathons

47:02 Marathon #5: Boston 2025

48:44 Marathon #6: Chicago 2025

50:46 John’s Future Running Goals

55:14 John’s Advice for Runners

57:35 God is in Control

58:12 Finding Faith

59:08 John’s Favorite Verse (James 1:2-4)

59:40 Faith + Running parallels

1:00:20 Purpose Behind Challenge

1:01:14 Miracles in the Making

1:03:42 Bye, Comfort Zone!

1:04:37 Keeping the Faith

1:06:57 Defining Habits

1:07:24 Phone Addiction

1:08:48 Nourishing Your Soul

1:09:27 Closing Remarks

1:09:56 John’s Thank You’s!

1:10:32 PR for Laps Pod!