Malik J, better known as The Running Gamer, found a way to combine two passions that don't often overlap: running and video games.

In this episode, Malik shares how a simple challenge led him into the sport, why he nearly walked away from running after college, and how Detroit's running community helped bring him back. We talk about building a unique identity online, racing two 5Ks in less than 12 hours, traveling to Spain for the Seville Marathon with ASICS, and the lessons he's learned chasing faster times.

Most importantly, Malik explains why runners get into trouble when they start comparing themselves to everyone else and why trusting your own process matters more than copying the pros.

Whether you're training for your first race, chasing a marathon PR, or trying to find your place in the running community, this conversation is a reminder that there is more than one path to success.

Chapters

00:00 Back to Back 5Ks & Chasing Sub 17
06:25 The Running Gamer: Combining Gaming & Running
11:10 How Running Changed His Life
15:51 From Spartan Races to a 2:37 Marathon
20:56 Don't Train Like Everyone Else
26:23 Experiencing the Seville Marathon
32:56 NYC Half Marathon Experience
42:12 Berlin, Bigger Goals & What's Next
46:25 The Detroit Running Community

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Olympic Trials qualifier.

Elite 15 Hyrox athlete.

Most athletes spend their entire careers chasing excellence in one sport. Alyssa McElheny is doing it in two.

In this episode, Alyssa shares her journey from spending more than a decade chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier to becoming one of the fastest Hyrox athletes in the world. We talk about finding the sport she was built for, balancing elite marathoning and hybrid racing, and why success often comes from leaning into your strengths rather than forcing a path that isn't meant for you.

We also dive into racing across Europe, dealing with pressure when everything is on the line, the lessons learned from years of marathon training, and how a two-minute penalty ended up changing the course of her season.

It's a conversation about patience, resilience, self-belief, and what can happen when preparation finally meets opportunity.

If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another runner.

Chapters

00:00 What Is The Secret? OTQ + Elite 15 Hyrox
03:13 The Accidental Path Into Hyrox
07:37 10 Years Chasing An Olympic Trials Qualifier
15:20 The Advantage Of Being The Underdog
24:17 Can You Be Great At Both?
32:12 The Threshold Effect: High Rocks Training Benefits
33:15 Comparing Endurance Sports: High Rocks vs. Marathon
37:11 Training Challenges: Overcoming Weaknesses in High Rocks
38:18 The Art of Photography: Capturing Athletic Momentselite
39:07 Culinary Adventures: Food and Travel in Competition
41:18 Traveling with Purpose: Balancing Competition and Exploration
44:22 The People Behind The Performance
52:07 All Eyes On Hyrox Worlds

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In this episode of The People Run Podcast, I sit down with Zach Bitter, one of the fastest 100 mile runners in history, to talk about training, longevity, recovery, and what it really takes to improve over the long term.

We dive into why Zach has incorporated cycling into his training, how he thinks about consistency versus hero workouts, and why many runners may be overemphasizing mileage at the expense of quality. Zach also shares his thoughts on recovery, gut training, super shoes, the evolution of endurance sports, and what he’s learned after years of competing and coaching at the highest level.

Whether you’re training for your first 5K, a marathon, an ultra, or simply trying to stay healthy and consistent, this conversation is packed with practical insights that apply far beyond running.

Chapters

00:00 Why Zach Bitter Replaced Miles With the Bike
05:23 Super Shoes, Gut Training, and the New Era of Training
13:05 How Fast Can a Human Run 100 Miles?
17:37 Why Zach Loves Running in Circles
20:40 The Risk of Chasing Personal Bests
26:50 When Do Runners Actually Peak?
28:44 Why Fitness Is Built in Layers
33:14 The Only Workouts Zach Cares About
38:15 Balancing Training, Work & Family
41:19 The Problem With Chasing Volume
49:20 Why Running Advice Gets Lost Online
54:16 Where Is Running Technology Headed Next?
01:05:38 Has Zach Solved the Puzzle Yet?

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Bailey didn’t plan on building one of the biggest run clubs in America. What started as an idea for a running clothing brand eventually turned into Cooldown a community now spanning 18 cities and helping reshape modern run culture.

In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Bailey shares how Cooldown accidentally exploded, why run clubs became the new social space, and what it actually takes to build community across cities while keeping the same vibe everywhere. We also talk about the current running boom, modern run culture, brand partnerships, and what’s next for Cooldown.

From handing out gels during her first marathon to building one of the most recognizable run communities in the country, this was a fun one.

Chapters
00:00 How It Started
05:49 City by City
11:14 Building The Culture
17:15 The Cooldown Experience
23:09 Partnerships
26:13 What It's Taught Her
29:13 What's Next for Cooldown

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Kara never planned for running to become her life.

Before coaching runners, building a community, and becoming one of the first women to complete all seven World Marathon Majors, she was pursuing dance and theater in New York City while trying to figure out where life was taking her.

In this episode, Kara shares the leap from corporate life into coaching full time, the relationships and breakups that shaped her running journey, how she unexpectedly became faster over time, and why running eventually became about freedom more than performance.

We also talk about race anxiety, building confidence, mental performance, balancing coaching while training at a high level, creating community through running, and what it really feels like to build a life around something you genuinely love.

This is one of the more honest conversations we’ve had about identity, growth, and what running can become when it turns into more than just training.

Chapters

00:00 The Turning Point: From Dance to Running

06:20 The Coaching Leap

12:13 Finding Her Voice

16:08 Chasing Seven Stars

20:56 Freedom & Getting Faster

28:27 Inside Her Training

31:03 Lessons From The Marathon

39:51 The Mental Side of Racing

47:47 Building Something Bigger

53:09 Community & Connection

57:46 Betting On Herself

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In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Fitz sits down with Under Armour pro runner Kasey Knevelbaard for a conversation on racing, mindset, gratitude, and what it really means to chase your potential in today’s golden era of running.

From Team Mission Run Dark Sky and life as a professional runner to racing internationally, injury prevention, shoe innovation, and learning how to stay present in competition, this episode goes far beyond splits and training plans.

Chapters

00:00 Chasing The Best Version of Yourself
03:11 Why Running Times Keep Getting Faster
05:57 The Pressure of Competing In A Golden Era
09:01 Mental Performance & Letting Go of Outcomes
17:58 Finding The Heart Of The Race
20:41 Small Town Runner to NCAA
28:42 Training With The Best in Flagstaff
35:25 Why Pro Running Still Feels Like a Dream
38:49 Why Racing Different Distances Matter
44:18 Durability, Ego & Staying Healthy
54:48 Racing the World with Gratitude
01:04:13 Inside Running's Innovation Era

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Paxton Smith accidentally qualified for the Olympic Trials in his first marathon but the real journey started after that.

In this episode, Paxton shares the long process of chasing a 2:15 marathon while balancing full-time teaching, coaching, high mileage training, and life in Miami after running at the University of Colorado.

Chapters

00:00 Accidental First Marathon OTQ
05:39 Chasing the Dream at Coloarado
08:30 From Boulder to Miami, Teaching, Coaching & High Mileage
11:57 Failing Forward Toward 2:15 Marathon
20:54 Japanese vs. Kenyan Running Culture
23:27 Inside Iten: The Home Of Champions
25:48 What Kenya Taught Him
27:30 Breaking the Barrier to 2:15
31:09 The Army Behind the Breakthrough
33:47 Behind the Scenes: The Reality of Training
35:04 Elite Training, Coaching & What Comes Next

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Born in Belarus in the aftermath of Chernobyl, Tanya Khvitsko-Trimb grew up between orphanages, boarding schools, and years of hiding her prosthetic legs from the world. 

In this episode, Tanya shares her journey from Belarus to the United States, getting her first running blades, discovering freedom through running, and eventually chasing big goals like the Boston Marathon. We also talk about identity, motherhood, recovery from injury, what people misunderstand about disability, and why she wants to be seen as more than just “inspiring.”

This is one of the most honest and powerful conversations we’ve had on The People Run Podcast.

Chapters

00:00 Growing Up After Chernobyl

05:03 Finding a Future In America

10:14 The Day Running Found Her

15:08 Running on Blades

17:32 The Cost of Competing

20:54 Boston, Falling, and Getting Back Up

29:13 Running as Gratitude

32:04 More Than an Inspirational Story

35:43 The Reality Behind the Story

39:31 Freedom Through Running

42:17 Healing, Patience, and Running

45:14 Effort Over Excuses

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In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Fitz sits down with Aycan Kara a civil engineer who started running and lifting in her late 20s and is now preparing for the HYROX World Championships.

Aycan shares her journey from growing up in Turkey to discovering fitness after moving to the United States, how consistency changed her life, and what it’s been like balancing HYROX training with a full-time engineering career.

They talk about overcoming gym intimidation, racing HYROX doubles with her boyfriend, training for her first marathon, chasing big goals while staying realistic, and the emotional story of racing alongside her dad in Turkey a moment that inspired her entire family to become more active.

Chapters
00:00 From Turkey To Hyrox Worlds
06:17 Learning Fitness One Step At A Time
12:30 The Hyrox Lesson That Changed Everything
16:51 Balancing Engineering & Elite Training
18:10 Starting Hyrox Together
23:26 How To Start Hyrox The Right Way
25:11 Racing Alongside Her Dad
30:41 A Year Of Big Firsts
37:33 Facing Hyrox Worlds
42:16 Im Not Special, I Stayed

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Professional runner Nell Rojas joins The People Run Podcast for an honest conversation about identity, recovery, and rebuilding her relationship with running.

After stepping away from racing while battling Lyme disease and multiple co-infections, Nell opens up about the physical and mental toll of losing the thing that once defined her, learning how to slow down, and finding perspective through it all.

We talk about the road to finally getting answers, how chronic illness changed her relationship with running, fear and validation in elite sport, signing with Altra during recovery, coaching athletes through breakthrough moments, and what it really takes to compete at the highest level.

This episode is about more than racing. It’s about purpose, perspective, and learning who you are when running gets taken away.

This is The People Run.

Chapters

00:00 Where Running Left Nell Rojas

03:28 When Her Body Started Breaking Down

12:25 The Long Road to Answers

15:04 A  Different Relationship With Running

18:03 Coaching Through Recovery

21:33 Missing Running & Learning Patience

27:48 Finding New Opportunities

32:05 What it Takes To Compete At The Top

37:21 This Is Part Of The Process

43:07 Why Running Still Matters

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Photo Credit to Joe Friend


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