THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Since his last appearance on the show, Coach Pat Henner has continued shaping distance culture at the highest levels of the sport while playing a quiet but meaningful role in one of the most remarkable middle-distance arcs in recent American history.

After joining the University of Georgia in June 2022, Henner coached standout athlete Will Sumner to an NCAA title and helped elevate the Bulldogs’ distance program before departing in June 2024. He was succeeded by Adam Tribble.

At the same time, Henner has served as a high-performance consultant for Olympic middle-distance star Hobbs Kessler, helping to shape one of the sport’s most historic breakthroughs: Kessler qualifying for the Paris Olympics in both the 800m and 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

More recently, Kessler shattered Kenenisa Bekele’s long-standing indoor 2000m world record, running 4:48.79 in January 2026.

Henner’s coaching roots stretch from Blacksburg High School to James Madison, Georgetown (where he led the women to an NCAA cross country title in 2011), USC, Arizona State, and most recently the University of Georgia, where he served as Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Coach for the distance events from 2022–2024.

But this episode isn’t a résumé tour. It’s a check-in with a coach who’s still evolving; still shaping athletes at the very top of the sport; still refining how wisdom, timing, and trust converge when performance truly matters.

Tap into the Pat Henner Special. 

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S H O W  N O T E S

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What does one of the most decorated American middle-distance runners in history do after her final race?    

After 20 years at the top of the sport, including four global medals, a World Championship gold, an Olympic bronze, 11 U.S. titles, and a 3:57 1500m personal best, Jenny Simpson stepped off the professional stage at the 2024 New York City Marathon for the final time.

But she didn’t step away from running. Rather, she delved deeper into it.

Now, as the first-ever Chief Running Officer at Fleet Feet, Jenny is helping shape the future of grassroots running in America. She helped launch the new @fleetfeetperformance platform, culminating in a short documentary that signals something bigger than branding. It’s about culture.

And while most retired pros slow down, Jenny and her husband Jason have been driving across all 50 states on a self-funded, unsponsored RUN USA Tour, partnering with Fleet Feet stores, hosting fun runs, answering questions, and celebrating the heartbeat of the sport at places like Montclair, Des Moines, and the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon kickoff.

Jenny’s career proved she could win on the world stage.

This next chapter is about helping everyone else find their starting line.

Tap into the Jenny Simpson Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

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S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

Annie Kunz knows what it feels like when an Olympic dream doesn’t follow the script. 

She’s a U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the heptathlon (6,703 points in 2021), a 2020 U.S. Indoor pentathlon champion, and one of the most uncommon dual-sport athletes you’ll ever meet: an All-American in track and field and an All-SEC forward in soccer at Texas A&M. But Annie’s story isn’t just about talent; it’s about the framework she built to unlock consistency at the highest level.

In this conversation, Annie challenges the idea of surface-level New Year’s resolutions and introduces a more intentional way of thinking about progress. She touches on the behind-the-scenes habits and routines that shaped her career, without handing over a checklist.

You’ll also hear reflections on balance, longevity, and the mental demands of the heptathlon, along with perspective on navigating setbacks and uncertainty at the most critical moments of a career.

Annie shares how learning to better understand her body became a turning point, and why she’s now focused on helping other women build sustainable routines through coaching, challenges, and a newly evolving fitness platform designed for real life.

From Olympic-level intensity to steak-as-a-love-language, this episode is thoughtful, reflective, and full of perspective worth sitting with.

Tap into the Annie Kunz Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

Jack Mullaney stepped into one of the most scrutinized coaching jobs in professional distance running and made it his own.  In just over a year at the helm of HOKA NAZ Elite, Jack Mullaney has navigated a generational coaching handoff, delivered U.S. road titles, Olympic top-10 finishes, and team records, and helped shape one of the sport’s most talked-about high-performance environments.Coach Mullaney has been with HOKA NAZ Elite since 2023, and under his leadership, the team has achieved significant milestones. A few of the big ones include Alex Masai achieving a third place finish at the 2025 Chicago Marathon, running a time of 2:04:37; Adriaan Wildschutt finishing 10th in the Men's 10,000 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games; and Olin Hacker securing a 5th-place finish in the 3,000 meters at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships.Prior to that, he spent seven seasons as an assistant coach for the University of Portland, helping lead the men's program to two NCAA Cross Country podium finishes.If you care about where elite distance running is headed–and how the best teams are learning, adapting, and staying human while chasing the edge–this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.Tap into the Jack Mullaney Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W  N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

In the last 14 months, Sara Hall has shattered the American  marathon masters record, finished runner-up at back-to-back marathons, and proved (once again) that elite performance doesn’t have an expiration date.  

Sara most recently finished second at the 2026 Houston Marathon with a time of 2:26:26. At 42 years of age, she is still setting Masters records, including her 2:23:45 showing at the 2024 Valencia Marathon. Even with a 5th place finish at the 2024 Marathon Olympic Trials, she steadfastly remains an elite runner on the world stage.  

Sara’s personal best in the marathon is an impressive 2:20:32, set at The Marathon Project in 2020. She holds the U.S. masters marathon record for the 40+ age group with her 2:23:45 time from Valencia. Even more impressively, she has competed in eight consecutive U.S. Olympic Trials since 2004, spanning distances from the 1500m to the marathon.

Sara is coached by her husband, Ryan Hall, who held the American record for the half marathon for many years before a new crop of men bested his time in 2025 and 2026. 

Sara Hall’s career doesn’t fit neatly into eras. It stretches across them. From Olympic Trials as a teenager to podium finishes in her 40s, Sara has quietly built one of the most resilient résumés in American distance running history.

Tap into the Sara Hall Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website:

https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

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Tayvon Kitchen joined one of the deepest programs in college running as a freshman, and immediately became top billing. 

He kicked the door down, and in just a few months at BYU, he’s gone from high school phenom to All-American, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and now one of the fastest U20 5,000-meter runners in American history.

Tayvon earned All-American status in his NCAA Cross Country Championships debut in 2025, finishing 32nd overall and as the top BYU runner. He was also named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and earned All-Big 12 honors.

In his indoor track debut for BYU, he ran an indoor 5,000m time of 13:30.74, which ranked as the American U20 #3 All-Time performance at the time. And then came January of 2026: he clocked an even faster time of 13:19.17 in the 5000 meters at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic. 

Tayvon’s other PRs include 3:41.62 in the 1500m, 3:59.61 in the mile, 7:55.48 in the indoor 3,000m, 8:41.21 in the 2 mile, and 29:01.5 in the 10,000 on grass.  

From Oregon state records to All-American honors, Tayvon is showing what’s possible when talent meets fearlessness and the right environment. And at BYU, he’s only just getting started.

Tap into the Tayvon Kitchen Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

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Jeffrey Stern is an elite ultrarunner, a coach obsessed with keeping athletes happy, and a storyteller inside the sport who understands what it really takes to stay in it for decades, not just seasons.

Jeffrey has completed the oldest trail race in America, the Dipsea Race, an astounding 16 consecutive times–and even recorded a personal best in his most recent foray. 

He’s also set several Fastest Known Times (FKTs), including the Backbone Trail (a 68-mile traverse in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the Los Padres Traverse (42 mile route).

These FKTs didn’t appear overnight: he has a history of crushing long-distance races of all kinds. His overall PRs in running include 15:55 for the 5000m, 1:12 for the half marathon, 2:36 for the marathon, 3:22 for the 50k, 6:07 for the 50 mile, 8:29 for the 100k, and 15:35 for the 100 mile. 

In the summer of 2024, he undertook a challenge to run two mountainous 100-mile races (Cascade Crest 100 and Angeles Crest 100) just two weeks apart. 

Jeff impacts the sport in many ways beyond just setting impressive long distance times. He serves as an assistant editor and columnist for Ultra Running Magazine, where he writes event recaps and athlete profiles.

As a coach he provides customized training plans for endurance athletes. And he is the race director for the Tamalpa Headlands 50K, the same race that originally drew him into ultrarunning. His day job also includes being the Head of Sports Marketing for Suunto.

If you care about running well, running long, and running for the right reasons, you don’t want to miss this one.

Tap into the Jeffrey Stern Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

Hello 2026, and goodbye to another longstanding record in the world of professional running. 

Mr. Versatility himself, Hobbs Kessler, barged into the New Year like a storm and crushed Kenenisa Bekele’s 2,000m Indoor World Record with a 4:48.79 at Boston University on January 24 to set a new standard. (Grant Fisher also beat the World Record time with a still-sizzling 4:49.48.)  

Hobbs is a one-time World Indoor Championship Bronze Medalist (he earned the bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow); a one-time World Road Running Champion (he won the inaugural road mile event at the 2023 World Road Running Championships in Riga, setting a world record at the time); he finished fifth in the 1500m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics); and he is a two-time National Indoor Champion (in 2025, he won U.S. National Indoor titles in both the 1500m and the 3000m). 

Simply amazing numbers for an athlete who is just 22 years old. 

If you want to understand where the sport is going, you need to hear from the athletes already living there. And Hobbs is at the frontline of a group of stars ready to etch their names in the history books. 

Tap into the Hobbs Kessler Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

The Mitch Ammons story is no longer just a comeback story. He’s now a living case study of what happens when discipline compounds.

Last time Mitch was here he had run a 2:16 marathon, which was fast enough to qualify for the 2024 US Olympic Marathon trials. But he had bigger dreams.  

And the quiet workhorse has since improved upon that impressive time with a new marathon PR of 2:14:48 at the California International Marathon in December of 2025. (This qualifies him for the 2028 US Olympic Marathon trials.)

He also won the 2025 Austin Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:34, winning in a big way on his home course. Mitch continues to train as a member of the Bat City Track Club in Austin. He is also an athlete for BPN (Bare Performance Nutrition) and Altra Running.

In the ultra-running realm, Mitch has expressed that he wants to run the 2026 Go One More Last Man Standing Ultramarathon again, an event he competed in last year (he finished third with 126 miles). Outside of running, he continues to work as a full-time realtor in Austin for the Landy Frost Group.

Mitch Ammons didn’t come back to retell the same story. He came back to show what sustained belief looks like in real time. 

Tap into the Mitch Ammons Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

Cole Sprout and Charles Hicks are here: two Stanford running legends in the same place, ready to chop it up at the exact moment their careers diverge.

Cole Sprout is just stepping into the professional ranks, leaving behind a dominant NCAA résumé to test himself on the roads and rethink how far his talent can stretch. Charles Hicks has already taken the leap to the roads, running 2:09:59 in his marathon debut at the New York City Marathon, instantly placing himself among the top American marathoners in history.

Cole made the transition from a decorated career at Stanford to running professionally under Jerry Schumacher. At Stanford he was a five-time All-American. He placed 4th in the 10,000m at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 5th in the 5,000m at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships as a Cardinal. 

Since turning pro, he has shifted focus toward road racing, where he placed 2nd at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K in NYC.

For Charles he became the first-ever Stanford runner to win the individual NCAA Division I Cross Country title in 2022. In November 2025, he completed his first-ever marathon in New York City with a remarkable 2:09:59.

If you want to understand what it really takes to move from potential to permanence at the professional level, Cole and Charles are here to give you some of that insight. 

Tap into the Cole Sprout and Charles Hicks Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

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

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz