The Shakeout Podcast

Over the next two weeks, we will be bringing you new podcasts on Wednesday December 27 and Wednesday January 3. Happy Holidays!

At the age of 16, Yves Sikubwabo boarded a plane for the first time, with only a backpack and $100 in his pocket. He was the only Rwandan to represent his country at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick. After a phone call to his aunt, he learns who had actually killed his parents when he was a year old, and that his life is in danger. Sikubwabo must choose between staying alone in this foreign country, or returning home to face violence.

The Santa Pur-suit in Waterloo, Ont. is now in its sixth year and as with other Santa-themed races, this one promotes a fun, festive, and inclusive event –as long as you are prepared to wear the whole five-piece Santa suit for the entire race. For me, this race is an annual tradition and this year I donned my Santa suit for the fourth year. On this week’s episode of the Shakeout, I share with you my bizarre holiday running tradition, which includes a fake beard, a love story, and hundred and hundreds of Santas.

On this week’s episode, Canadian Running editor Michael Doyle and staff writer Tim Huebsch chat with Canada’s favourite marathoner and fellow podcaster, Rob Watson. Following the 2016 London Marathon and falling short of the Olympic qualifying time Rob said that “this is the end of this chapter” –the end of high level training, and as it turns out, the end of iteration one of his very popular podcast The Rob Watson Show. But after a few months off, Rob is back. We discuss the return of his podcast, diving full-time into coaching, and his take on marathoning in Canada.

On this week's podcast we chat with 2:36 marathoner Tina Muir. Her social media posts about her experience with amenorrhea–when a woman's body shuts down her menstrual cycle–for nine years, drew widespread attention. Since then, she has focused on rest and recovery and is now pregnant. We talk about her pregnancy, her relationship with running, and her work with the Running for Real community.

We visit a running group that has been meeting every week at lunch at the University of Toronto since 1974.

On this week's episode of The Shakeout, we chat with NCAA distance runner Ben Flanagan. Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Ben is now a fifth year student at the University of Michigan and is preparing to race at the NCAA Division One Cross-Championships. Ben shares his thoughts on coming back from an injury-laden 2016 season and his team and individual goals for the upcoming Championship race. We also find out more about his coaches, including multiple Canadian record holder Kevin Sullivan, what it's like to come from a family of runners, and his future plans.

On this week's episode of The Shakeout, a running podcast by Canadian Running Magazine, editor Michael Doyle and podcast producer Joan Chung look back at the history of the New York City Marathon. The race had remarkably humble beginnings, held within Central Park with just 127 on the start line, and only 55 finishers. Of course, the TCS New York City Marathon has evolved into a five-borough tour of the city and the single biggest marathon in the world, with over 51,000 runners. We tell you the fascinating history of this special race.

We chat with Olympic bronze medallist and former heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton about running her first marathon (Chicago) and Michal Kapral about his Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon joggling fail.

A look back at Ed Whitlock's final marathon, at 85, in Toronto before he passed away in March 2017 at the age of 86. The owner of dozens of age-group world records, including on the track and on the roads, was an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of everyday runners across the world and helped popularize the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. We speak with his son, Neil Whitlock, elite runners, Rachel Hannah and Reid Coolsaet, Alan Brookes, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon race director, and sports scientist, Paul Vanderburgh, to reflect on the story of his 3:56:38 marathon as one of the greatest races in running history.