Alex is coming off the biggest mileage week of his life (97 miles / 154K!) and just signed Alexis up for a surprise race, while Alexis is nursing a bee sting and celebrating a new 5K race-pace PB. Then we get into the big one: should marathons have stricter time cutoffs, or should courses stay open all day for anyone who wants to finish? We debate both sides: city logistics, injuries and disabilities, qualifying standards, and why the media loves a "last place finisher" story a little too much.

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Alex just landed back in Toronto after covering the Sydney Marathon, and Alexis has news of her own: she signed herself up for her very first race ever, without telling Alex first. They break down what actually makes a marathon a "major," the six-star (now seven-star) finisher medal, Boston's brutal qualifying standards, and then go head-to-head ranking every major from worst to best, with some surprising results. Plus: a stunt-eating segment with duty-free crocodile jerky, training updates (including a brand new 5K PB), and an audience Q&A on how many days a week you actually need to run.

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Today, we're playing Kiss, Marry, Kill... running edition. Alex and Alexis each pick which type of run (long run, workout, or easy run) they'd keep forever, marry for life, and never do again. Along the way: Alexis completes her first full week of real training for her October 5K, the two debate whether ultra running is more impressive than a fast 5K, and things get surprisingly sweet when the game turns into a conversation about what actually makes a marriage work.

Plus, in this week's His & Hers: is Wiz Khalifa really a runner now, is Harry Styles secretly running marathons dressed as Daddy Pig from Peppa Pig, and are costumed race records (handcuffs, blue jeans, sleeping bags) a fun goal or a weird gimmick? We close out with a tough audience question about whether Alex is truly committed enough to chase a spot on Canada's national team.

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Alex heads to Edmonton for the Canadian Half Marathon Championships with one goal: run fast enough to punch his ticket to the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen. What actually happens is a start-line scare over recording gear, a rough patch at 5K, and a DNF at 6K after throwing up twice on the course.

In this episode, Alex gives Alexis (and you) the full, unfiltered "word vomit" recap recorded just 24 hours after the race: the good, the bad, and the humbling. Along the way there's a chance airport run-in with Canadian Olympian Cam Levins that completely resets Alex's perspective on what it actually takes to be mentally tough at the top of the sport.

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In this episode of For Better or For Worse, Alex walks Alexis (and you) through the 10-week beginner 5K training plan he built her from scratch, easy pace vs. threshold pace vs. race pace, how many days a week she should actually run, strength training, warm-ups, heart rate zones vs. running by feel, and why a 5K plan somehow includes a 10K long run. Alexis pushes back on almost all of it, they debate whether women handle pain differently than men, Alex recounts a terrifying anaphylactic ER story, and they close out with a heated take on race bandits after a viral clip of a 70-year-old runner getting taken down by a race marshal in Mexico.

If you're training for your first 5K, trying to understand easy pace vs. threshold pace vs. race pace, or just enjoy watching a married couple try (and sometimes fail) to talk running strategy without it turning into a marriage counseling session... this one's for you.

Chapters:
0:00 Is Summer Already Over?
5:31 Alex's Birthday & the Fall Training Reveal
7:52 Recap: Alexis's 5K Time Trial (28:53)
9:53 Breaking Down Alexis's First-Ever Training Plan
12:32 The 3 Key Paces: Easy, Threshold & Race Pace
17:45 How Many Days a Week Should Beginners Run?
20:15 What Should Race Pace Actually Feel Like?
22:33 Alex's "Coaching Credentials"
23:29 Strength Training for Runners, Explained
24:16 Do You Need an Accountability Partner?
26:43 Why Warm-Ups & Cool-Downs Matter
29:00 Turning the Plan Into a Color-Coded Tracker
30:08 Why a 5K Plan Includes a 10K Long Run
32:54 Heart Rate Zones vs. Running by Feel
35:22 Do Men and Women Handle Pain Differently?
37:08 Alex's Terrifying Anaphylactic Shock Story
39:12 Ranking the Most Important Run Days
41:32 Why Alex Trains on the Treadmill (Even in Summer)
43:26 Reading Comments: How Fast Can Alexis Go?
46:09 Is Race Banditing Ever Justified?
48:29 The Viral "Don Jose" Race Cop Video
51:44 Facial Recognition, Privacy & the Future of Racing
55:51 Fan Q&A: Marathon Major Guilt
55:55 "You Said You'd NEVER Let Him Coach You"
57:37 Up Next: Canadian Half Marathon Championship

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Alexis just ran her first-ever 5K time trial and blew past everyone's predictions with a 28:53. In this episode of For Better or For Worse, Alex and Alexis break down the splits, the pre-race chaos (forgotten cameras, a Diet Pepsi "fueling strategy," and a rookie pacing mistake), and what it revealed about how hard Alexis can actually push.

Then the big reveal... Alexis is officially racing her first 5K at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon Weekend this October, and Alex is building her a 12-week training plan on air.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro — is Alexis getting "super shoe curious"?
1:16 The Borat relationship test
3:46 Nike x Skims running unitard: honest review
8:30 Alexis reveals her 5K time trial result
10:30 Breaking down the splits (and the pacing mistake)
19:22 Biggest lessons — and filming fails — from the time trial
23:34 Super shoes, shoe choice, and attire mistakes
24:49 BIG NEWS: Alexis's first 5K race announced (Toronto Waterfront Marathon Weekend)
29:09 Alexis's first running injury — a shin splint scare
34:52 Alexis is officiating a wedding + the celebrity officiant game
39:09 Alex's secret Canadian Half Marathon Championship build-up
43:32 Answering your comments and questions
47:00 Outro

Alexis is running her first-ever 5K time trial and the whole Marathon Handbook crew is showing up to document it.

In this episode of For Better or For Worse, Alex and Alexis break down exactly how a beginner runner should prepare for a race-pace effort: pre-race fueling, sleep, shoe choice, and a full pacing strategy to chase a sub-30-minute (and maybe sub-29!) 5K. Plus: weird interactions on the run, the headphones-or-not debate, an update on Alex's build toward the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, and a listener Q&A on getting your partner into running.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro: setting the "annoying pacer" ground rules
0:59 Welcome to For Better or For Worse
1:15 Weirdest run interactions: cat calls & a street preacher
7:57 Headphones on the run: yes or no?
11:31 Today's topic: Alexis's first 5K time trial
13:22 What actually is a "time trial"?
15:36 The plan: the MH crew descends on Toronto Beaches
17:34 Alexis walks through her full pre-race routine
21:31 Sleep, rituals, and pre-race nerves
25:40 Race morning fueling and timing
29:00 Shoe rotation: Asics, Saucony, or Hoka?
30:13 Building Alexis's pacing strategy
33:11 Why even pacing beats a fast start
38:53 New challenge: sub-30 to sub-29
42:45 Alex plans how to be the "annoying" pacer
45:33 Alex's training update: 150km week & marathoner hunger
48:48 Prepping for the Canadian Half Marathon Championships
49:38 Balancing wedding season with marathon training
55:00 Listener Q&A: getting your partner into running
1:02:32 Comment section: the ice cream fueling debate
1:04:10 Karaoke song picks for Alex's bachelor party
1:09:00 Wrap-up: predict Alexis's 5K time

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What happens to your running motivation after a huge life event? We got married a few weeks ago, and while Alex went straight back into his toughest training block ever, Alexis hit a full week of "bride blues" and zero desire to run. We break down why that split happened, whether running couples should target the same race season, and what's next for both of us.

Chapters:
0:00 Cold Open
0:51 Welcome to For Better or For Worse
1:18 Old Man Breakfast Roast
1:54 Hiding in the Bathroom for Josh Kerr's Mile
5:37 Breaking Down the New Mile World Record (3:42.66)
7:33 Today's Topic: Two Versions of Post-Wedding Running
9:25 Alexis's "Bride Blues" and Missing Motivation
12:24 What Are "Bride Blues"?
14:20 Should Running Couples Race the Same Season?
19:06 Alex's Fall Plan: Chasing a Lifetime-Best Half Marathon
21:53 The Chase for a Team Canada Worlds Spot
23:30 Inside Alex's Toughest Training Block Ever
24:29 Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
29:16 Why Valencia? Picking a "Business Trip" Race
31:51 The Half Marathon "Golden Ticket" Into Major Marathons
36:46 Wedding Crashers Update
38:34 His vs. Hers: Pregnant Mile Record vs. Marathon PR
45:09 Listener Story: Betty & Chaz
48:10 Shoe Talk & Upcoming Reviews
49:51 Outro