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Kristian sits down with Alana Levy, a 37 year old New York City product manager and 2:34 marathoner who qualified for the Olympic Trials and finished 16th American at Boston this year, all while working full time and training twice a day.

Alana shares her unlikely late bloomer story: a disappointing college career, years of running just for fun on the side, and then a decade long climb from a 3:10 marathon in 2018 to a 2:34 this year.

She breaks down how she fits 90 to 100 mile weeks and double days around a demanding job, the coaching relationship that's helped her train smarter, and why staying injury free now comes down to strength work, recovery, and a much healthier lifestyle than in her twenties.

The conversation also touches on the viral street interview clip that unexpectedly introduced her to a whole new audience, and closes with her approach to setting goals: focusing on getting a little better rather than chasing one specific number.

In this episode:

- A disappointing college running career and years away from competing seriously

- The decade long climb from a 3:10 to a 2:34 marathon

- Balancing a full time job with double run days

- Building up to 90 to 100 miles a week and staying injury free

- How her lifestyle has changed since her twenties: less drinking, more recovery

- The viral street interview clip that introduced her to a new audience

- Qualifying for the Olympic Trials and racing Boston in the elite field

- Why she sets process based goals instead of one specific outcome

- What's next: chasing another PR in Valencia

Timestamps

00:00 A preview: PRing in the marathon and the mile

00:20 Welcome and introducing Alana Levy

01:08 Kristian's Ironman training update

15:04 Introducing Alana: a disappointing college career

17:03 What running looked like between 2011 and 2018

20:35 Never expecting to reach an elite level

23:56 Pinching herself at the Boston starting line

26:53 Ramping training back up in 2018 and beyond

31:05 Starting to work with a coach in 2022

34:41 Staying injury free with strength work and recovery

40:53 Racing Boston in the elite field

46:47 The viral street interview clip, explained

51:34 Injury prevention and a healthier lifestyle in her thirties

52:22 A look at her weekly training structure

59:32 Balancing running with a full time career

1:04:23 How recovery has changed as she's gotten older

1:12:21 Bouncing back from Boston and racing shorter distances

1:14:07 Why she sets process goals instead of one outcome

1:15:25 Closing thoughts and see you in Valencia

Alana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yo_lans/

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Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns

Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs

Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian sits down with JaQuavious "JQ" Harris, a professional runner for Saucony who ran a 2:13 in his marathon debut, for what became one of the most emotional and important conversations in the podcast's history.

JQ opens up about being an openly gay Black runner navigating BYU's religious community, a mental health crisis and suicide attempt in 2020, and the extraordinary support of his coach, Ed Eyestone, who tracked down his new phone number after JQ isolated himself and told him simply: I need you alive. JQ shares what it's actually like to live publicly after coming out, the criticism he still receives from strangers online, and how grace, faith, and his relationship with his coach carried him through. The conversation closes with his running story: junior college success, turning pro with Saucony, battling injuries, and the strategy behind his breakthrough 2:13 marathon debut in California.

In this episode:

- Being an openly gay Black professional runner

- Navigating a religious college environment while coming out

- A mental health crisis and suicide attempt in 2020

- The phone call from his coach that helped save his life

- What life actually looks like after coming out publicly

- Facing criticism and unsolicited opinions from strangers online

- Junior college success and turning pro with Saucony

- Battling injuries through his first two pro seasons

- Race recap: executing a 2:13 marathon debut in California

- What's next: chasing an Olympic Trials qualifying time

Content note: this episode includes an open, detailed discussion of a suicide attempt and mental health crisis, as well as experiences of religious and social discrimination. Please take care while listening. If you are struggling yourself, please know that support is available and you don't have to go through it alone.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and why this episode is different

02:10 Introducing JQ: professional runner, content creator, introvert

05:31 Being seen as an extrovert while feeling like an introvert

16:21 His start in running and a coach who almost turned him away

17:26 A qualifying race that changed everything

33:54 Introducing Coach Ed Eyestone and what he means to JQ

35:19 Being gay in a religious school and community

38:32 What actually happens after you come out

40:14 Facing criticism and unsolicited opinions from strangers

44:12 Losing his middle school coach and learning to forgive

1:29:44 Being welcomed into Coach Eyestone's family every Thanksgiving

1:30:44 Being gay at BYU and reaching an all time low

1:31:14 A suicide attempt in 2020 and the isolation of the pandemic

1:32:06 The phone call: "I need you alive"

1:52:18 Turning pro and setting national records in college

1:53:52 Two years, two six month injuries as a pro

1:56:00 Building toward his first marathon

2:28:59 Race strategy and executing his 2:13 marathon debut

2:32:20 Crossing the finish line and celebrating with friends

2:34:04 Closing thoughts and where to follow JQ

JQ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisjaquavious/

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns

Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs

Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian marks 200 episodes of the Marathon Podcast with a special solo retrospective, looking back at how a random, impulsive decision to hit record turned into one of the fastest growing running podcasts in the world.

Kristian shares the honest, unfiltered story behind the podcast, from four daily streams in the early days to thousands today, the guests and moments that changed everything, and the lessons he's learned along the way. He gets candid about the challenges of publishing three episodes a week, the pressure of building a public platform, and a stressful season that's left him feeling a bit burnt out.

The episode closes with a big personal announcement: Kristian is signing up for the Lake Placid Ironman with his brother in law.

In this episode:

- Why he started the podcast and the podcast that inspired him

- His nerve wracking first interview and first professional guest

- The slow, humbling early growth (from 4 streams a day to thousands)

- The guests and moments that changed the podcast's trajectory

- The challenge of getting more female runners on the show

- How the podcast has shaped his identity, for better and worse

- Being honest about burnout and a stressful season of life

- The Marathon Podcast Sponsorship and the Puma partnership

- Answering listener questions from 200 episodes

- The big announcement: signing up for Ironman Lake Placid

Content note: this episode includes an honest discussion of stress and burnout. Please take care while listening.

Timestamps

00:00 200 episodes and why this one is different

02:37 Looking back at spring 2025 and the podcasts that inspired him

06:19 The random, impulsive decision to start recording

09:16 Feeling embarrassed to share it at first

11:09 His first ever guest and first interview

13:38 The first professional runner on the podcast

16:04 How nerves and small numbers didn't stop him

17:49 Highlights: the guests and moments that meant the most

23:51 The Boston shakeout and building a real community

25:49 A turning point: the episode with Tracksmith's founder

29:12 Highlights continued: Jimmy, Felicia, and unexpected breakout episodes

32:04 How the podcast has changed his life and identity

38:32 Why it took 17 episodes to get a female runner on

41:37 Balancing the podcast with an unpredictable day job

44:01 The humbling early numbers, from 4 streams to thousands

49:19 What he's most proud of: platforming everyday runners

53:47 The Marathon Podcast Sponsorship and the Puma partnership

55:54 The downsides of building a public platform

1:00:49 Being honest about burnout and a hard season lately

1:10:48 Answering listener questions from 200 episodes

1:17:25 The big announcement: signing up for Ironman Lake Placid

1:22:05 Closing thoughts and thank you

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns

Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs

Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY