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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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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/

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

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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

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Kristian sits down with Zhenya Hutson, a Chicago based runner and the first Puma Project 3 athlete featured on the podcast, for a conversation about her running journey, the Chicago running community, and her breakthrough 3:03 marathon PR at Boston this year.

Zhenya shares how a "hobby intervention" from her husband during the pandemic turned into a full blown love of the marathon, including qualifying for and running Boston in a rare no cutoff year, and finding her running family through underground group runs during Chicago's strict lockdown restrictions. She walks through the Puma Project 3 application and selection process, what the twelve week support package actually includes, and the emotional final miles of her PR performance at this year's Boston Marathon. The conversation closes with why community, not just chasing times, has been the real driver behind her running.

In this episode:

- How a pandemic era "hobby intervention" led to her first run

- Squeezing in her first races just before COVID shut everything down

- Underground group runs during Chicago's lakefront trail lockdown

- Qualifying for and running Boston in a rare no cutoff year

- Applying and getting selected for Puma Project 3

- What the twelve week Project 3 support package includes

- Race recap: a 3:03 marathon PR and a $3,000 Puma bonus at Boston

- Chasing a training partner through the final miles despite cramping

- Why the Chicago running community means more to her than any PR

Content note: this episode briefly touches on the isolation and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please take care while listening.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and introducing Zhenya, the first Puma Project 3 guest

00:52 Kristian's training update

07:43 Introducing Zhenya and her running background

09:01 A pandemic era hobby intervention that started it all

10:19 Squeezing in races just before COVID shut things down

10:50 Underground group runs during Chicago's lockdown

36:34 Balancing PRs vs consistent performances as you age

37:44 Qualifying for Boston in a rare no cutoff year

40:35 Fast forward to her current 3:03 marathon PR

41:02 Applying and getting selected for Puma Project 3

42:14 What the twelve week Project 3 support package includes

52:03 The emotional final miles of her Boston PR

54:17 Winning the Puma Project 3 bonus

55:03 Why the Chicago running community matters more than PRs

59:51 Finding run clubs and staying connected in Chicago

1:00:54 Closing thoughts and where to follow Zhenya

Zhenya on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingzhenya/

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

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Kristian sits down with Callam Smith, whose transformation from smoking, daily drinking, and recreational drugs to running a 2:55 marathon and placing fifth in a 50k beach ultra is nothing short of remarkable.

Callam opens up about the wake up call that changed everything: ordering a beer for breakfast in front of his mum, and realizing he'd slipped further than he wanted to admit. He shares how he channelled his all or nothing personality into running instead, working night shifts while training for the marathon majors, and the years long chase to finally break three hours. He also introduces Run For Your Mental, the running brand he and his partner started to connect mental health and running, and shares advice for anyone looking to turn their own life around.

In this episode:

- Life before running: smoking, drinking, and recreational drugs

- The wake up call that started everything

- Finding running (and later boxing) as an outlet

- Training around a rotating shift work schedule

- Chasing sub three: three attempts, three near misses, then a breakthrough

- Race recap: a 2:55 marathon and dialing in his pacing strategy

- Racing a 50k ultra along the Dutch coast

- Building Run For Your Mental, a brand connecting running and mental health

- His honest advice for anyone trying to change their lifestyle

Content note: this episode includes an open discussion of past substance use and mental health. Please take care while listening.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and a preview of Callam's story

00:52 Kristian's running update

03:14 Introducing Callam, straight off a night shift

04:15 Balancing shift work with serious training

06:31 How Callam first got into fitness

10:16 Getting serious about training

10:51 Life before running: smoking, drinking, and recreational drugs

13:01 The wake up call: a beer for breakfast with his mum

13:54 Going all in on running and fitness instead

16:14 His all or nothing personality

16:59 His first marathon and getting hooked on chasing sub three

19:52 Getting a coach and seeing real improvement

20:27 Missing sub three by six seconds

22:47 Switching coaches and building bigger long runs

22:55 Race recap: finally breaking sub three with a 2:55

25:31 How friends and family reacted to the transformation

27:53 His honest advice for anyone trying to change

29:14 Taking on a 50k beach ultra along the Dutch coast

34:41 Building Run For Your Mental, his running and mental health brand

37:19 Ambitions for the brand and future charity runs

52:07 Where he sees himself going next

53:05 Closing thoughts and where to follow Callam

Callam on Instagram: instagram.com/trainwithcallam

Run For Your Mental: https://www.instagram.com/runforyamental/

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

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

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Kristian kicks off a new regular segment, Kristian's Corner, sharing his honest thoughts, opinions, and lessons learned from over 200 episodes of the podcast. This one is a grab bag: what he'd tell someone training for their first marathon, common long run mistakes, his current shoe rotation, and the running gear he's loving right now.

Kristian breaks down the biggest mistake he sees new runners make (buying race day shoes for everyday training), the fueling lesson that transformed his own marathon performance, and why building time on feet matters more than intensity in the early stages of a long run. He also gets candid about his own training block toward a 2:29 marathon in Valencia, and walks through the exact shoes he's currently rotating through for easy runs, workouts, and racing.

In this episode:

- Why you shouldn't train in your race day super shoes

- The biggest fueling mistake from his own first marathon

- How he trains his gut for race day nutrition

- Testing gear before race day (and why blisters happen)

- Common long run mistakes and building time on feet safely

- Threshold training explained simply

- Getting honest about his own training and goals for Valencia

- A full breakdown of his current shoe rotation

- The running gear he can't stop wearing right now

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to Christian's Corner, a new regular segment

00:37 What today's episode will cover

01:43 Battle of the Run Clubs and joining the Strava community

04:52 The biggest mistake new runners make: buying race day shoes

08:41 Why running easy in the beginning matters more than you think

09:57 What threshold training should actually feel like

11:50 Lessons from his own first marathon build

14:15 The fueling mistake that cost him early on

16:05 Training his gut for race day nutrition

17:37 Why you should test your gear before race day

21:58 Common long run mistakes

22:34 Why long run format shouldn't stay the same all block

27:39 Getting honest about weight, nutrition, and his Valencia goal

32:24 Why you might feel sick before an important race (and why it's normal)

43:52 A full breakdown of his current shoe rotation

48:18 The one gear piece he can't stop wearing

49:03 Closing thoughts and what's next

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

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Kristian sits down with Kyle, a 42 year old dad from St. Pete, Florida, whose honest, unfiltered running videos for his kids have grown into a following of thousands. This one covers rebuilding life after a hurricane, getting sober, and going from zero running experience to two marathons in under a year.

Kyle shares how losing his home in Hurricane Helene and moving in with in laws led to a rough patch of drinking and low motivation, and how deciding to become a better example for his kids led him to running. He opens up about quitting alcohol, why he jumped straight into marathon training with almost no running background, and the honest lessons from his first two marathons, including brutal cramping and a hard learned respect for pacing and fueling. The conversation closes with his approach to content, why he shares his unfiltered thoughts mid run, and the simple message he keeps coming back to: being present for his kids.

In this episode:

- Losing his home in Hurricane Helene and starting over in Michigan

- Quitting drinking and how it changed his running and his life

- Jumping straight into marathon training with no running background

- His first marathon: a brutal, windy, bridge filled course in Florida

- Cramping, learning to fuel, and a 45 minute PR five months later

- Building mileage safely with mostly easy running

- Why he shares unscripted thoughts on his runs, not a script

- Balancing training, work, and being present as a dad

- His next goal: a 3:15 at the Palm Beaches Marathon in September

Timestamps

00:00 Cold open

00:48 Welcome to the podcast and episode introduction

01:43 Kristian's training update (cutting out alcohol, a new workout, sleep tracking)

10:05 Interview begins

10:34 How the idea for his running content started

12:54 Growing an authentic following without a strategy

15:30 Who Kyle is: life in St. Pete before running

16:02 Losing his home in Hurricane Helene and moving to Michigan

16:54 Hitting a low point and deciding to change

19:31 A typical day: training, work, and being a dad

24:49 Quitting drinking and how it changed his life

26:24 Jumping straight into marathon training

37:43 Growing his account while chasing his first marathon

41:08 Race recap: his brutal first marathon in Clearwater

43:55 Race recap: a 45 minute PR in Traverse City

45:08 Learning to fuel and manage cramping

47:10 Self coaching and building mileage the safe way

49:45 Why strength training has been key to staying healthy

51:15 Where he learns: research, trial, and figuring it out

52:06 Next goal: a 3:15 at the Palm Beaches Marathon

53:48 How he decides what to say on his runs

55:18 His son wanting to run with him

57:14 The message behind it all: gratitude and being present

1:00:02 Being present: the core message for other parents

1:01:01 Closing thoughts and where to follow Kyle

Kyle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylerunsstpete/

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Kristian welcomes back his friend Archie Hunt, a lawyer, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) advocate, and 2:27 marathoner who just won an ultra outright on his very first attempt. This one covers online hate, an incredible ultra win in Finland, and why he's now dabbling in speed work for the first time in his running life.

Archie opens up about the wave of online criticism he gets for training and racing hard despite his heart condition, and why it barely fazes him. He then walks through how a spontaneous decision with friends turned into winning a 110k ultra outright, running huge back to back mileage weeks to prepare, and the mental battle of racing alone through a Finnish forest for over 10 hours.

The conversation closes with a deep dive into his zone one and zone two training philosophy, why he's cautiously adding speed work under medical supervision, and his goal of becoming the first person with DCM to break 2:20.

In this episode:

- Dealing with online hate about training with a heart condition

- How friendship and the running community keep things fun

- Signing up for a 110k ultra on a whim

- Stacking huge, mostly easy mileage weeks to prepare

- Race recap: winning the Ultra X Finland outright

- The mental and physical toll of racing solo for over 10 hours

- Why zone one and zone two training built the durability that got him here

- Adding speed work for the first time, under his doctor's supervision

- A full breakdown of his weekly training structure

- The goal: becoming the first person with DCM to break sub 2:20

Content note: this episode includes discussion of a chronic heart condition and online harassment. Archie's training is medically supervised; please take care while listening.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome back and dealing with online hate

06:16 Why the running community means so much to Archie

09:07 A spontaneous decision: signing up for a 110k ultra

14:08 Ramping up to 200k+ weeks to prepare

17:07 A zone two marathon test run under the midnight sun

23:41 Watching the race unfold and knowing he was in the lead

25:22 What the Ultra X Finland course was actually like

27:07 The hardest part: technical trail vs. road running

28:46 Breaking the race down into "seasons" to cope

30:16 The mental breakthrough at 30k to go

31:36 Crossing the finish line and processing two years of running

33:46 Setting a new Ultra X course record

39:01 Comparing ultra pain to marathon pain

58:52 Why he's now adding speed work to his training

1:00:24 Physically outrunning his heart condition

1:01:01 The goal: first with DCM to break sub 2:20

1:03:23 A full weekly training breakdown

1:09:39 Learning to run truly easy on easy days

1:15:03 Closing thoughts and see you in Valencia

Archie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archibald_on_the_run/

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

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