Hooray Run Podcast

Jonathan Gault and I talk about the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Jonathan has been a writer for LetsRun.com for nearly a decade. We discuss Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 world record, Sifan Hassan's ridiculous 2023 season, and standout American performances from Oct. 8 in the Windy City. Jonathan reflects on his evolution as a writer and offers advice to aspiring journalists. // This episode is sponsored by Sportwatch. Save time with the Sportwatch app by quickly storing athlete performance and identifying trends. Start tracking your team today at sportwatch.us.

Seth Norder, Nolan Clark and Will Hewitt join host James Rogers in conversation. Seth and Nolan represent Grand Haven High School in Michigan and are two of the fastest runners in the state. They had incredible performances at the Division 1 state track meet on June 4 in Rockford, Michigan. Seth finished second in the 1600 meters with a time of 4 minutes, 7.99 seconds (4:07.99). Nolan finished fourth in the 3200 meters with a time of 9:08.74. They were also part of the Grand Haven 4x800 relay team that broke the school record at the state meet -- the first Grand Haven 4x8 team to go under eight minutes. Seth and Nolan talk about the state meet in detail, their high school careers so far, team culture, summer miles and goals for 2022 cross country. James then welcomes Will on the pod to get a coaching perspective. Will is one of Seth and Nolan's coaches, and he shares thoughts on Grand Haven running and what it's like to coach two of the best high school runners in Michigan. This episode is sponsored by Spor

Freelance photographer Joe Hale joins host James Rogers in conversation for this comeback episode of Hooray Run Podcast. Joe is known best for his running photography, and his client list includes Nike, Adidas and Tracksmith -- to name a few. Joe graduates from Manhattan College this week and moves temporarily to Oregon later this month to shoot big-time track and field events from late May to late July. Joe talks about his time with Tinman Elite, upcoming travels to Eugene and the best running performances he's seen in person. This episode is sponsored by Sportwatch. Sportwatch is a team management app built by former athletes for track and cross-country coaches. View team performance, track athlete growth and much more all from the convenience of your phone. Ditch the clipboard and pick up Sportwatch! Learn more at https://sportwatch.us.

Host James Rogers sits down with professional runner and former Michigan State standout Leah O’Connor for an expansive conversation. Now based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the 27-year-old discusses her hometown roots, decorated MSU career and pro running roller-coaster ride. Topics also include mental health, faith, writing, farm life, support systems and Harper (her dog). At MSU, Leah captured multiple Big Ten titles—cross country, indoor track, outdoor track—and won a national title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (June 2014) and indoor mile (March 2015). She was a member of the undefeated 2014 MSU women’s cross-country team coached by Walt Drenth that won the national title in dominating fashion. Leah’s 9:18.85 personal record in the 3K steeplechase set in May 2016 makes her the fifth-fastest American ever in the women’s steeple. Now sponsored by HOKA and coached by Dathan Ritzenhein, Leah is a member of the Gazelle Elite Racing Team.

Cousin Mike makes his third appearance on Hooray Run Podcast. Host James Rogers goes all over the running map with Mike in the first portion of this episode, then the cousins talk music, time, nostalgia, Grand Rapids—many non-running topics but thoughtful conversation nonetheless. Mike also gets James to consider registering for a half-marathon in the fall.

Host James Rogers welcomes former University of Wisconsin-Stout standout Tim Nelson to the podcast. Tim was on top of the NCAA Division III running world in 2012, the year in which he won the D3 national title in the indoor 5K (March), outdoor 5K (May), outdoor 10K (May) and cross country (November). He set multiple school records—including a sub-14 5K and a sub-24 cross-country 8K—while fine-tuning his collegiate priorities. Tim reflects on his prestigious UW-Stout career and shares how he became one of the best D3 runners of all time. The conversation also covers his Army service, his career in real estate and a prediction for the 2019 Green Bay Packers.

Cousin Mike returns to go in tangents with host James Rogers. This episode includes extensive fast-food talk and a discussion on 2019 NBA Finals players running miles. Also, is Cousin Mike thinking of getting more serious with his training?!

Freelance writer Amanda Loudin joins host James Rogers to discuss her May feature entitled "HOKA NAZ Elite: Inside the Hottest Team Going" for PodiumRunner. Northern Arizona (NAZ) Elite—a professional running group based in Flagstaff, Arizona, and led by head coach Ben Rosario—partnered with HOKA in 2015 and had a breakthrough 2018 with multiple team members posting eye-catching results. Now a 13-member team, NAZ Elite's most notable performance came this year at the 2019 Boston Marathon, where 27-year-old Scott Fauble finished seventh in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 9 seconds (2:09:09) to become the 11th-fastest American ever for the 26.2-mile distance.

Host James Rogers' cousin, Mike Debowski, makes his debut Hooray Run Podcast appearance. Cousin Mike and James discuss running from both personal and spectating vantage points (5:05). Then, James brings on two longtime friends—Jon Weiss and Wilson Shaner—who joined him in Ohio on May 19 to complete the Cleveland Marathon. The trio, now fully recovered, shares recaps and stories from a wild day on the streets of Cleveland (53:36).

Alyssa Godesky set the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Vermont Long Trail in July. She completed the 273-mile trail in 5 days, 2 hours, 37 minutes. Alyssa joins James Rogers in conversation to share stories from the endeavor, including the wet conditions, wacky sleep schedule and her trail diet. The 33-year-old also has quite the triathlon resume.

Amy McKinnon joins James Rogers in conversation. Amy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 12 years old. She will race the New York City Marathon on Nov. 4, which will make it seven marathons to her name. She will use Abbott's FreeStyle Libre system—a revolutionary new glucose-sensing technology. Amy was born in Australia and moved to New York in 2013, the year in which she transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle. She now resides in Los Angeles. The conversation also covers her love for coaching.

Reny Partain joins James Rogers in conversation. Reny was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 2 years old, and she’s set to run her second marathon—the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 7. Reny recently moved from Los Angeles to Chicago. Reny’s background is in social work and public health. Topics include her work as a clinical therapist, her debut 26.2-miler at the 2016 LA Marathon, how to manage type 1 diabetes during rigorous training and Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre system—a revolutionary new glucose-sensing technology.

Deena Kastor joins James Rogers in conversation in downtown Chicago. Deena is a three-time Olympian and the American women’s record-holder in the marathon (2:19:36). At the 2004 Athens Olympics, she captured a bronze medalist in the marathon for the USA. Deena wrote a fantastic book! “Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory” released in April. This talk covers her writing and editing process, plus much more on her career and penchant for food. Deena resides in Mammoth Lakes, California, and serves as president of the Mammoth Track Club. Her husband, Andrew, is the track club’s head coach, and two MTC members (Alexi Pappas and Sarah Attar) are competing in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon. Deena will be at the finish line handing out medals and congratulating finishers of the 26.2-mile race. Deena encourages you to get your copy of “Let Your Mind Run” at a local bookstore, but—believe it or not—you can also purchase it on Amazon.

Freelance writer Amanda Loudin joins Hooray Run Podcast for a third time, with this episode focusing on her trip to UTMB. The Ultra-Trail Mont Blanc covers 171 kilometers and runs through France, Italy and Switzerland. This brutal race attracts top ultrarunning names and showcases Europe's penchant for long-distance competitions. Amanda shares stories from her time at UTMB, and the conversation also covers her latest writings and Eliud Kipchoge's 2:01:39 marathon world record.

Josh Kammeraad will run with you, no matter how many miles are on the schedule. Josh K was a teammate of mine at Hope College, and he was no stranger to high mileage and hefty meals. He also had unwavering support for his teammates. I pick the brain of Josh K in this episode and have him elaborate on his infamous 1,300-mile summer of 2013. He also gives his take on the Boots 5K (see: EP15). We ran just over four miles after recording and then crushed some Jimmy John's.

My last in-person interaction with David Gillaspie before today was in 2010. He's a high school connection who now runs a lot. I started seeing David post about his runs in 2016, and I wanted to know his story. Never known as a runner in high school and having never run with him before, I could tell via social media that he caught the running bug. We met in Evanston, Illinois, to catch up and chat about his running. He has his sights on the Oct. 7 Chicago Marathon. He's with the Lurie Children's Hospital Marathon Team for the race. Read about his fundraising for the hospital at this link: http://foundation.luriechildrens.org/site/TR/Events/TeamRaiser?fr_id=1771&pg=personal&px=1935145&_ga=2.13442807.1194179475.1528034903-750516829.1509389590. Please donate if you feel inclined! Enjoy the conversation, leave a review for Hooray Run Podcast, tell your friends!

Boston 2018 was historic. Cruddy weather didn't stop 34-year-old American Des Linden from gutting out a victory on the women's side. Linden became the first American woman to win Boston since 1985. On the men's side, Japan's Yuki Kawauchi took top honors. It was the 31-year-old's fourth marathon of 2018 and his first major victory. James Rogers does a quick solo recap, then health and fitness freelance writer Amanda Loudin (aka Miss Zippy) joins James to give her reactions to this wild day. James and Amanda also discuss the depth of American distance running.

Hooray Run Podcast host James Rogers chats with his dad, Randy Rogers, in a follow-up episode to their August 2017 conversation. Randy's running streak has now eclipsed 11,900 days and 57,400 miles. Since the August episode, Randy fought through excruciating nerve pain and still battles the setback today. James has his dad recall the few months of misery -- what they agree was the most difficult stretch of his streak so far.

Zach Zandbergen joins the line from London. Former XC/track teammates at Hope College and veteran Starburst consumers, James Rogers and Z discuss the Boots 5K. Z had to run a 5K on an XC course in hiking boots and authentic jeans after Jim hit a basketball shot from DEEP in the Ridgepoint Community Church parking lot on Sept. 2, 2017. Hope hosts its annual season-opening meet (Bill Vanderbilt Invitational) at this church in Holland, Michigan, and James and Zach were two of many alumni present on this day. Listen as Z gives his firsthand account of the infamous 3.1-miler—a run he could not have completed without the help of Josh Kammeraad.

James Rogers and Tyler Brinks decided to do a pod series dedicated to the insane track world records, starting with the men's 800, 1500, mile, 3K and steeplechase. JimCity and T-Dot take a deeper look at the following world records in this episode: David Rudisha's 1:40.91 in the 800; Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 1500 and 3:43.13 mile; Daniel Komen's 7:20.67 in the 3K; Saif Saaeed Shaheen's 7:53.63 in the steeplechase. Which record is the most vulnerable? Which is the safest? As Jim and Ty's friend Zach Zandbergen would say: Let's break down these STUPID-FAST times!