Marathon Handbook Podcast

Our editors Alex, Katelyn and Michael select the best runners, athletes, performances, the biggest controversies and defining moments this year on the roads, track and trails, with our first annual Marathon Handbook Awards! But to start things off, Michael shares what the trail running scene is like in Hong Kong, as well as the experience of running UTMB TransLantau, one of the premiere ultramarat...

Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathoner in history, turned 40 on Nov. 5. In celebration of the GOAT becoming a masters athlete, our editors Alex, Katelyn and Michael look back at how Kipchoge single-handedly innovated distance running. They explore how Kipchoge was the face of the super shoe revolution and Nike's technological discoveries as he strived to break the two-hour barrier in the mar...

We're live from New York! Our editor Michael Doyle talks with Alex Cyr live from the media center at the 2024 New York City Marathon in Central Park, just steps away from the finish line. They discuss the elite women's and men's races, how the top Americans did, and the overall vibe of the biggest marathon in the world. Spoiler Alert Warning: We discuss who won the New York City Mar...

The New York City Marathon is Nov. 3, and in this episode our editors Alex, Katelyn and Michael share with you everything you need to know about the New York City Marathon, whether you're running the race this year, or following along at home. First we get the necessary details out of the way: when the race starts, and how to live stream the race. Then delve right into the significance and cr...

News editor Jessy Carveth and Michael Doyle break down the nominees for World Athletics Track Athlete of the Year. They also unpack Jessy's excellent data-driven analysis of the controversial new women's marathon world record, and why she thinks it could be legit. Then, Alex, Katelyn, and Michael as they recap their recent races—the Chicago Marathon, Kodiak UTMB and the TCS Toronto Water...

In this episode, Alex, Katelyn and Michael discuss the importance of having a comprehensive pre-race checklist, covering everything from taper madness to essential items for race day. They share personal experiences and tips on how to prepare mentally and physically for races, emphasizing the significance of logistics, planning, and having a routine. The conversation also touches on post-race esse...

In this special bonus episode, Marathon Handbook editor-at-large, Boston Marathon winner and respected author Amby Burfoot discusses his op-ed on the site about his skepticism of the world record performance by Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon.  His main concern: that fans of the sport, including himself, have grown cynical of extreme outlier performances, and that this cynicism is go...

Alex Cyr jumps on the pod with Michael Doyle, who is in Chicago and just ran the marathon. They talk all about Ruth Chepngetich's wild and huge new women's marathon world record of 2:09:56, what that means for distance running, where it ranks in the pantheon of great sports moments, and exactly just how fast it is by the numbers. They also discuss the rest of the women's race, inclu...

Our editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle breakdown everything you need to know about the 2024 Chicago Marathon, one of the biggest marathons in the world!  But first they discuss their early experiences using Strava's new "Athlete Intelligence" AI (1:02), which provides a training prompt after each run. Is it merely a low-fi chatbot gimmick or the future of coaching? Th...

Editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle chat about Alex's trip to Memphis (and his morning runs in a parking lot) (00:48). Then they talk about Marathon Handbook's fancy new website! (06:14). Michael has been testing the Brooks Glycerin Max and shares his thoughts after a big run (09:33); and Katelyn shares her plan for the Kodiak UTMB ultra in California next week! (16:13). Th...

Editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle jump into the studio for an emergency pod, right after the finish of the 2024 Berlin Marathon on Sunday morning. SPOILER ALERT: we talk about how the race played itself out, and who won. Chapters 00:00 Instant Reactions to the 2024 Berlin Marathon 06:17 Men's and Women's Races 12:19 Adidas Dominance in the Marathon 17:37 The Impact of Mis...

Marathon Handbook's news editor Jessy Carveth and editor-in-chief Michael Doyle unpack why the American ultrarunner  Camille Herron is embroiled in a messy Wikipedia scandal. The conversation delves into the controversy surrounding ultrarunner Camille Herron, who has faced backlash for allegedly manipulating her Wikipedia page to enhance her image while undermining her competitors by altering...

Our editors Alex, Katelyn and Michael break down everything you need to know about this Sunday's Berlin Marathon, including how to live stream the race, key storylines, a bit of the fascinating history of the marathon, and who will win each race. They discuss the significance of the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Marathon, its ranking as a World Marathon Major, why so many marathon world reco...

Marathon Handbook editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle discuss the latest developments in the World of Marathon Majors: Boston Marathon's new qualification standards and the Sydney Marathon's rise to reportedly become the next World Marathon Major, perhaps as early as next year. They also delve into Alex's recent 5K PR, exploring the training changes he made and the imp...

Editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle chat about Alex's recent trip to the French Alps for a week of trail running in the mountains. He shares what he learned, the mistakes he made on the trails, and the YouTube vlog he produced documenting this humbling and enlightening experience. Then, they provide a primer on how to get into trail running, particularly if you're coming fr...

In this episode, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle discuss why UTMB continues to be the most talked about ultramarathon in the world. Then they dive into the big topic of the pod: fuelling for marathons.  They emphasize the importance of fuelling properly for optimal performance and discuss the timing and composition of pre-race meals. They share their personal approaches to race week nutrition and...

Marathon Handbook editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle discuss the upcoming season two of the docu-series 'Sprint' on Netflix, the Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc (UTMB) race, and answer listener questions.  Your questions ask about the importance of rest days after long runs and how to adjust training paces based on individual abilities, improving your mile time, dealing with fee...

On this week's pod, Alex, Katelyn and Michael begin with Alex's latest YouTube video, in which he goes Strava segment hunting in front of Drake's $100 million mansion. Then, they briefly break down the just-announced 2024 New York City Marathon elite fields, with a surprising number of Olympic marathoners on the list. And then, they dive deep into the big topic of the day (inspired...

Editor Michael Doyle is joined by Marathon Handbook's resident coach Katelyn Tocci to break down everything you need to know about how to go about setting goals for the marathon. They discuss: Setting Marathon Goals Understanding SMART Goals What is the “SMART” criteria for goal setting? How can applying SMART goals enhance your marathon training? 2. Process-Based vs. Outcome-Based Goals Diff...

Editors Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci and Michael Doyle jump into the studio for a their final emergency pod of these Olympic Games, right after the finish of the women's Olympic marathon in Paris on Sunday morning. The final event of the Olympics did not disappoint, delivering a thrilling finish. SPOILER ALERT: we talk about how the race played itself out, and who won. Watch a video version of thi...

Editors Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle jump into the studio for an emergency pod, right after the finish of the men's Olympic marathon in Paris on Saturday morning. SPOILER ALERT: we talk about how the race played itself out, and who won. Be sure to follow this pod feed for an instant reaction episode after the women's Olympic marathon as well, shortly after the race concludes on Sunday morn...

Alex, Katelyn and Michael describe the Paris Olympic marathon course in detail, and what to expect when live streaming both the men's and women's marathons this weekend. Will Eliud Kipchoge pull of the improbable and win gold in the Olympic marathon for a third straight time? Or will there be a new Olympic champ at 26.2 miles? And in the women's marathon, which concludes the Paris O...

Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle scramble the pod mics for an emergency pod that's all about the first medal event of the 2024 Olympic Games, the men's 10,000m.  The race turned out to be among the best distance championship finals of all-time, with an electric finish. Spoiler alert: world record holder Joshua Chepetegei is incredible. American Grant Fisher also delivered the race of his life,...

Our editors go through every running event in the first week in Paris, providing you with a cheat sheet on the favorites, the contenders, fun facts you should know while watching each race, and which events are must see (and which you can probably skip). The events we cover on the pod: Men's 10,000m final (3:26) Mixed 4x400m final (11:59) Women's 100m final (16:56) Men's 100M final...

Our editors Alex, Katelyn and Michael share their picks for the most intriguing athletes, exciting races and hot storylines to keep tabs on going into the first week of the Olympics next week. Can Sifan Hassan pull off running three track events AND a marathon? Will Noah Lyles actually break one of Usain Bolt's world records? And what's more exciting: the nasty showdown in the men's...