Rise and Run

We hit a milestone and decided to do something worthy of it: build our own ranked list of the best road races in America. From the New York City Marathon’s five-borough roar to Boston’s history-soaked mystique, Chicago’s electric crowds, and the Marine Corps Marathon’s landmark-heavy patriotism, we talk through the races that feel bigger than a finish time and why they earn a spot on a true bucket...

The reason you started running is probably not the reason you keep running, and that’s the point. We open with a simple community question from our friend Alan, then hand the mic to friends whose answers stretch from “I’ve never been an athlete” to “running became my only quiet place.” You’ll hear how stress, family health scares, grief, postpartum life, and plain old curiosity can turn into a ste...

Summer training has a way of turning simple runs into big questions: Why is my pace suddenly slower, how do I stay safe in the heat, and what actually matters in the first weeks of a runDisney build? We sit down with our friend Coach Chris Twiggs to get real answers you can use right away, whether you’re gearing up for Wine & Dine, Marathon Weekend, or dreaming about Dopey. Chris takes us from...

runDisney didn’t just tease a surprise this time, it delivered one that can blow up travel plans. We react in real time to the Springtime Surprise weekend shifting dates, what that means for resort reservations and DVC juggling, and why having a good travel advisor can save you hours when Disney changes the calendar.  Training talk gets practical fast: running in heat without turning it into a com...

Princess registration has turned into its own endurance event, and we felt every mile of it. We break down what we saw during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend queue, why more runners are walking away disappointed, and what might be behind the slower movement now that old workarounds are gone. We also talk through the bigger forces at play like field size limits, staging constraints, rising deman...

runDisney training may be between big weekends, but our brains are still in race mode. We start by mapping the season ahead, talking base building, long-run confidence, and how to sneak in hill work even when you live somewhere flat. We also share one of our favorite community rituals: a collaborative Spotify training playlist that turns solo miles into a shared soundtrack and helps you find new “...

He’s the runner you spot from a distance, not because of a character costume, but because he’s carrying the weight of a whole profession. Fireman Rob joins us to explain why he races in full firefighter turnout gear and what that choice has to do with mental health, hope, and letting people know they’re not alone. We talk about the realities behind the gear: the heat you can’t escape, the sweat-so...

Boston and London aren’t just marathons. They’re full-body logistics puzzles, city-wide celebrations, and emotional pressure cookers that reveal what your training is really made of. We sit down with runners who lined up at two of the biggest stages in the sport and tell the story from the inside, from expo wins and wallet pain to the moments when the course turns and your plan has to change. Befo...

A cruise ship can feel like a floating city, but it gets a lot smaller when you spot your people. We’re back with the full recap of the inaugural Rise and Run cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, and we’re sharing what surprised us, what we’d do differently, and the moments that turned a trip into a four-night running community meetup. We talk through the send-off at Pop Century (ye...

You can learn a lot about a running community by the questions they ask, and this week our listeners showed up with everything from serious marathon nerves to wildly fun runDisney hypotheticals. We dig into smart offseason training so you do not drift between race weekends: setting a local goal race, building an aerobic base, adding strength and mobility, and respecting summer heat. We also get sp...

Merch sold out by lunchtime. “Perfect” status quietly returned. Someone built a race plan around getting a photo with Boba Fett. That’s the kind of wonderfully specific runDisney chaos we love, and we’re recapping it live from the inaugural Rise and Run Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas. We break down the 2026 RunDisney Springtime Surprise weekend from the expo to the finish...

Jeff Galloway didn’t just teach people how to run. He taught people to believe they belong. We put our normal Rise and Run format on pause to honor Jeff’s life and collect the stories that explain why his impact feels so personal to so many runners, from first-timers to legends. You’ll hear from ultrarunner Dean Karnazes on Jeff’s generosity, his love of marathon history, and the Greece trip that’...

A race weekend can feel like pure fun until real life breaks through. We start by remembering Lauren Bullis, a beloved Rise and Run community member whose kindness showed up in every Holler Hype, comment, and encouraging word. In the wake of her passing, our listeners do what runners do best: we show up. A simple, powerful idea takes hold, dedicating runs across the country to help Lauren reach he...

In this episode, we’re joined by the legendary Jim Ryun, one of the most famous names in American middle-distance running, to talk about the coach who redirected his life, the moment he understood what breaking the 4-minute mile really meant, and why “ownership” is the skill that outlasts talent. Jim takes us from being a teenage Olympian to racing at Mexico City altitude, then back to the quieter...

A half marathon through Hobbiton sounds like pure fantasy until you hear what it’s really like underfoot. We’re joined by Kerry Flynn, a lifelong Lord of the Rings fan and seasoned half marathoner, to break down the Middle Earth Halfling Half Marathon in New Zealand: the small-field logistics, the afternoon start, the trail terrain on a working farm, and the very real elevation that turns “cute th...

You know that moment late in a runDisney race when your legs are toast, your brain is negotiating, and then you turn a corner and hear a choir lifting the whole road? We sit down with director Zach and students from the East River High School Choir, one of the groups that brings big, joyful sound to the final mile at Walt Disney World. They share how the runDisney relationship started, what Disney...

Registration day doesn’t just test your internet speed, it tests your nerves, your backup plans, and who you can text when the queue refuses to move. We share exactly how the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend sign-ups played out for our crew, including the moments that went sideways, the workarounds that still worked, and the community trust that helped multiple friends land the races they wanted...

Tokyo Marathon looks like a postcard until you remember one detail that can change everything: the cutoffs are based on gun time. We sit down with several of our friends fresh off a plane from Japan to get the kind of Tokyo Marathon recap runners crave, the stuff you can’t learn from a highlight reel. They share how they got in (lottery vs charity), how they handled jet lag, what the expo is reall...

A weekend of sparkle, sneakers, and shared heart. Princess Half Marathon Weekend brought out everything we love about runDisney—creative costumes, cool-weather miles, and castle magic—but also the kind of community you can feel in your bones. We navigated an expo frenzy as Brooks’ princess-themed shoes sent lines snaking across the building, watched Disney pivot fast to keep characters and bands o...

The news hit like a thunderclap: Jeff Galloway, the voice behind run-walk-run and a steady light at so many runDisney start lines, has passed away. We pause to honor the coach who made marathons feel possible, share early thoughts through the shock, and invite everyone at Princess Weekend to carry his legacy in the miles ahead. From there, we shift into a packed, upbeat show that keeps community a...

What if every step you took felt like a small miracle you could share? That’s the energy running through this episode as we move from Princess Weekend prep into one of the most inspiring stories we’ve ever hosted. We kick things off with training touchpoints, expo strategy, and course notes for the Run Disney Princess 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon—plus our meetup details, virtual queue tips, and the...

A good mantra can change a season, and ours hits different: earn it in the winter, win it in the spring. We start with a candid weather check and slide straight into the nuts and bolts of racing life—updated Wine & Dine registration flows, random queue placement, why sellout times barely budged, and how our community rallied with Zoom rooms, phone trees, and charity backups  We map out Princes...

Fireworks before sunrise, yoga in the cold, and a finish line that felt like a farewell—this Disneyland race weekend had a different kind of electricity. We open with Miss Piggy’s cameo on the castle screen and roll straight into the expo’s virtual queue scramble, a quick detour through misplaced bib drama, and a check-in with Jeff and Barbara Galloway that left us optimistic and grateful. Between...

Confetti at the finish is only part of the story. We sit down with Walt Disney World Marathon champion Matt Hensley to trace the path from family running roots and college grind to a smart, tactical win built on adaptation, fueling, and a decisive late-race move. Matt walks us through race-week realities—working the expo, long park days, heavy legs—and explains how dew point data and small early a...

Start with a grin, stay for the goosebumps. We sit down with marathon winner and runDisney favorite Brittany Charbonneau for a candid, no-filter look at a race that felt hard from the gun, a costume with a story, and the moment she stepped off the fence to encourage the final finisher home. From sleepless nights with a teething baby to Florida humidity after Denver air, Brittany opens up about pan...