Running Anthropologist

Welcome back! In our new season's first episode, "Earth Day, Earth Year: Healing & Recovery" we look at ways to heal our planet while healing ourselves, personally and collectively. We feature ultra trail athlete Michael Wardian (about Earth Day 5K and healing for an upcoming 100 goal), Peter Maksimow (on Plogging and sustainability), and a special interview with writer/music therapist Bob Shea ab...

This episode is all about Gma, our family nickname for my grandmother, Jan Dennis. The interview featured here took place during our many hours of free time in the pandemic year, and I actually spoke with her several times about her life stories and running. I remember as a teenager I oohed and ahhed over the crates full of race t-shirts she had accumulated, forming a colorful patchwork of trainin...

Lisah Hamilton is interested in helping us be more conscious of our movements and mental approach to running, as well as how we see ourselves. Her perspective on gives us insight into the emerging culture of conscious running, and is yet another example of the incredible diversity of that serves to make our distance running community better: holistic and more sustainable. Among others, she also se...

In our last episode of 2020, we look for the light of hope just around the next bend, amidst great suffering & a year of global reckoning with the pandemic… none of us are immune and we all need an outlet. This has given the outdoor/trail and distance running community a unique perspective, if not a bitter-sweet boost. Today, Meghan and Mark discuss the theme of “emerging light from darkness” (win...

Beth is a champion endurance athlete and barely lets on when you meet her or talk to her about the sport she is now helping to shape, move forward and inspire change. She carries that magic with her, or perhaps gathers it to share back out, from Disney Races around the globe. Beth is from London, where it is hard to race a wheelchair around most streets and even harder during Covid times. But she...

This episode features the Chairman and Co-Founder of The Refugee Life Foundation Rush Darwish (pictured above), who shares with us how and why The Refugee Life Foundation started, and the Running Refugees Relays shortly thereafter to fill a great need. Rush's calling: "he works to help disenfranchised children from war-torn countries gain access to free medical care. Over the years, he has helped...

Traversing 262 miles across the state of Florida with a team of 10, representing a global cause. From St. Pete beach up the coast, cutting inland through Ocala National Forest to St. Augustine! Some are on the ground in Florida and some joining virtually, our long weekend challenge participants are interviewed here as to the motivation behind the challenge, “for Refugees, and in honor of the many...

Marc Gunn is an acclaimed musician and storyteller, on the cultural rhythm and lore of history and fantasy, and hosts the most popular Irish and Celtic music podcast out there, performs and produces his own fusion music on the autoharp, as well as hosting cultural tour "invasions" of all places Celtic! In this episode, we are treated to some of his uniquely Irish-American wit and story of how he b...

Jomil Bell joins us for a special Labor Day edition of the Running Anthropologist and shares her work of highlighting American stories within the context of "The New Civil Rights Movement". She also reflects on personal movement of the body, mind & spirit, and creating change from within through our thoughts, actions. Jomil is a Dual Certified Life & Relationship Coach supporting others in buildin...

Ultra running mentor and one of our few Latino role models in the long distance & Ultra world, Mario Mendoza uses the unique space he occupies for goals much bigger than himself and his own goals. With typical Mario humility, he sits down with us to talk about a few of his best race experiences, which helped re-define how he sees himself and the world. Born American, but growing up in a Mexican cu...

Welcome back to the summer edition of the Running Anthropologist podcast, exploring the culture (and history) of running, and especially those who inspire us on the road, trails and in life! Our featured running guest this month is Eric Eichinger, the author of The Final Race, a biography about Eric Liddell (film "Chariots of Fire", based upon his appearance in the 1924 Olympic Games). In this epi...

Have you ever met a person who is so incredibly filled with positivity, you know that they cannot fail no matter what is thrown at them? That is Marko Chesto, the dual prosthetics (blade runner) marathon World Record holder, set at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. In this interview we discuss why this comes naturally to him, based upon growing up with challenge as part of every day in rural Kenya. We al...

In this episode we take time to listen to the experiences of two recent high school graduates who are sure to inspire. You will definitely feel both of our guests' passion to serve in their chosen field and vision far beyond this Spring semester. With wisdom far beyond their years, which perhaps has carried their positivity and made them such stellar models for peers during this difficult time......

Our tribute to outstanding teacher/coaches episode, in which we feature two individuals who are making a difference in young people’s lives and helping during this incredibly difficult time of transitions in high school and college. We go from coast to coast to catch up with them virtually and pick their brains about best practices and inspiration (Florida to California). First, CJ Albertson has a...

This episode is the first in our series listening to the experiences of coaches and high school/collegiate runners across the United States, and exploring how the pandemic has affected their lives, as well as lessons learned and encouragement they have garnered during this difficult time, to share with others. Ethan Geiger (Robinson High School, Florida) had a record setting 2019 cross country sea...

The Triathlon. Encouragement has been building in our little podcast community for the Running Anthropologist project to cover this trifecta of sports that include running as only one component, and discuss its many diverse options (Sprint, Half and Full Triathlons of varying distances). In this episode, we delve right into why folks choose to do this, and preparation of doing a Triathlon, through...

Dave Proctor and his organization “Outrun Rare” put together the second largest Backyard Ultra in history with the help of the distance running community, to raise our hopes and spread the word for all of us in isolation or quarantine, surpassing 2700 virtual runners, and they did it in just two weeks! He shares about how he started doing this and what brought him into the Ultra world, as well as...

In this episode we first feature Dan McGann, a therapist who delves deep into our identity (as individuals, runners, members of society) and how movement can be utilized to generate a healthy mental attitude and habit building to combat anxiety and depression during this isolating time. He also touches on 3 key practices to building a daily routine, an especially important practice during isolatio...

In Episode 37 we explore two paths of inquiry around Covid19- 1st- Exercise health myths / realities with one of the foremost researchers in immunology and exercise science, Dr. David Nieman. 2nd- We explore some of the practical side of racing and options for them during this time - from an experienced Race Director with an extremely helpful and hopeful outlook, Sandi Lake. Dr. David Nieman expla...

Westin made the journey to join us on the University of South Florida's campus for this interview, to discuss his insights and reflections from working in the running shoe industry over the last 15 years, and growing up in this culture as well (Westin's father Jeff Galloway started the first specialty running shoe dedicated store in the US in the early 1970s). Westin also started out his career at...

In this episode, we follow Liz Warner's Run to Reach project as she tries to reach women's organizations and women runners in the most needed corners of the globe, by 1) fundraising to support them through grassroots organizations in those countries, and 2) running 30 of the most challenging marathons on the globe on their home turf. Did we mention she is attempting to finish before she turns 30 i...

In this episode, we give you a play-by-play from America’s Marathon weekend, including the US 2020 men’s and women’s marathon trial; during, finish, press conference with our qualifiers, as well as interviews afterwards with Olympic hopefuls on leap day Sat. Feb29th! We also cover what it’s like to be part of the Atlanta running community, from cheering on the streets to volunteering and being a r...

Tadaaki Hayano joins us from Tokyo just a few weeks before the big event, the Tokyo Marathon- which just so happens to occur on the same day as the US Olympic Trials (Leap Day, Feb. 29th 2020). The Tokyo Marathon is the newest member of the World Marathon Majors Series of 6 races. In this episode, he answers a few questions about what makes up the Tokyo Marathon, the challenges and joys of running...

"Running City USA" will together with the Atlanta Track Club host on Feb. 29th (leap day) 2020 for the Trials and March 1st for the Marathon. Running Anthropologist catches up with Rich Kenah (Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club) to discuss hosting this one-of-a-kind event in one exciting weekend! Rich has traveled to and raced in more than 30 countries, including in the Sydney Olympics i...

A unique weeklong running & service learning experience combining community development work and a local marathon! Recently featured in Epic Runs of the World (Lonely Planet) and The Sunday Times, Kershaw created the Impact Marathon Series from his experience in development finance and adventure marathon organizing. It is about unleashing the power of running to change the world, and making an imp...