The People Run Podcast

He Couldn’t Swim 15 Feet. Now He’s Racing 140.6 Miles | Casey Watson Born With One Arm. Couldn’t Swim 15 Feet. Now He’s Racing 140.6 Miles. Casey Watson once jumped into a pool believing his marathon fitness would carry him through a lap. Fifteen feet later, he was standing up, out of breath, and realizing he had no idea how to swim. That moment became the start of something much bigger. In this e...

This week on The People Run, I’m joined by Olivia, a former British Army soldier, fitness presenter, runner, and HYROX athlete. We talk about the rise of run clubs, why HYROX has exploded in popularity, and what so many people are really searching for when they sign up for races, join a community, or take on hard challenges. Along the way we discuss Olivia’s path from the Army into fitness media,...

At 13 years old, Sean Casey was told he may never walk again. After being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, Sean went from playing football with his friends to spending 94 days in the hospital, learning how to walk, use his hands, and rebuild his life from the ground up. Just as he recovered, he faced another serious illness that put him back in the hospital. Today, Sean is running marathons...

Stefanie Corgel is a runner, strength coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Good Pain LA. In this conversation, we discuss her journey from college strength coach to online fitness entrepreneur, what marathon training has taught her about longevity, and why getting faster sometimes means staying healthy rather than pushing harder. We dive into injuries, marathon majors, Boston and New York, chasing...

Malik J, better known as The Running Gamer, found a way to combine two passions that don't often overlap: running and video games. In this episode, Malik shares how a simple challenge led him into the sport, why he nearly walked away from running after college, and how Detroit's running community helped bring him back. We talk about building a unique identity online, racing two 5Ks in le...

Olympic Trials qualifier. Elite 15 Hyrox athlete. Most athletes spend their entire careers chasing excellence in one sport. Alyssa McElheny is doing it in two. In this episode, Alyssa shares her journey from spending more than a decade chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier to becoming one of the fastest Hyrox athletes in the world. We talk about finding the sport she was built for, balancing elite m...

In this episode of The People Run Podcast, I sit down with Zach Bitter, one of the fastest 100 mile runners in history, to talk about training, longevity, recovery, and what it really takes to improve over the long term. We dive into why Zach has incorporated cycling into his training, how he thinks about consistency versus hero workouts, and why many runners may be overemphasizing mileage at the...

Bailey didn’t plan on building one of the biggest run clubs in America. What started as an idea for a running clothing brand eventually turned into Cooldown a community now spanning 18 cities and helping reshape modern run culture. In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Bailey shares how Cooldown accidentally exploded, why run clubs became the new social space, and what it actually takes to bu...

Kara never planned for running to become her life. Before coaching runners, building a community, and becoming one of the first women to complete all seven World Marathon Majors, she was pursuing dance and theater in New York City while trying to figure out where life was taking her. In this episode, Kara shares the leap from corporate life into coaching full time, the relationships and breakups t...

In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Fitz sits down with Under Armour pro runner Kasey Knevelbaard for a conversation on racing, mindset, gratitude, and what it really means to chase your potential in today’s golden era of running. From Team Mission Run Dark Sky and life as a professional runner to racing internationally, injury prevention, shoe innovation, and learning how to stay present i...

Paxton Smith accidentally qualified for the Olympic Trials in his first marathon but the real journey started after that. In this episode, Paxton shares the long process of chasing a 2:15 marathon while balancing full-time teaching, coaching, high mileage training, and life in Miami after running at the University of Colorado. Chapters 00:00 Accidental First Marathon OTQ 05:39 Chasing the Dream at...

Born in Belarus in the aftermath of Chernobyl, Tanya Khvitsko-Trimb grew up between orphanages, boarding schools, and years of hiding her prosthetic legs from the world.  In this episode, Tanya shares her journey from Belarus to the United States, getting her first running blades, discovering freedom through running, and eventually chasing big goals like the Boston Marathon. We also talk about ide...

In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Fitz sits down with Aycan Kara a civil engineer who started running and lifting in her late 20s and is now preparing for the HYROX World Championships. Aycan shares her journey from growing up in Turkey to discovering fitness after moving to the United States, how consistency changed her life, and what it’s been like balancing HYROX training with a full-t...

Professional runner Nell Rojas joins The People Run Podcast for an honest conversation about identity, recovery, and rebuilding her relationship with running. After stepping away from racing while battling Lyme disease and multiple co-infections, Nell opens up about the physical and mental toll of losing the thing that once defined her, learning how to slow down, and finding perspective through it...

Keira D’Amato has built one of the most inspiring stories in running. From stepping away from the sport to coming back and breaking records, she’s become one of the most respected voices in distance running. But this time… she had to stop. In this conversation, Keira opens up about what it actually feels like when running the thing that gives you purpose, structure, and community is suddenly taken...

The Boston Marathon means something different to everyone. For some, it’s chasing a PR. For others, it’s years of work just to get to the start line. And for some, it’s something much deeper than the race itself. In this episode, four runners share their Boston experience from completely different perspectives  from a 2:31 performance, to a pro debut, to a dream years in the making, to a story of...

There are hard things… and then there’s choosing to run 100 miles in circles. Sean Rhodes is getting ready for the Stoney 100, 400 laps around a track, but this isn’t just about distance. It’s about purpose. It’s about pushing into uncomfortable places and seeing what’s on the other side. We talk about what it actually takes to train for something like this, the mental lows that hit in the middle...

Anthony Di Paolo has done it all Ironman, ultras, and now over 20+ HYROX races, including competing at Worlds. In this episode, we break down what actually matters if you’re trying to get better at HYROX and what most people are getting wrong. From going out too fast on race day, to trying to train everything at once, to the mental side when a race doesn’t go to plan this is a real look at the mis...

Scott wasn’t supposed to walk. Now he’s chasing 100 miles. This isn’t a clean, polished story. It’s what it actually looked like growing up being told what he couldn’t do, dealing with how people saw him, and figuring it out the hard way. At one point he stopped going outside. Didn’t want to be seen. Didn’t like what he saw in the mirror. Now he’s training for distances most people won’t even atte...

David stopped running for years after back issues and thought that chapter was over. At 74, he found his way back building a daily run streak and rediscovering something he thought he lost. We talk about what that actually looks like, how he adapted his running, and why showing up every day changed more than just his fitness. Chapters 00:00 Running Again at 74 04:18 How He Runs Every Day Without B...

In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Fitz sits down with Rio Mata to talk about what it really means to build yourself through adversity. At a young age, Rio faced injuries, family challenges, and isolation. Instead of folding, he found the gym, leaned into discipline, and started chasing something bigger. That path led him into bodybuilding, running, coaching others, and now preparing for o...

After years of chasing a sub 3 marathon, Bobby finally hit his goal… and started asking what was next. Instead of doubling down on running, he decided to try something completely different stepping on a bodybuilding stage for the first time. Chapters 00:00 After Sub 3 : What Now? 03:09 Marathoner to Physique Prep 06:26 Can a Runner Build Stage Ready Physique? 09:29 Teaching Himself Bodybuilding (N...

Eric went from a D1 basketball background to competing in Hyrox and recently dropped 8 minutes off his time. In this episode, we talk about what actually helped him improve: running on tired legs, speed work, race strategy, and the reality of Hyrox. We also get into balancing training with a full schedule, the mental side of racing, and why you just have to show up and figure it out. Chapters 00:0...

In this episode of The People Run Podcast, I sit down with Amy Hoagland a full time neurosurgery nurse practitioner chasing elite level running while balancing work, family, and everyday life. Chapters 00:00 Amy's Breakout Half Marathon 04:22 130° Sauna Cycling at Hotworx 08:08 Racing Mesa & Catching Elites Runners 10:03 Why Amy Runs 90% of Her Miles on a Treadmill 14:21 Marathon on a Tre...

Asia, also known as Brown Bambi, joins the show to talk about her journey from the 400m hurdles to the marathon, coaching athletes while still competing herself, and what it takes to stay confident and authentic in the sport. We talk about sprinting vs distance running, balancing coaching with chasing your own goals, brand partnerships, and finding your own style in running. Chapters 00:00 Sevilla...