From Walk-On to Olympian: Emily Mackay on Reinvention, Resilience, and Running the Best Races of Her Life
From walk-on to Olympian, Emily Mackay has rewritten every expectation.Now, sheās back on the show to open up about the reinvention thatās powering the best chapter of her career.Emily ran collegiately at Binghamton University, where her best NCAA finish was 6th in the 1500m as a senior in 2022. She joined New Balance Boston that summer of 2022, while training under coach Mark Coogan.Ā What followed was a rapid improvementĀ as aĀ professional, lowering her 1500m personal best from 4:08.97 to 3:59.99 in 2023.Ā Emily wasĀ thenĀ one of Americaās best femaleĀ middle distanceĀ runners in 2024.Ā In addition to her 1500m exploits, her 800m seasonās best of 1:57.87 ranked sixth in the US that year. She also ran in the 1500m semifinals in the Paris Olympics.Ā In 2025, Mackay finished 4th in the 3,000m at the US indoor championships inĀ February,Ā and took 10thĀ at TokyoĀ in the 1500m semifinals with a 4:08.19.Ā Emily signed with New Balance in 2022, and while she was formerly part of Team New Balance Boston, she has since left the team.Ā Emilyās rise is proof that belief, resilience, and reinvention can take you anywhere. If her journey fired you up, share this conversation and follow along, because her story is only gettingĀ betterTap into the Emily Mackay Special.If you enjoy the podcast, pleaseĀ consider followingĀ us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts andĀ givingĀ us a five-star review!Ā I would also appreciate it if youĀ share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Ā Comment the word āPODCASTā below and Iāll DM you a link to listen.Ā If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O WĀ N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.runĀ -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:Ā https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=enā ā ā ā ā ā -Take our podcast survey:Ā https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
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The Leap: How Rocky Hansen Went from 100th at NCAAs to Nearly Winning It All + His Training/Future Plans/& Thoughts On The International State Of The NCAA
Americaās next great distance runner might not be aĀ pro,Ā he might be a junior at Wake Forest.At the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships on November 22, Rocky Hansen delivered the race of his life, finishing second overall and coming within striking distance of the national title. Last year, Rocky placed 100th at this same meet, so his surge is proof that heās putting himself up there with the best who can do it right now.But rising to the front at the national championship level is nothing new for Rocky.Before Wake Forest, he was a three-time North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year (twice for track, once for XC) and a 10-time state record holder, including 3:58.23 for the mile, becoming the first in North Carolina to break the 4:00 barrier in high school.At Wake Forest, Rocky has only continued to elevate. He holds PRs of 3:38 (1500m), 3:57 (mile), 7:56 (3000m), and a stunning 13:07 5000m, which broke the Wake Forest school record and established him as one of the fastest collegiate 5K runners in NCAA history. He also placed 5th in the NCAA Outdoor 5000m last year.Rocky Hansenās story is stillĀ being written, but after finishing second on the biggest stage in the NCAA and making a massive leap from last year, itās clear heās ready for the spotlight.Tap into the Rocky Hansen Special.If you enjoy the podcast, pleaseĀ consider followingĀ us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts andĀ givingĀ us a five-star review!Ā I would also appreciate it if youĀ share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Ā Comment the word āPODCASTā below and Iāll DM you a link to listen.Ā If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O WĀ N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.runĀ -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:Ā https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=enā ā ā ā ā ā -Take our podcast survey:Ā https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
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The New Standard in High School Distance Running: How Oliver Horton Is Pushing the Limits of Whatās Possible at 17
Enter Oliver Horton, the high school Colorado phenom everyone will be talking about this season.At just 17 years old and a high school junior at Coronado High School (in Colorado Springs), he is already a state champion, a sub-14:30 performer, and a name climbing the national rankings, having just become the 2025 Colorado 4A state XC champion.He didnāt just become the first Colorado runner to break 15 minutes on theĀ toughĀ Norris Penrose course inĀ Colorado,Ā he obliterated the previous course record, clocking 14:48. (For comparison, 2024 NCAA 5,000 National Champion Parker Wolfe ran 15:10 in 2020).He has benefited from the consistency of runningĀ forĀ coach Lisa Rainsberger for the previous 10 years.Oliverās PR on the grass is a sizzling 14:23.9, which he ran this past September. On theĀ trackĀ he ran 4:08.93 in the mile outdoors and 8:54.94 in the 3200m.Ā Every generation has its defining runner. For Colorado, for 2025, and maybe for the nation, Oliver Horton is making his case.Ā The records speak. The rankings confirm it. But the story behind it all? Thatās what weāre digging into.Ā Ā Tap into the Oliver Horton Special.If you enjoy the podcast, pleaseĀ consider followingĀ us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts andĀ givingĀ us a five-star review!Ā I would also appreciate it if youĀ share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Ā Comment the word āPODCASTā below and Iāll DM you a link to listen.Ā If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O WĀ N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.runĀ -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:Ā https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=enā ā ā ā ā ā -Take our podcast survey:Ā https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
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NIKE's Alex Ostberg on Why Some Runners Break Through (and why Most Never Do) + How the Best Get Better & The Small Habits That Change Everything
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE: https://therundownbytherunningeffect.substack.comWhat if your next breakthrough doesnāt come from doubling down on workouts, but from ten small habits hiding in plain sight?In this monthās check-in, Alex Ostberg sits down with Dominic to unpack his latest deep dives.They begin with Alexās āPlaybook of Greatness,ā exploring why the best athletes in the worldĀ arenāt definedĀ by big heroic moments, but by the quiet, repeatable habits that shape their days. From structuring your environment to lowering the friction around training, Alex breaks down the kind of consistency that compounds into major gains.That naturally leadsĀ intoĀ a surprising question:Ā Is it time to retire stretching?Ā Alex challenges the long-held rituals that runners swear by, making a compelling case forĀ smarterĀ mobility, intentional strength work, and knowing what actually contributes to performance.From there, the conversation zooms out to recovery.Ā DrawingĀ fromĀ hisĀ āHierarchy of Recovery Needs,ā the guysĀ look atwhat truly sits at the foundation of a successful recovery in the running space.They also look at team dynamics and Alexās idea of āvirusesā that infect culture. Whether youāre on a high school squad or a professional training group, subtle habitsāgood or badāspread fast.If youāre ready to rethink your approach from the inside out, this conversation delivers clarity, direction, and the kind of insights that can change a season. Hit play and level up.Tap into the Alex Ostberg Special.If you enjoy the podcast, pleaseĀ consider followingĀ us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts andĀ givingĀ us a five-star review!Ā I would also appreciate it if youĀ share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Ā Comment the word āPODCASTā below and Iāll DM you a link to listen.Ā If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O WĀ N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.runĀ -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:Ā https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=enā ā ā ā ā ā -Take our podcast survey:Ā https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
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The Final Lap: Evan Jager on Greatness, Pain, Loyalty ā and Saying Goodbye to the Sport He Loves (The Official Exit Interview)
From American-record brilliance to a late-career grind, Evan Jagerās story has been one of constant adaptation.Ā But now heās ready to call it quits and moveĀ ontoĀ the next phase of life without running.Ā The late-career push included anĀ 8th placeĀ finish in the menās 3000m steeplechase at the U.S. Championships in 8:28.21 this year.Ā He also ran the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile in September of this yearĀ and came inĀ 19thĀ with aĀ 3:54.9.Ā Jager originally made a name for himself when he set the 3000m Steeplechase American Record in July of 2015 withĀ a 8:00.45. His other PRs include 13:02.40 in the 5,000m; 7:35.16 in the 3,000m; and 3:32.97 in the 1,500m.Ā After one year in the NCAA ranks as a Wisconsin Badger (he came in 8th in the 1,500m at outdoors during the 2008 season), Jager turned professional. He then went on to win seven consecutive U.S. steeplechase titles fromĀ 2012ā2018.Ā He made his presence known on the world stage, grabbing a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games in the 3000m steeplechase;Ā prior toĀ thatĀ he came in 6th at the 2012 London Games in the 3000m steeplechase.After a serious foot injury, Jager burst back on the scene in 2022, nabbing aĀ second placeĀ finish at the 2022 USATF outdoor games.Check in as we unpack the peaks, valleys, and lasting legacy of one of Americaās most influential distance runners as he flips to theĀ nextĀ professionalĀ chapterĀ of his memorable career.Ā Tap into the Evan Jager Special.If you enjoy the podcast, pleaseĀ consider followingĀ us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts andĀ givingĀ us a five-star review!Ā I would also appreciate it if youĀ share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.Ā Comment the word āPODCASTā belowĀ andĀ Iāll DM you a link to listen.Ā If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O WĀ N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.runĀ -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:Ā https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=enā ā ā ā ā ā -Take our podcast survey:Ā https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
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