Marathon Handbook Podcast

Marathon Handbook
  • 4.9 (30)
  • Running
  • Updated Weekly

Marathon Handbook's weekly podcast covers everything you need to know about running, from running your first 5K to qualifying for the Boston Marathon! Each week, our editors chat about what's going on in the running scene, as well as timely training tips, the best new gear, and what's happening at the world's biggest races. We'll cover everything from the Boston Marathon to the Barkley Marathons, often podding live from the most important moments in running! Watch our video podcast each week on YouTube, and listen to it wherever you get your podcasts! Inquiries: podcast@marathonhandbook.com

  1. 2d ago

    Fake Paramedic CANCELS Dutch Marathon, 8th Grader's World Record & Jenny Simpson Update

    This week on The Running Story, Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth break down the five biggest stories in the running world including a scary medical emergency involving one of the greatest track runners of all time, a jaw-dropping performance from an eighth grader, a Dutch marathon canceled over a fake paramedic scam, and why Berlin 2026 is shaping up to be the most anticipated marathon of the fall season.Chapters:0:00 Intro — Top 5 Running Stories of the Week1:27 Harry Styles Donates to Charity Runner Lawrence Dennis5:15 8th Grader Luke Surface Runs World Best 5K (14:25) at Hayward Field8:16 Dutch Sneak Marathon Canceled — Fake Paramedic Scam Exposed12:32 Tigst Assefa Returns to Berlin to Chase the Women's Marathon World Record20:40 Jenny Simpson's Medical Emergency at Sir Walter Miler — Latest Update23:58 The Running Story Is Getting Its Own Podcast Feed

    26 min

  2. 6d ago

    BREAKING: 2027 London Marathon Is Going to TWO DAYS: 100,000 Runners, & Ballot Impact

    The 2027 London Marathon has officially confirmed it will become a two-day event and Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth are breaking it all down in an emergency episode of The Running Story by Marathon Handbook.On Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th, 2027, London will host 100,000 runners across two days on the same course, making it the largest marathon event in history and the biggest fundraising event in UK sporting history. Chapters:0:00 — Breaking news: London Marathon goes to two days 1:09 — What's confirmed: dates, format, course & ballot details 2:26 — Why London made this move (1.33M applicants) 5:19 — The logistics challenge & why it's framed as a one-off 7:26 — Unanswered questions: charity bibs & international quotas 9:08 — Elite field pressure after the historic sub-2 hour marathon 9:57 — A landmark moment for women's marathon coverage 12:03 — Elite wish lists: who needs to race London 2027 13:46 — The money behind running two World Marathon Major days 15:00 — One-and-done or permanent? Jessy's take 16:26 — Will New York, Chicago & other majors follow? 19:13 — Audience question & wrap-up

    22 min

  3. 6d ago

    How to Run a Goal Half Marathon: Everything You Need to Know

    SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:This episode is presented by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: https://⁠livemomentous.comWe use RYTHM for easy, convenient blood tests. 15% OFF : https://RYTHM.HEALTH/MARATHON This week, Marathon Handbook news editor Jessy Carveth joins us to talk about everything you need to know to run your goal half marathon. Jessy is chasing a 1:27:30 at the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon this October, and we used her season as the framework for a complete soup-to-nuts guide on how to run a goal half marathon. We cover everything: how to pick the right race, how to set A, B, and C goals based on where your fitness actually is, how long your training block should be, and what your weeks should look like. Alex reveals the threshold training hack he credits for his breakthrough half marathon in Houston. Katelyn puts her coach hat on and gives her honest assessment of Jessy's race-into-fitness approach. And... Jessy makes a surprisingly compelling case for doing things entirely her own way. Chapters:0:00 — Intro & Channel Updates4:27 — Ranking Our Favorite Race Distances14:30 — Sponsored by Momentous15:53 — How to Pick Your Goal Race25:29 — Setting Your Half Marathon Goals31:25 — Adjusting Goals Through Training38:51 — How Long Should You Train?44:49 — Sponsored by RYTHM47:24 — Half Marathon Training Basics54:03 — Jesse's Unorthodox Training Plan1:04:58 — Long Runs & Training Evaluation1:17:37 — Gear: Shoes1:25:52 — Gear: Socks & Watch1:27:24 — Race Weekend Nutrition1:31:05 — Warmup & Start Line Strategy1:38:26 — Pacing & The Hard Part1:41:45 — Training in the Heat Email: ⁠podcast@marathonhandbook.com⁠Join Run Club and Send Us a Voice Note: marathonhandbook.com

    1h 44m

  4. Jun 15

    The Marathon Lottery Crisis, a 13-Year-Old Mile World Record & Kejelcha's Half Marathon Record Bid

    A 13-year-old from Utah just broke a mile world record that had stood since 1973. Plus: Olympic triathlon gold medalists are hitting the track, a runner completed every single street in Chicago, Yomif Kejelcha could break the half marathon world record in Buenos Aires and the marathon lottery crisis is getting very real. Chapters:0:00 — Intro & show announcements 2:53 — Story 1: 13-year-old Angelina Alder breaks 53-year-old mile world record 5:13 — Story 2: Olympic triathlon champions Alex Yee & Cassandre Beaugrand go to the track 7:35 — Story 3: Joabe Barbosa runs every street in Chicago (4,000 miles in 680 days) 12:00 — Story 4: Yomif Kejelcha targets half marathon world record in Buenos Aires 15:40 — Story 5: The marathon lottery crisis — Copenhagen, London & what's next 20:38 — Outro

    22 min

  5. Jun 13

    Running is Healthier than Cycling? Jimmy Whelan's Switch to Pro Running & 2028 Olympics Chase

    Jimmy Whelan raced the Giro d'Italia, wore the EF Education First jersey in the World Tour, and beat Pogačar in a U23 race. Then he broke his pelvis, lost his contract, and messaged his boss from a hospital bed in Europe to say he was done.Less than a year later, he ran a 61-minute half marathon on his professional running debut at Valencia, 13th on the Australian all-time list. He's now signed with Salomon, based in Barcelona, coached by Andy Henderson (also coach to Phil Sesemann), and openly chasing the Australian Olympic marathon team for LA 2028.In this episode, Jessy Carveth sits down with Jimmy to talk about:• Why he walked away from pro cycling after 8 years• How cycling built an engine that's tailor-made for the marathon• Training doubles, 200km+ weeks, and learning to manage load as a new runner• The Berlin half marathon blow-up and what he learned from failing publicly• His marathon debut plans and his 2028 Olympic ambitionsWhether you're a competitive runner, a cycling fan, or just love a great comeback story, this one's for you.

    59 min

  6. Jun 11

    Why You Have to Run SLOW to Race FAST (The Science of Easy Running)

    Why does every marathon training plan include so much easy, slow running — even when your goal pace is well over a minute faster per mile? This week, a question from listener Seth (a former pro cyclist chasing a sub-3 marathon) opens up one of our most useful conversations yet. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR: Lagoon pillows help us sleep better, so we run better. Want to try? You can save 15% with code MARATHON. Go to https://LagoonSleep.com/marathonhandbook and take the 2-minute sleep quiz to find your match. Michael, Alex, and Katelyn break down the science behind easy running: zone 2, mitochondria, angiogenesis, the 80/20 rule, running economy, and why the world's best marathoners — including Eliud Kipchoge — run their easy days embarrassingly slow. They also share what easy running actually feels like in practice, how to gauge your effort without obsessing over pace, and why betraying the 80/20 rule is the fastest path to injury. Email: podcast@marathonhandbook.comJoin Run Club and Send Us a Voice Note: marathonhandbook.com Chapters:0:00 – Intro, Banter & What We're Covering18:07 – Listener Voice Note: Martina on German Pronunciation & NYC Events21:34 – Ad: Lagoon Sleep Pillows23:47 – Why You Must Run Slow to Race Fast (Main Topic)52:37 – Pronunciation Tangent: Capillaries, Claude & Canadian Quirks54:49 – Should You Race Again After a DNF? The Revenge Race Question1:05:55 – Outro & How to Connect With Us

    1h 7m

  7. Jun 11

    Emergency Pod: Cape Town Is Officially the 8th World Marathon Major | Analysis

    It's official, and it's historic: the Cape Town Marathon has been named the 8th Abbott World Marathon Major — the first ever on the continent of Africa. In this surprise emergency episode, Michael Doyle and news editor Jesse Carveth break down the announcement the running world saw coming but couldn't stop talking about (00:37). They walk the full eight-major calendar from Tokyo to New York (01:28), make the case for why Africa was long overdue given that roughly 80% of the world's top 50 marathoners come from the continent (02:23), and explain what the new eight-star medal — and the provisional star for 2025 and 2026 entrants — means for star chasers (03:26). From there, the guys trace Cape Town's meteoric rise from ~16,000 to nearly 30,000 runners (03:59), revisit the brutal 2025 cancellation when severe winds stopped the race roughly 90 minutes before the gun (04:50), and unpack the 2027 ballot — open June 10, closing June 24 — including the decision to reserve two-thirds of entries for African runners (05:55). They dig into the Sanlam sponsorship extension (07:20) and ask the question on everyone's mind: with London drawing 1.4 million applicants, could Cape Town become the single hardest World Marathon Major to get into (08:20)? The conversation gets into the real reason so few races can join the club — the staggering cost of becoming a major, with even Valencia admitting it can't afford the leap (09:32) — plus entry prices (~$220 international vs. ~$48 local), Kipchoge's role as the ultimate ambassador, and how Cape Town defines its own character as a major (11:06). Finally, Michael and Jesse debate whether expansion waters down the brand or makes it truly global (16:18), and look ahead to Shanghai as the near-certain 9th major and the race for the 10th — South America, India, or the Middle East (19:30). They close on the big question: how long can the running boom keep this snowball rolling (22:31)? New episodes of The Running Story drop every Monday afternoon.

    24 min

  8. Jun 9

    Learning to Eat for My Biggest Running Week & Post-Run Headaches

    Alex Cyr and Alexis D'Souza are back for Episode 4 of For Better or For Worse, the show where a beginner runner and an elite runner chase goals together (and occasionally argue about hockey and boiled eggs).This week, Alexis just finished her biggest training week ever: 21.2km over four runs, but keeps getting post-run headaches. Alex breaks down the nutrition basics every new runner needs to know, from macronutrients and meal timing to electrolytes and why calories aren't the enemy.Plus: the running and alcohol conversation nobody wants to have, Alex's honest take on run club culture, a PB in the track 10K, and a hot debate on run/walk intervals vs. pushing through.Follow the show on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/alex.is.pod/Follow Alex:https://www.instagram.com/cyresy_10/Follow Alexis:https://www.instagram.com/alexisdsouza.to/Chapters:0:00 - Cold open: Too many metrics?1:00 - Intro & where we're at (7 weeks to the wedding)3:00 - Strava and the social pressure on new runners7:00 - Alexis's biggest running week ever: 21.2km9:00 - Why am I getting headaches after every run?12:00 - Running nutrition 101: macronutrients explained18:00 - Post-run fueling: what to eat and when22:00 - Should new runners track calories?25:00 - Metrics overload: what actually matters31:00 - Alex's track 10K recap: 29:27 PB!33:00 - Running and drinking: can you do both?40:00 - Alex's controversial take on run club culture48:00 - Should you run on your wedding morning?54:00 - Hot or Not: Run/walk intervals (Jeff Galloway method)1:00:00 - Hot or Not: Josh Kerr's mile world record attempt #Running #RunningNutrition #BeginnerRunner #MarathonHandbook #ForBetterOrForWorse #RunningPodcast #TrackRacing #10K #RunningTips #AlexCyr

    1h 10m
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4.9
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Marathon Handbook's weekly podcast covers everything you need to know about running, from running your first 5K to qualifying for the Boston Marathon! Each week, our editors chat about what's going on in the running scene, as well as timely training tips, the best new gear, and what's happening at the world's biggest races. We'll cover everything from the Boston Marathon to the Barkley Marathons, often podding live from the most important moments in running! Watch our video podcast each week on YouTube, and listen to it wherever you get your podcasts! Inquiries: podcast@marathonhandbook.com

Information

  • Creator
    Marathon Handbook
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    186
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Marathon Handbook
  • Show Website
    Marathon Handbook Podcast

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