Wilson, James and Jon completed the Cleveland Marathon on May 19; Cousin Mike post-Yankee Springs trail marathon in 2016; Spyridon Louis—winner of the 1896 Olympic marathon—as the new face of Hooray Run.
Hooray Run Podcast RETURNS with a two-part mega episode! Host James Rogers’ cousin, Mike Debowski, makes his debut Hooray Run Podcast appearance. Cousin Mike and James discuss running from both personal and spectating vantage points (starts at 5:05). Then, James brings on two longtime friends—Jon Weiss and Wilson Shaner—who joined him in Ohio on May 19 to complete the Cleveland Marathon. The trio, now fully recovered, shares recaps and stories from a wild day on the streets of Cleveland (starts at 53:36).
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, many more platforms. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
Alyssa Godesky completed the Vermont Long Trail in 5 days, 2 hours, 37 minutes.
Alyssa Godesky set the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Vermont Long Trail in July. She completed the 273-mile trail in 5 days, 2 hours, 37 minutes. Alyssa joins James Rogers in conversation to share stories from the endeavor, including the wet conditions, wacky sleep schedule and her trail diet. The 33-year-old also has quite the triathlon resume.
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts—Podcasts app on iPhone! Also on Stitcher. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
Amy McKinnon will run her seventh marathon on Nov. 4 in New York City.
Amy McKinnon joins James Rogers in conversation. Amy was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 12 years old. She will race the New York City Marathon on Nov. 4, which will make it seven marathons to her name. She will use Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre system—a revolutionary new glucose-sensing technology. Amy was born in Australia and moved to New York in 2013, the year in which she transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle. She now resides in Los Angeles. The conversation also covers her love for coaching.
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts—Podcasts app on iPhone! Also on Stitcher. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
Reny finishes the 2016 LA Marathon—her debut 26.2.
Reny Partain joins James Rogers in conversation. Reny was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 2 years old, and she’s set to run her second marathon—the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 7. Reny recently moved from Los Angeles to Chicago. Reny’s background is in social work and public health. Topics include her work as a clinical therapist, her debut 26.2-miler at the 2016 LA Marathon, how to manage type 1 diabetes during rigorous training and Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre system—a revolutionary new glucose-sensing technology.
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts—Podcasts app on iPhone! Also on Stitcher. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
Deena Kastor’s “Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory” released in April.
Deena Kastor joins James Rogers in conversation in downtown Chicago. Deena is a three-time Olympian and the American women’s record-holder in the marathon (2:19:36). At the 2004 Athens Olympics, she captured a bronze medalist in the marathon for the USA. Deena wrote a fantastic book! “Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory” released in April. This talk covers her writing and editing process, plus much more on her career and penchant for food.
Deena resides in Mammoth Lakes, California, and serves as president of the Mammoth Track Club. Her husband, Andrew, is the track club’s head coach, and two MTC members (Alexi Pappas and Sarah Attar) are competing in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon. Deena will be at the finish line handing out medals and congratulating finishers of the 26.2-mile race. Deena encourages you to get your copy of “Let Your Mind Run” at a local bookstore, but—believe it or not—you can also purchase it on Amazon.
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts—Podcasts app on iPhone! Also on Stitcher. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
2018 UTMB winner Xavier Thevenard (France) about to cross the finish line.
Freelance writer Amanda Loudin joins Hooray Run Podcast for a third time, with this episode focusing on her trip to UTMB. The Ultra-Trail Mont Blanc covers 171 kilometers and runs through France, Italy and Switzerland. This brutal race attracts top ultrarunning names and showcases Europe’s penchant for long-distance competitions. Amanda shares stories from her time at UTMB, and the conversation also covers her latest writings and Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:39 marathon world record.
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts—Podcasts app on iPhone! Also on Stitcher. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
Josh Kammeraad consumes Jimmy John’s after a run on Sept. 12.
Josh Kammeraad will run with you, no matter how many miles are on the schedule. Josh K was a teammate of mine at Hope College, and he was no stranger to high mileage and hefty meals. He also had unwavering support for his teammates. I pick the brain of Josh K in this episode and have him elaborate on his infamous 1,300-mile summer of 2013. He also gives his take on the Boots 5K (see: EP15). We ran just over four miles after recording and then crushed some Jimmy John’s.
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts—Podcasts app on iPhone! Also on Stitcher. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
David Gillaspie started running in 2016; less than three years later, he has his sights on the Oct. 7 Chicago Marathon.
My last in-person interaction with David Gillaspie before today was in 2010. He’s a high school connection who now runs a lot. I started seeing David post about his runs in 2016, and I wanted to know his story. Never known as a runner in high school and having never run with him before, I could tell via social media that he caught the running bug.
We met in Evanston, Illinois, to catch up and chat about his running. He has his sights on the Oct. 7 Chicago Marathon. He’s with the Lurie Children’s Hospital Marathon Team for the race. Read about his fundraising for the hospital at this link: foundation.luriechildrens.org/site/TR/Ev…1509389590. Please donate if you feel inclined!
If you prefer to listen via SoundCloud:
Hooray Run Podcast on Apple Podcasts—Podcasts app on iPhone! Also on Stitcher. Tell a friend, recommend, leave a review, SUBSCRIBE—thanks for listening!
Emelie Forsberg on Day 1 of her Kungsleden Trail FKT attempt, in the Swedish Lapland.
Huge thanks to Laura Font of Lymbus for allowing Hooray Run to share this historic FKT (Fastest Known Time) attempt in writing and in photos. Congratulations to Salomon-sponsored athlete Emelie Forsberg for the incredible achievement.
From the Lymbus press release: “The Kungsleden (King’s Trail) is a 450km hiking trail in the Swedish Lapland thathikers usually cross in no less than 15 days. The spectacularity and the wilderness of the aspects make it for a very popular hiking destination in summer and for cross country in winter. It starts in Abisko in the north and finishes in Hemavan in the South, the highest point is the Tjäktja Pass at 1.150m and the lowest at Kvikkjokk (330m). However, the trail is challenging not only for the distance and the terrain but also around the logistics as, the trail also involves crossing some of the rivers that cross the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, one of the largest protected areas in Europe. For those water parts, there are sometimes scheduled ferries, and some other parts, the runners have to row themselves, and therefore the timings have to adjust to the boat schedules as well.
The challenge for Emelie Forsberg started on the midnight of July 3rd in the northern part of the trail, in Abisko. The first stage was the longest, running 116km through the midnight sun until reaching Saltoluokta, the hut where Emelie worked when she was 19 and where her love for the mountains started.
From there, the Swedish athlete ran the 70km of the second stage until Kvikkjokk. Despite the amount of kilometres, Emelie’s legs were feeling fresh and so was her mood. The third stage was probably the wildest, running through a wild and not concurred track of 96km. “I was running alone today, and it’s so nice the state I got into, just one step at the time, a good pace and to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. I am so lucky”, explained Forsberg.
On the fourth stage, Emelie started in Jäkkvik feeling very tired. Little by little she started to feel better and managed to finish in high spirit the 97km of this stage. It was hard, but the end was near.
Finally, on Saturday, July 7th Emelie ran the last stage of the Kungsleden. Despite having sore legs, the motivation was up to achieve the challenge, and Emelie completed the stage, and therefore, the trail. Stopping the watch: 4 days and 21 hours.”
According to Forsberg’s data, she ate 25 cheese sandwiches and two cakes along the way. The previous FKT on Kungsleden was set just last year by Sondre Almdahl, a Norwegian ultrarunner, who completed King’s Trail in 6 days, 2 hours, 51 minutes.
Forsberg, 31, offered some words upon completion: “I can hardly believe I have done it! When I started planning this route, I looked at the distance, the hut system and the plan we made, and I thought it was possible, but that it would be a big challenge for me. To actually achieve it, it’s a dream come true. I had some really bad moments, but it wouldn’t be a challenge if you didn’t have those, because it makes you learn and appreciate what you’ve done. Now I feel very tired but extremely happy.”
Hooray Run 