The People Run Podcast
The People Run Podcast is about the lives behind the miles.
Hosted by Fitz Mayi, this show features real conversations with runners at every level from pros to parents, coaches to community builders about training, identity, discipline, setbacks, ambition, and what the sport gives back.
Every runner has their own world. This is where we step into it.
Episodes
52 episodes
#48 Inside Cooldown | How Bailey Ness Built One of America’s Biggest Run Clubs
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 th...
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#47 How Kara Built a Life Through Running | Kara Dudley
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 Ci...
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#46 The Heart of the Race | Pro Runner Kasey Knevelbaard
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....
#45 The Long Way to a 2:15 Marathon | Paxton Smith
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 teach...
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#44 How Running on Blades Set Her Free | Tanya Khvitsko-Trimb
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 ...
#43 How A Civil Engineer Reached HYROX Worlds | Aycan Kara
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...
#42 Running Was Never Mine To Lose | Nell Rojas
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-inf...
#41 What Happens When Keira D’Amato Has to Stop Running
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 thi...
Boston Marathon: 4 Runners, 4 Different Stories
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 ra...
#40 400 Laps. 100 Miles. More Than Just a Race | Sean Rhodes
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 i...
#39 HYROX Mistakes That Are Holding You Back | Anthony Di Paolo
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...
#38 He Wasn’t Supposed to Walk… Now He’s Chasing 100 Miles | Scott Davidson
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 figuri...
#37 He Thought Running Was Over… Then Started Again at 74 | David Krygier
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 a...
#36 Adversity, Discipline, and Chasing a 100 Miler | Rio Mata
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 fol...
#35 What Happens When a Marathon Runner Tries Bodybuilding | Bobby Milioto
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 th...
#34 D1 HYROX Athlete: What It Really Takes | Eric Zalewski
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 reali...
#33 She Works Full Time and Runs at an Elite Level | Amy Hoagland
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.Chapters00:00 Amy's B...
#32 400m Hurdles to the Marathon | Brown Bambi on Competing, Coaching & Staying True to Yourself
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 abo...
#31 Twenty Years of Running and Still Chasing PRs | Michelle Baxter
Michelle Baxter has been running for more than 20 years and she’s still chasing progress.In this episode of The People Run Podcast, Michelle shares what it really takes to stay consistent in running for decades. From early morn...
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#30: Western States to Badwater in 8 Days & Life as an Elite Ultra Runner Sierra Degroff
Ultra runner Sierra DeGroff joins The People Run Podcast fresh off a podium finish at Jackpot 50 to talk about one of the wildest challenges in endurance running: racing Western States and Badwater just eight days apart.We brea...
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#29: Cancer at 26: The Marathon Promise | Nathaniel “Cheezy”
At 26 years old, Nathaniel was diagnosed with cancer.While sitting in a hospital room, a friend made him promise something unexpected run a marathon after he recovered.He hated running.Today, he’s kn...
#28: She Lost the Joy of Running Then Came Back Faster Bianca
Bianca was once an elite athlete whose entire identity was built around performance.When figure skating ended and running stopped being fun, she walked away from racing for nearly five years.In this conversation, ...
Bonus: Felicia Pasadyn's Backstory Before Running
Felicia Pasadyn, an accomplished runner with a background in competitive swimming. Felicia shares her journey from swimming to running, discussing the valuable lessons learned from her swimming career, her inspirations, and her commitment to en...
#27: Felicia Pasadyn Became an Elite Marathoner Training Differently
Felicia Pasadyn doesn’t train like most elite runners and that’s exactly why her story is interesting.In this episode we talk about her Olympic Trials qualifying performance at the New York City Marathon, recovering from injury...
#26: Rebuilt Into a 2:32 Marathoner | Max Sauers
This rebuild didn’t happen in one race it happened over years.In this episode, Max Sauers breaks down how he rebuilt his body to run 2:32 after injuries, setbacks, and hard lessons from multiple marathons along the way, i...
