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
69 episodes
#65 Behind the Lens: The Side of Sport We Don’t See | Audrey Helle
What does a photographer see that the rest of us miss?Fitz sits down with Audrey Helle, a Sport editorial photographer, to talk about the way she sees athletes through her lens from HYROX and track to boxing and other high-intensi...
#64 A Brain Aneurysm Nearly Took His Life. Now He’s Running NYC | Polow Lynn
In 2023, Polow suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm while out on a run.He woke up in the hospital days later, spent weeks in the ICU, and had to relearn how to walk before he could even think about running again. The first attempts back we...
#63 100 Mile Weeks, 12-Hour Shifts & Running a 2:28 Marathon | Madey Dickson
Madey is a 2:28 marathoner chasing even bigger goals while working full time as a nurse and regularly training up to 100 miles per week.In this episode, we talk about how she balances 12 hour hospital shifts with high level marathon trai...
#62 He Quit His Job to Chase Sub-2:10 & Race the Best | Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan was running 2:13 - 2:15 marathons while balancing running with work when he decided he had one more shot to see how good he could become. With the support of his wife, he quit his job, went all in on running, and eventually broke 2:...
#61 Emily Durgin: When Will I Feel Like Myself Again? | Injury, Recovery & 2028
Emily Durgin has been a U.S. champion, finished ninth at the 2024 Olympic Trials, and spent years consistently improving and competing at the highest level. Then an injury changed the rhythm of everything.Emily opens up about the past ye...
#60 She Qualified For Hyrox Worlds In Under A Year | Courtney Hayre
Less than a year after signing up for her first HYROX, Courtney qualified for the HYROX World Championships.In this episode, Courtney shares how she balances a full-time career, family life, and training while chasing her potential. We t...
#59 Why Running Never Leaves You | Deena Kastor
Olympic medalist, author, and lifelong runner Deena Kastor joins The People Run Podcast.We talk about how her relationship with running has evolved, why joy matters more than chasing personal bests, what keeps her running today...
#58 This Wasn't the Plan: From 3:15 to a 2:46 Marathon | Sydney Levenfeld
Sydney Levenfeld never expected running to change the direction of her life.After being diagnosed with epilepsy in 2020, running became a safe space during a difficult period. What started as a way to cope eventually led to a 3...
#57 This Professor Is a 2:13 Marathoner | Kristoffer Mugrage
What does it take to balance teaching at a university while running a 2:13 marathon?In this episode, I sit down with Kristoffer Mugrage a professor at Adams State University, sports psychology lecturer, and one of America's top marathon...
#56 He Had One Month of Rent Left... Then Under Armour Called | David Mullarkey
David Mullarkey left the Isle of Man to chase a dream that most people thought was impossible. After moving across the world to compete in the NCAA, spending months without a sponsor, and burning through his savings with only one month of re...
#55 Born With One Arm. Couldn’t Swim 15 Feet. Now He’s Racing 140.6 Miles. | Casey Watson
He Couldn’t Swim 15 Feet. Now He’s Racing 140.6 Miles | Casey WatsonBorn 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 c...
#54 Run Clubs, Hyrox & The Search For Community | Olivia Cox
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 ...
#53 From Paralysis to Leadville 100 | Sean Casey
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, a...
#52 How Far Can We Push Our Potential? | Stefanie Corgel
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 longevi...
#51 The Running Gamer: From Video Games to a 2:37 Marathon | Malik Jordan
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 fro...
#50 The Secret Behind an OTQ and Elite 15 Hyrox Athlete | Alyssa McElheny
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 s...
#49 How Zach Bitter Thinks About Training
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...
#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...
.png)
#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...
.png)
#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...
.png)
#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...
