THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Hello 2026, and goodbye to another longstanding record in the world of professional running. 
 
Mr. Versatility himself, Hobbs Kessler, barged into the New Year like a storm and crushed Kenenisa Bekele’s 2,000m Indoor World Record with a 4:48.79 at Boston University on January 24 to set a new standard. (Grant Fisher also beat the World Record time with a still-sizzling 4:49.48.)  

Hobbs is a one-time World Indoor Championship Bronze Medalist (he earned the bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow); a one-time World Road Running Champion (he won the inaugural road mile event at the 2023 World Road Running Championships in Riga, setting a world record at the time); he finished fifth in the 1500m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics); and he is a two-time National Indoor Champion (in 2025, he won U.S. National Indoor titles in both the 1500m and the 3000m). 
 
Simply amazing numbers for an athlete who is just 22 years old. 

If you want to understand where the sport is going, you need to hear from the athletes already living there. And Hobbs is at the frontline of a group of stars ready to etch their names in the history books. 

Tap into the Hobbs Kessler Special. 

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S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

The Mitch Ammons story is no longer just a comeback story. He’s now a living case study of what happens when discipline compounds.

Last time Mitch was here he had run a 2:16 marathon, which was fast enough to qualify for the 2024 US Olympic Marathon trials. But he had bigger dreams.  

And the quiet workhorse has since improved upon that impressive time with a new marathon PR of 2:14:48 at the California International Marathon in December of 2025. (This qualifies him for the 2028 US Olympic Marathon trials.)

He also won the 2025 Austin Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:34, winning in a big way on his home course. Mitch continues to train as a member of the Bat City Track Club in Austin. He is also an athlete for BPN (Bare Performance Nutrition) and Altra Running.

In the ultra-running realm, Mitch has expressed that he wants to run the 2026 Go One More Last Man Standing Ultramarathon again, an event he competed in last year (he finished third with 126 miles). Outside of running, he continues to work as a full-time realtor in Austin for the Landy Frost Group.

Mitch Ammons didn’t come back to retell the same story. He came back to show what sustained belief looks like in real time. 

Tap into the Mitch Ammons Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 
If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

Cole Sprout and Charles Hicks are here: two Stanford running legends in the same place, ready to chop it up at the exact moment their careers diverge.

Cole Sprout is just stepping into the professional ranks, leaving behind a dominant NCAA résumé to test himself on the roads and rethink how far his talent can stretch. Charles Hicks has already taken the leap to the roads, running 2:09:59 in his marathon debut at the New York City Marathon, instantly placing himself among the top American marathoners in history.

Cole made the transition from a decorated career at Stanford to running professionally under Jerry Schumacher. At Stanford he was a five-time All-American. He placed 4th in the 10,000m at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 5th in the 5,000m at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships as a Cardinal. 

Since turning pro, he has shifted focus toward road racing, where he placed 2nd at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K in NYC.

For Charles he became the first-ever Stanford runner to win the individual NCAA Division I Cross Country title in 2022. In November 2025, he completed his first-ever marathon in New York City with a remarkable 2:09:59.

If you want to understand what it really takes to move from potential to permanence at the professional level, Cole and Charles are here to give you some of that insight. 

Tap into the Cole Sprout and Charles Hicks Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

A recent 59:23 half-marathon for American long-distance star Alex Maier wasn’t a case of him catching lightning in a bottle.

It was the culmination of years of quiet dominance: from Oklahoma State to national titles, American records, and a seamless transition to the roads.

And with his stellar race in Houston, he’s now the second-fastest U.S. man of all time at the half-marathon distance. 

But this isn’t a random one-off occurrence. In 2025, he won the Düsseldorf Marathon in April with a time of 2:08:33; it was a top-15 all-time mark for a U.S. runner. 

He also claimed his first national title in March in Atlanta, running 1:00:48 to secure a spot on Team USA; and then set a 10-mile American record of 45:15 at the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in April. 

He was a former standout at Oklahoma State, where he earned multiple First-Team All-America honors, including a 5th-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships. He also placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 3,000m and 5,000m in 2023.

He’s gone from NCAA standout to national champion; from American records at 10 miles on the road to becoming the second-fastest U.S. half marathoner ever.

His trajectory is impossible to ignore. And the most interesting part? It all feels like he’s just getting started.

Tap into the Alex Maier Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 
If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

Everett Smulders has seen and done a lot in his running and coaching career: he went from running 3:58 for the mile at Ole Miss, to finishing one of the most brutal endurance events on the planet, the Ultraman Florida (a 321-mile, multi-day test of resilience). 

That doesn’t even include the dent he’s made as a coach. 

Everett competed for the University of Mississippi, where he became an All-American. On January 20, 2020, he became the 565th American to break the 4-minute mile barrier, clocking a time of 3:58.93. 

Following his collegiate career, he pivoted to ultra-marathons and triathlons. In 2022, he completed a 100-mile solo ultra-marathon in 18 hours. 

Then, In February of  2023, he completed the Ultraman Florida, a 321-mile triathlon consisting of a 6.2-mile swim, 261-mile bike, and 52-mile run– finishing in 29 hours and 52 minutes. 

This next phase also brought with it coaching; he is the founder and CEO of WesFly Athletics, a coaching and media company focused on helping runners optimize their training and lifestyle.

He also serves as the head cross country and track coach at his alma mater, The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia.

Everett Smulders’ story isn’t just about distance, it’s about depth, and he’s here to offer a very unique and inspiring perspective that all runners can benefit from.

Tap into the Everett Smulders Special. 

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run 

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠