The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

How does a winter Olympian become a 1:09 half marathoner in two years? Sofie Karoline Haugen skated for Norway at the 2022 Olympics, retired from speed skating in 2024, and has since run 10K in 31:57 and a 1:09 half marathon at the Copenhagen half, just a year after running 1:18 in the same city.

Kristian and Sofie have known each other for around 17 years and both come from speed skating. In this conversation, Sofie looks back on her career: the years without progress, the decision to move to Stavanger and rebuild her training, the 2019 breakthrough that took her to ninth in the world, and the Olympic Games. She explains why she walked away when she was still skating well, and how a casual 3K on the track turned into a running career.

Then the conversation turns to training. Sofie takes us through her week at 170 to 180 kilometers, including double threshold days, how she keeps her easy days easy, why consistency matters most, how she chooses shoes for different days as someone who works at the running store Löplabbet, and what she has learned about bicarbonate. She also reveals that her first marathon is coming up in November.

In this episode:

• From speed skating to a 1:09 half marathon
• The years of hard work before the breakthrough
• Moving to Stavanger and rebuilding her training
• Qualifying for the Olympics
• Why she quit skating in 2024
• Her first races as a runner
• Racing the Copenhagen half
• Shoes for different days, including the Alphafly 4
• A full week at 170 to 180 kilometers
• Building strength without getting injured
• Her first marathon

• 
  

Timestamps
00:00 Introducing Sofie
01:17 Saysky
01:51 Interview begins
02:19 From skater to 1:09 half marathoner
04:15 Sofie’s skating background
05:56 Years of hard work, and the setback
08:03 Moving to Stavanger
13:17 Ninth in the world
14:25 Qualifying for the Olympics
16:43 Why she quit skating
19:07 The moment she knew
22:36 Starting to run
23:16 A 9:29 3K
25:02 Working at Löplabbet and her coach
27:46 Racing in Copenhagen last year
31:24 A 31:57 10K
35:19 The Copenhagen Half Marathon
37:15 Running 1:09
40:30 Alphafly 4 vs Alphafly 3
43:43 Shoes for different days
49:26 Injuries and building strength
53:33 A week of training
59:18 Why consistency matters
1:09:46 Bicarbonate
1:11:56 Her first marathon
1:13:26 Wrap up

Sofie on Instagram: @sofiehaugen

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Content note: This episode includes open discussion of drug addiction, homelessness, violence, mental health and suicidal thoughts (mainly between 05:00 and 12:00). Please take care while listening. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use in the US, the SAMHSA National Helpline is available at 1-800-662-4357.

The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Tim Howard went from a decade of heroin addiction and years of homelessness to running marathons, finishing an Ironman and working for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. In this episode of The Marathon Podcast, Tim shares how a flyer for a running group, and a hug on his first morning there, changed the direction of his life.

Kristian first came across Tim in an Athletic Brewing documentary about Ironman, and their conversation goes much deeper than the race. Tim talks about what early recovery really looks like, the role of community in staying sober, and how running became a healthy outlet. He also opens up about the lows that came with injuries and surgery, and why giving back has been the thing that keeps him grounded.

You will also hear about his first marathon four months into sobriety, running with a pacer and thanking every volunteer on the course, his Ironman Lake Placid journey, and his role at Monumental, where he now helps others reach the start line of their first marathon.

In this episode:

• Tim’s story, from addiction to recovery
• Early sobriety and what the first two years feel like
• Finding Back on My Feet and a community that accepted him
• How to acknowledge people experiencing homelessness
• Trading one obsession for a healthier one
• Overtraining, ankle surgery and a dark period
• His first marathon and why he thanks every volunteer
• Ironman Lake Placid
• Giving back through the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon

Timestamps
00:00 Introducing Tim
01:18 Kristian’s quick update
01:49 Saysky
02:20 Interview begins
02:31 The Athletic Brewing documentary
04:06 Tim today
05:21 Life before running
07:07 Hitting bottom and getting sober
08:52 Detox and the first weeks
11:55 The first two years of recovery
13:08 Identity in and out of addiction
15:48 Back on My Feet
18:18 The hug that changed everything
20:23 How to show up for people experiencing homelessness
24:09 Finding community
25:16 Accountability and starting over
30:13 Trading heroin for running
32:03 Injury, surgery and a dark period
33:22 Finding a new way to belong
35:08 Tim’s first marathon
41:55 Becoming the community guy
43:37 Thanking the volunteers
47:15 What goes into a major marathon
48:16 Photography and the road to Ironman
51:37 Anxiety and staying on course
54:48 Why Tim never goes back
56:54 Ironman training
1:00:18 The documentary and the team
1:04:17 Finishing Lake Placid
1:07:46 Working for Monumental
1:10:03 Wrap up

Tim on Instagram: @timmy_hotdog_howard

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The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

How do you train for a 2:42 marathon while flying as an international airline pilot? In this episode of The Marathon Podcast, part of our series with Tracksmith’s Stamata team, Kristian talks with Alex Orr, a United Airlines pilot who flies the Boeing 777 and runs for Georgetown Running Club in Washington, D.C.

Alex is a 2:42 marathoner (set in Berlin) and a 1:15 half marathoner, and she is chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier. She explains how she plans every week around her flight schedule, why she protects her hard workouts at home, how she handles jet lag and cancelled flights, and what a normal training week looks like when she is gone for days at a time. We also talk about cockpit naps, recovery on layovers, and how she tells the difference between a tough day and a day to back off.

Alex shares the story of how she found her way back to running after stepping away from the sport, what she learned from two marathons that did not go to plan, and how being part of Stamata, led by Steph Bruce and supported by Tracksmith, has shaped her journey.

In this episode:

• How a 777 pilot fits in a marathon build
• Planning workouts around flights, jet lag and delays
• Joining Tracksmith’s Stamata team
• Stepping away from running and finding her way back
• From a 2:46 in Chicago to a 2:42 in Berlin
• Learning from Indianapolis and Eugene, two marathons that did not go to plan
• A 1:15 half marathon
• A full training week, including VO2 sessions and long runs
• Recovery, sleep and naps in the cockpit
• Her next goal at CIM

Timestamps
00:00 Introducing Alex
01:07 Kristian’s training update
02:31 Welcome, and fitting running around flights
07:13 Who Alex is and how she got into running
08:05 Living the dream as a pilot and runner
08:57 Joining Tracksmith’s Stamata team
11:15 Flight schedules, bidding and training camps
13:13 Getting time off for races
14:52 Early years of running
18:15 Her coaches
19:49 Life after college
20:23 Losing her father
22:52 Coming back with GRC
24:29 The breakthrough in Chicago and 2:42 in Berlin
25:15 Grief and running
27:39 What running means to her
30:01 What drives her
31:51 Chasing the OTQ
32:42 Indianapolis and Eugene, and what went wrong
37:47 The 1:15 half marathon
39:11 Lessons from the marathon
41:42 A typical training week
46:39 Marathon pace work and long runs
50:04 Recovery, sleep and cockpit naps
52:08 International trips and training around them
56:14 Recovery data on work days
59:22 Running in layover cities
1:03:41 Next up: CIM
1:05:56 Outro

Alex on Instagram: @alexrunstheskies

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The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Michael, better known as SupaDupa Slim, is a 2:15 marathoner from Austin, Texas, coached by Jeff Cunningham of Bat City Track Lab. His path to 2:15 has been anything but linear: from the slow kid on the team in a small Texas town, to a marathon that fell apart in the second half, to missing the Olympic Trials standard by seconds, and finally to running 2:15 at the McCurdy Pro Marathon and qualifying.

In this conversation, Michael breaks down what actually moved the needle: small, steady jumps instead of big leaps, a smarter approach to mileage, learning to run marathon pace without fear, and why time alone should never define you as a runner. He walks through his training week for the marathon, the block behind the 2:15, and the race itself. He also explains where the SupaDupa Slim name comes from.

Before the interview, Kristian shares his own training update on the road to a sub-2:30 attempt in Valencia, including a 3:21 per kilometer opener in a session he did not expect to hold.

In this episode:

• Where the name SupaDupa Slim comes from
• From slow kid to 2:15 marathoner, 25 years of running
• Two first marathons and what they taught him
• Overtraining, injury and rebuilding with patience
• Why small jumps and consistency beat big leaps
• How to chase a faster pace without freezing up
• A full marathon training week and the block behind the 2:15
• His mileage philosophy and advice for runners
• The McCurdy Pro Marathon, mile by mile
• Next up: the Houston Half Marathon and a Boston pro field hope

Timestamps
00:00 Introducing Michael
01:44 Kristian’s training update
02:08 Saysky
14:45 Interview begins
14:52 The name SupaDupa Slim
16:52 What running means to Michael
20:03 Staying consistent for 25 years
22:32 Growing up with running siblings
26:40 His first marathons
32:43 Learning what it takes
39:01 Injury and rebuilding
41:00 Time goals and the ceilings we create
44:53 Learning to run faster paces
48:17 Commitment and decision making
51:07 Coach Jeff Cunningham
53:32 A marathon block for 2:15
1:00:12 Recovery and fueling
1:03:49 Small habits and mobility
1:06:23 Mileage advice
1:10:23 Doing less and feeling better
1:13:24 A week of marathon training
1:17:45 The McCurdy Pro Marathon
1:23:06 Qualifying, emotions and the finish
1:26:11 What’s next
1:27:34 Wrap up

Michael on Instagram: @supadupaslim

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The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

A quick recap of the 2026 Chicago Marathon, right after the finish. Kristian watched the race from Norway and shares his reactions to a field that was packed from top to bottom: Amos Kipruto won the men’s race in 2:01:09 ahead of Tadese Bikila, and Hawi Feysa defended her title in a personal best 2:13:33 with Sharon Lokedi second.

He goes through the moments that stood out to him: Jacob Kiplimo looking relaxed before things changed, Vincent Mauri’s treadmill-built form and his fight through cramps, Clayton Young finishing as the top American man, and Emma Grace Hurley running the fastest marathon debut by a U.S. woman. He also covers Izzi Batt-Doyle’s new Australian record, Dakotah Lindwurm’s race a few days after her interview, Thomas Nobbs’ PR, and a look back at the Melbourne Marathon, including Jimmy Whelan’s debut.

All times mentioned in the recording are unofficial, as Kristian recorded right as the athletes finished.

In this episode:

• Melbourne Marathon and Jimmy Whelan’s debut
• Matt Fox, critical questions and the role of this podcast
• Vincent Mauri and Emma Grace Hurley, the runners Kristian was most curious about
• What happened to Jacob Kiplimo
• Women’s race: Hawi Feysa, Sharon Lokedi and Izzi Batt-Doyle’s Australian record
• Emma Grace Hurley’s historic debut
• Vincent Mauri’s treadmill-built form and the cramps
• Clayton Young, Charles Hicks and Thomas Nobbs

Content note: There is a brief mention of Matt Fox’s approach to weight loss, which Kristian notes can be triggering for some listeners (around 02:30).

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and Chicago overview
00:38 Melbourne Marathon and Jimmy Whelan’s debut
01:47 Matt Fox
03:08 Critical questions and the role of this podcast
05:33 Saysky
06:14 Following Chicago from Norway
06:57 Runners Kristian was curious about
07:45 Emma Grace Hurley
09:02 Chicago thoughts and Jacob Kiplimo
12:00 Men’s podium
13:02 Women’s race: Sharon Lokedi and Hawi Feysa
16:19 Izzi Batt-Doyle’s Australian record
18:16 Emma Grace Hurley’s historic debut
20:42 Dakotah Lindwurm and Elena Hayday
21:17 Vincent Mauri
25:53 Clayton Young and Charles Hicks
26:48 Thomas Nobbs
28:08 Puma Project 3 and final thoughts
29:42 Outro

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

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The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Olympic marathoner Dakotah Lindwurm joins The Marathon Podcast just days before she lines up at the Chicago Marathon. She was the top American at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing 12th, and is a three-time Grandma's Marathon champion.

Dakotah went from a Minnesota hockey kid who finished last in her first high school mile to a Division II runner at Northern State and, eventually, one of the best marathoners in the country. She shares how she trains with Minnesota Distance Elite, why strength work has been behind some of her biggest leaps, how she has stayed healthy for so long, and what a normal marathon training week looks like for her.

We also get into race week, her Chicago goal, the road to the 2028 Olympic Trials, and her upcoming book, You Think This Hurts.

Kristian also shares an update on his own build for a sub-2:30 attempt in Valencia in December.

In this episode:

- Race week routines and her goal for Chicago

- From hockey to the Olympic marathon

- Qualifying for Paris and finishing 12th

- Getting engaged right after the Olympic marathon

- Staying consistent and injury-free for years

- Training with Minnesota Distance Elite and coach Chris Lundstrom

- Minnesota winters and the Norwegian training link

- Strength training for runners

- A full week of marathon training, including easy pace and long runs

- Her book, You Think This Hurts

Timestamps

00:00 Cold open

00:13 Welcome

01:33 Kristian's training update

04:18 Giveaway

04:56 Saysky and sponsors

05:44 Race week with Dakotah

08:38 Her background

09:12 From hockey to running

10:32 Northern State

14:19 Qualifying for the Olympics

16:22 Last year's Chicago and big goals

19:00 Pressure: Olympics vs majors

20:26 Paris, 12th place and the proposal

24:51 The book

27:50 What running means to her

32:09 Chicago goals

37:26 Racing for top three at the Trials

39:30 Why she has stayed consistent

43:32 Minnesota Distance Elite

50:13 Coach Chris Lundstrom

52:30 Minnesota winters

56:38 Strength training

1:03:08 A normal training week

1:09:56 Easy pace and long runs

1:11:41 Pre-ordering the book

1:13:05 Outro

https://www.instagram.com/dakotahlindwurm/

Her book: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/you-think-this-hurts-9781250476234/

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Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns

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The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian sits down with Lars Dewall, a middle school teacher and former Nordic skier who ran a 2:22 debut marathon on a three week build and has since worked his way down to a 2:12:13 personal best at the Berlin Marathon.

Lars shares how a Minnesota ski racer turned runner fits two runs a day around a full teaching job, from a 5:30 am shake out to afternoon sessions after school. He explains how his Nordic background shapes his training, why he keeps easy days really easy, and how he ramped up to 135+ mile weeks. We also get an honest look at Berlin as part of Puma Project 3, where he set a PB by 18 seconds but had to let go of his sub 2:10 goal mid race, plus a deep dive into his double threshold sessions and strength routine.

In this episode:

- Balancing a full time teaching job with a 2:12 marathon

- A normal training day, from a 5:30 am run to afternoon miles

- How Nordic skiing built his aerobic engine

- Running 2:22 in his debut marathon with only three weeks of notice

- Why he keeps easy days really, really easy

- Going from 2:22 to 2:14 at CIM to 2:12 at Boston

- Berlin with Puma Project 3 and letting go of a sub 2:10 goal mid race

- Double threshold sessions and treadmill workouts

- Why he started strength training after college

- Peak mileage of 135+ miles a week

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and why this conversation stood out

01:58 Looking back at 225 episodes

03:07 The friendships behind the podcast and a word on Saysky

04:51 Welcome to Lars

06:26 How he balances teaching and running

07:01 A normal training day

09:11 Minnesota and Nordic skiing

13:23 Moving to San Diego and running with Lane Zero

18:12 The 2:22 debut at Grandma's on three weeks of notice

23:12 Ramping up mileage fast after moving to San Diego

26:39 Keeping easy days really easy

28:29 Training by hours, not miles

33:06 Choosing running over a promising ski career

36:11 From CIM to Boston: how he got to 2:12

41:11 Puma Project 3 and the Berlin build

43:15 Berlin: dropping off the sub 2:10 pack and still running a PB

44:22 Why the sub 2:10 barrier is still the goal

48:10 What he'd change after Berlin

56:32 Threshold sessions on the treadmill and roads

58:31 Double threshold in the Berlin build

59:21 Why he started strength training after college

1:04:22 Peak mileage: 135+ miles a week

1:14:01 Testing at Puma HQ in Boston

1:15:50 What's next after Berlin

1:17:20 Closing thoughts and a thank you to Lars

Lars on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dewalllars/

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

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The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian sits down with Greg Schaefer, a 20 time Ironman finisher, former college basketball player, and Kona qualifier who was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's at 48 and has no intention of being defined by it.

Greg takes us from his first Ironman in Nice to the Kona race where his body started "whispering before it screams," through the phone call on a family vacation that gave him his diagnosis, and the strange sense of relief that came with finally having answers. He talks openly about medication, balancing advocacy with not wanting Parkinson's to be his whole identity, and how he fought his way back to training. We also get into running the Boston Marathon as an adaptive athlete two years in a row, including a first ever negative split on a sore Achilles, and what he's looking forward to at Kona this year.

In this episode:

- Racing Ironman Nice while recovering from surgery

- From college basketball to 20 Ironman finishes

- The Kona race where his body started sending warning signs

- The phone call that brought his Young Onset Parkinson's diagnosis

- Why he felt a sense of relief, and what the disease actually is

- Not wanting to be defined by Parkinson's

- Getting back to training and racing after diagnosis

- Running Boston twice as an adaptive athlete

- Raising over $100,000 for the Ironman Foundation

- Why Kona is the Super Bowl of the sport

Content note: this episode includes an open discussion of a serious medical diagnosis and living with a neurological disease. Please take care while listening.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome and why this conversation stayed with Kristian

01:26 Kristian's own training update

11:08 A quick word on Saysky and the TMP15 code

11:59 Welcome to Greg

12:26 Racing Ironman Nice after hernia surgery and a torn ankle

16:19 Greg's introduction: 21 Ironmans, business, and family

18:44 Letting go of the basketball dream

29:15 How he got into Ironman

36:10 How his perspective changed over time

37:24 Kona 2019 and the first signs something was off

40:03 Kona: the race where his body "whispered"

42:33 The phone call: diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson's

43:35 Feeling relieved as everything finally made sense

44:45 What Young Onset Parkinson's actually is

49:24 Medication and its trade offs

52:14 Not wanting to be defined by the disease

54:37 Getting back to training after the diagnosis

58:17 Running the Boston Marathon as an adaptive athlete

1:00:27 Qualifying with a downhill marathon in Vegas

1:02:23 Boston again: a negative split on a sore Achilles

1:16:48 Kristian's first Ironman and what Kona is really like

1:20:49 Kona, the Super Bowl of the sport

1:22:35 Raising over $100,000 for the Ironman Foundation

1:23:04 Closing thoughts and good luck at Kona

Greg's website: https://gregoryschaefer.com

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