Marathon Handbook Podcast

In this Mailbag Madness episode of the Marathon Handbook Podcast, Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr, and Katelyn Tocci answer listener questions about training, racing, injuries, and running gear.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Saysky makes incredible running gear that our team love. Use code MARATHON15 for 15% off your purchase at https://saysky.comThis episode is presented by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: https://⁠livemomentous.com
Topics include building a long-term plan to qualify for the Boston Marathon, whether runners should race a half marathon before their goal marathon, and how hard workouts should feel during a training block.
We also discuss returning to running after Achilles and plantar fasciitis injuries, fueling strategies for long runs, and whether runners actually need a shoe rotation to improve performance and reduce injury risk.
Questions answered in this episode:
How should I structure a multi-year Boston qualifying plan?

Is racing a half marathon 8 weeks before a marathon a good idea?

How fatigued should you feel during training?

How do you safely rebuild mileage after injury?

Do runners really need multiple pairs of running shoes?

Plus: running stories, weird animal encounters on the run, and Alex’s now-infamous runner feet.
Have a question for the show?
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This week on The Running Story, Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth break down the five biggest stories shaping the running world.
First up: Jacob Kiplimo runs 57:20 at the Lisbon Half Marathon, potentially reclaiming the half marathon world record pending ratification after last year’s controversy over pacing vehicles.
Next, Eliud Kipchoge announces he’ll run the Cape Town Marathon, marking the first time the marathon legend will race on African soil in a marathon — and possibly positioning him to become the first eight-star finisher if Cape Town becomes a World Marathon Major.
We also dive into two major LA Marathon controversies:
A stunning 0.01-second finish after the race leader was misdirected off course near the finish

A heated debate after runners who took a heat-relief shortcut at mile 18 were still awarded finisher medals.

Finally, the NYC Marathon lottery results are out — and the odds are tougher than ever, with around 1% of applicants accepted.

Connor Mantz is the American marathon record holder, but his journey to the top hasn’t been straightforward.
After a breakout 2025 season that included a record-breaking 2:04:43 at the Chicago Marathon, Mantz looked poised for even bigger things. But a sacrum stress fracture forced him off running for nearly three months.
In this episode, Alex Cyr sits down with Mantz to talk about his recovery, his build toward the 2026 Boston Marathon, and what it takes to compete with the best marathoners in the world.
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They discuss:
Setting the American marathon record in Chicago

The injuries that derailed his training

How elite runners approach recovery and cross-training

Whether Americans are closing the gap on East African runners

Super shoes and how they’ve changed racing

Doping concerns in professional running

Why Utah produces so many elite distance runners

His long-term goal of winning an Olympic medal in 2028

Plus a rapid-fire round covering shoe rotations, breaking two hours in the marathon, and who he trusts most to babysit his future child.

00:00 Intro
00:47 Meet American Marathon Record Holder Conner Mantz
02:30 Injury After Chicago & The Road Back
04:30 Running Through Injuries
06:30 The Sacrum Stress Fracture Explained
11:00 Cross Training While Injured
14:30 Returning to Running After 12 Weeks Off
17:40 Boston Marathon Build & Training Strategy
22:00 Benchmark Workouts Before a Marathon
24:00 Can Conner Mantz Win Boston?
25:30 Choosing Marathons: Legacy vs Prize Money
28:30 Olympic Gold vs Winning a Major
31:00 The Sour Patch Kids Doping Scare
36:00 Doping in Elite Running
44:30 The Enhanced Games Debate
49:00 Are Americans Catching East African Runners?
54:00 The Super Shoe Effect
57:00 Why Some Runners Improve So Fast
58:30 What Makes Conner Mantz a Great Marathoner
1:00:30 Why Utah Produces So Many Elite Runners
1:04:00 Goals for 2026 & Olympic Dreams
1:06:00 Rapid Fire Questions
1:15:00 Where to Follow Conner Mantz

This week on The Running Story, Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth unpack one of the most dramatic weeks in running so far this year.
We start in Tokyo, where the first World Marathon Major of 2026 delivered a blistering three-man sprint finish and a stunning women’s course record performance.
Then we dive into the chaos at the US Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta, where a lead vehicle reportedly took a wrong turn — costing Jess McClain a national title and a potential automatic World Championships spot.
Plus:
Ironman bans on-course photography, phones, GoPros, and wearable camera glasses — is this about safety or squeezing athletes into buying official photos?

Olympic superstar Eileen Gu’s surprisingly strong running résumé

Honoring the legacy of Jeff Galloway, 1972 Olympian and pioneer of the run-walk method

It’s a packed episode covering controversy, brilliance, and legacy in the running world.
Follow the show for weekly deep dives into the biggest stories in running.
Read Amby Burfoot's interview with Jess McClain.
00:00 Intro2:00 Tokyo Marathon 2026 Recap5:06 Jeff Galloway Remembered (1945–2026)8:15 Eileen Gu: The Elite Runner That Never Was11:25 US Half Marathon Championships Controversy17:54 Ironman Bans On-Course Photography

Recorded moments after the elite races finished, we break down everything from the 2026 Tokyo Marathon. Brigid Kosgei stormed back into world-class form with a stunning 2:14:29 course record (14:25), while Tadesse Takele defended his title in a 2:03:37 thriller that came down to the final meters (23:51). We unpack the women’s race coverage issues and what we missed early (06:16), the bold front-running move that shaped the men’s race (17:58), the Japanese national record battle (26:40), standout performances and surprises (31:03), and what the shoe wars looked like on both podiums (40:00). Plus: our honest take on the broadcast, the app frustrations, and whether Tokyo just moved up — or stayed put — on our personal majors bucket lists (46:24).
#tokyomarathon #WMM #WorldMarathonMajors #marathon #running