THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

The grade-two calf tear he suffered during the World Championship 1500m race in Tokyo in 2025 could have resulted inJosh Kerr stepping off the track and licking his wounds.

Instead, he finished the race, committed to rehab, and returned to the stage at the Millrose Games. Kerr lined up in the 2-mile not just as the world indoor best holder (8:00.67), but as the man everyone was chasing. In a tactical, electric“kicker’s battle,” he clocked 8:07.68 and finished second to American Cole Hocker, a reminder that even record holders must keep evolving.

Josh’s career highlights include winning the gold medal in the 1500m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest; securing another gold medal in the 3000m at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow; holding the world best time for the indoor 2-mile event, with a time of 8:00.67 set in February 2024 at the Millrose Games; and holding British national records for the outdoor 1500m (3:27.79) and the outdoor mile (3:45.34).

But Milrose 2026 was a statement. If 8:07.68 in February is the starting point, the rest of the year could be something special. Because the best careers aren’t built on perfect scripts. They’re built on responses to adversity.

And Josh Kerr has never shied away from the response.
Tap into the Josh Kerr Special. 

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S H O W  N O T E S

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

Alex returns for his monthly Run Down to unpack five recent essays that challenge how we think about talent, training, and long-term development in running.

First, he explores why most prodigies don’t ultimately make it at the highest level. Early success, he argues, often masks structural weaknesses. That theme flows directly into the case for delaying specialization. The athletes who diversify early, build broader movement skills, and avoid constant pressure to peak as teenagers often develop deeper physical and psychological reserves later on. 

From there, Alex highlights what he calls the most common training mistake runners make. It’s not a lack of effort, but misapplied intensity. Many athletes spend too much time in the gray zone: running moderately hard too often, never fully easy and never truly hard.

The final pieces focus on tendon health: one of the most overlooked performance variables in the sport. Tendons adapt more slowly than muscles and lungs, yet they ultimately determine durability, power transfer, and long-term ceiling. Alex discusses why progressive loading, patience, and intelligent structure matter more than chasing fitness spikes.

Across all five essays, one idea connects everything: sustainable success in running is built over years, not months. Whether you’re a young athlete, a competitive adult, or a coach guiding others, this conversation reframes what it really means to develop. 

Tap into the The Run Down Recap 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!
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

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Since his last appearance on the show, Coach Pat Henner has continued shaping distance culture at the highest levels of the sport while playing a quiet but meaningful role in one of the most remarkable middle-distance arcs in recent American history.

After joining the University of Georgia in June 2022, Henner coached standout athlete Will Sumner to an NCAA title and helped elevate the Bulldogs’ distance program before departing in June 2024. He was succeeded by Adam Tribble.

At the same time, Henner has served as a high-performance consultant for Olympic middle-distance star Hobbs Kessler, helping to shape one of the sport’s most historic breakthroughs: Kessler qualifying for the Paris Olympics in both the 800m and 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

More recently, Kessler shattered Kenenisa Bekele’s long-standing indoor 2000m world record, running 4:48.79 in January 2026.

Henner’s coaching roots stretch from Blacksburg High School to James Madison, Georgetown (where he led the women to an NCAA cross country title in 2011), USC, Arizona State, and most recently the University of Georgia, where he served as Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Coach for the distance events from 2022–2024.

But this episode isn’t a résumé tour. It’s a check-in with a coach who’s still evolving; still shaping athletes at the very top of the sport; still refining how wisdom, timing, and trust converge when performance truly matters.

Tap into the Pat Henner 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. 

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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

What does one of the most decorated American middle-distance runners in history do after her final race?    

After 20 years at the top of the sport, including four global medals, a World Championship gold, an Olympic bronze, 11 U.S. titles, and a 3:57 1500m personal best, Jenny Simpson stepped off the professional stage at the 2024 New York City Marathon for the final time.

But she didn’t step away from running. Rather, she delved deeper into it.
Now, as the first-ever Chief Running Officer at Fleet Feet, Jenny is helping shape the future of grassroots running in America. She helped launch the new @fleetfeetperformance platform, culminating in a short documentary that signals something bigger than branding. It’s about culture.

And while most retired pros slow down, Jenny and her husband Jason have been driving across all 50 states on a self-funded, unsponsored RUN USA Tour, partnering with Fleet Feet stores, hosting fun runs, answering questions, and celebrating the heartbeat of the sport at places like Montclair, Des Moines, and the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon kickoff.

Jenny’s career proved she could win on the world stage.

This next chapter is about helping everyone else find their starting line.

Tap into the Jenny Simpson 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

Annie Kunz knows what it feels like when an Olympic dream doesn’t follow the script. 

She’s a U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the heptathlon (6,703 points in 2021), a 2020 U.S. Indoor pentathlon champion, and one of the most uncommon dual-sport athletes you’ll ever meet: an All-American in track and field and an All-SEC forward in soccer at Texas A&M. But Annie’s story isn’t just about talent; it’s about the framework she built to unlock consistency at the highest level.

In this conversation, Annie challenges the idea of surface-level New Year’s resolutions and introduces a more intentional way of thinking about progress. She touches on the behind-the-scenes habits and routines that shaped her career, without handing over a checklist.

You’ll also hear reflections on balance, longevity, and the mental demands of the heptathlon, along with perspective on navigating setbacks and uncertainty at the most critical moments of a career.

Annie shares how learning to better understand her body became a turning point, and why she’s now focused on helping other women build sustainable routines through coaching, challenges, and a newly evolving fitness platform designed for real life.

From Olympic-level intensity to steak-as-a-love-language, this episode is thoughtful, reflective, and full of perspective worth sitting with.

Tap into the Annie Kunz 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