THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

• Inside the Mind of Graham Blanks: 12:48 5K, World Championship Bound, and Still Just Getting Started

  He made history in college. Now he’s rewriting it on the world stage.From Ivy League dominance at Harvard to lighting up the Diamond League, Graham Blanks is one of America’sbrightest young stars in distance running.He was the first Ivy League male to ever win the NCAA Cross Country title — not once, but twice. In college, he set a then-NCAA indoor 5000m record of 13:03.78, ran 3:56.63 for the mile, and earned multiple All-American honors on the track and grass.Since turning professional with New Balance, his trajectory has only accelerated. In just the past six months alone, he’sclocked 7:29.72 for 3,000m, 26:57.30 for 10,000m, and 12:48.20 for 5,000m, cementing himself among the fastest Americans in history. Recently, he qualified for Team USA in the 10,000 meters for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo by placing 3rd at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene.Graham has impressed with his seamless shift from NCAA champion to world-class professional racer, inspiring runners everywhere to think bigger, train smarter, and run with purpose.In today's conversation, Graham takes me into his plans for Tokyo, qualifying for his first World Championship team, learning to give himself grace, preparing for World XC Championships in the US next year, inside training in Georgia, upcoming races, training insights, and more. Tap into the Graham Blanks 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-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run-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

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• The Mastermind Behind Parker Wolfe & Ethan Strand: Coach Chris Miltenberg on Building Champions and the Hidden Work Behind the Breakthroughs

  Final Surge: https://www.finalsurge.com (RUNNINGEFFECT20)Coach Chris Miltenberg has built champions, broken records, and rebuilt entire programs. But his real gift? Preparing athletes for what comes next.Coach Milt returns to the show with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most pivotal phases in any runner’s career: the leap from college to pro.As the architect of UNC’s rise, he’s been there every step of the way for Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe, two of the brightest stars in American distance running. From NCAA titles to 3:48 miles to World Championship ambitions, their résumés speak for themselves. Most recently, Ethan lined up as a professional at Hayward Field for the U.S. Championships—clocking a 3:30.25 in the 1500 meters, securing second place and a spot on the U.S. team. Before UNC, Coach Milt built powerhouses at Georgetown (2011 NCAA XC champs, National Coach of the Year) and Stanford (NCAA podiums, Pac-12 titles, countless All-Americans). At UNC, he sparked a resurgence. He’s accrued ACC titles, NCAA top-5s…and in 2024, the school’s first men’s 5,000m national champion.Now, he’s doing what great coaches do best: helping his athletes level up, without losing who they are.It’s about more than running fast. It’s about stepping into the moment, and staying there.In today's conversation, Coach Milt tackles philosophical conversations around training, mindsight, building culture, dangers to the modern day runner like social-media, prioritizing fatherhood over certain opportunities and a large deep dive into the progressions of Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe.Tap into the Coach Chris Miltenberg 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-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run-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

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• Adam Ludwin on the One Thing You’re Doing 20,000 Times a Day That’s Limiting Your Race Performance (and How to Fix It)

  What if the way you breathe is holding you back?In this episode, we chat with Adam Ludwin, founder and CEO of FivePointFive, a science-backed breathwork app built for athletes and everyday high performers. Before launching FivePointFive, Adam scaled his first company, Captify Technologies, to 300 employees across 13 countries and led it to a 9-figure exit. But after facing personal burnout, he shifted focus: from chasing growth to rebuilding health. That turning point led him to the world of breathwork, where he trained under global expert Patrick McKeown and set out to build a tool that makes high-performance breathing accessible, measurable, and actually enjoyable.Adam breaks down why most people are breathing wrong without knowing it, how elite athletes train their breath like a muscle, and how 90 seconds of targeted breathing can shift your nervous system, boost sleep quality, and sharpen mental focus. He shares the vision behind FivePointFive: combining rhythm, music, visuals, and wearable tech data to personalize every breath. They also explore why breath is the next performance frontier—and how integrating it into sports, schools, and everyday life could change the way we train, recover, and live.Whether you're a runner, a coach, or just tired of waking up exhausted, this conversation will make you rethink something you do 20,000 times a day without noticing.In today's conversation, we dive deep into breathing, its effect on sleep, workout / race performance, his company FivePointFive, tips and tricks you can implement TODAY. This one is powerful. It's one of those podcasts where you listen and you make immediate changes in your life. Tap into the Adam Ludwin 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-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run-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

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• The Man Behind the Boston Marathon: The President Of The BAA Jack Fleming on Legacy, Community & the Future of Running

  Jack Fleming is more than just a figure in running history. He’s shaping its future. As President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), Jack leads with a mission: make running accessible to everyone, all year round.After joining the B.A.A. in 1992, he’s worked nearly every role and now sets the course for a more inclusive, community-focused organization.That vision was clear at the recent Shoreline 5K at Carson Beach, a new, entirely B.A.A.-run event. Planned, managed, and executed solely by B.A.A. staff, this Thursday night race was designed with the community in mind. The event was all about participation. No cash prizes or age-group awards. Every finisher got a custom B.A.A.-adidas cap, a new kind of giveaway. This speaks to Jack’s leadership, that goes far beyond this one race. Under his watch, the 2024 Boston Marathon charity program raised a record $45.7 million, with a total philanthropic impact of $71.9 million. He was recently inducted into the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame, cementing his status as a sport leader.But Jack isn’t slowing down. He’s out running local races every week, focused on growing the sport, connecting with new runners, and making all B.A.A. events matter—on and off the course.In today's conversation, Tap into the Jack Fleming 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-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run-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

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• The Greatest High School Athlete Ever? Cooper Lutkenhaus on Running 1:42 In The 800m at 16 & Shocking the Track World By Becoming The Youngest Track Athlete To Ever Make A National Team & Set A U20 WR

  Cooper Lutkenhaus isn't just the greatest high school athlete alive. He might be the greatest high school athlete ever.Most 16-year-old track stars are making noise at their state meet. Cooper Lutkenhaus is making history on the national stage—running 1:42 against the pros and smashing records. This comes after a 1:46.86 high school indoor 800m record at Millrose in addition to a 1:45.45 outdoor record at Nike Outdoor Nationals.In Eugene, at the USATF Championships, he didn't just survive the pressure of racing America's best. He crushed expectations, broke the World U18 record, and became the fourth-fastest American in history. That's not "promising." That's historic. And it puts Cooper in the conversation as the greatest high school athlete ever.We're looking to dig deep into how he found another gear in the final 120 meters, how he managed the demands of three rounds in two days, and what comes next as he prepares to represent Team USA at the World Championships in Tokyo.This isn't just a story about a teenager running fast—it's about a fearless performance on one of track & field's biggest stages, and a moment that redefines what's possible.Cooper Lutkenhaus didn't just run a race in Eugene. He announced himself to the world.Tap into the Cooper Lutkenhaus 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-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT'S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run-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

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