THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Every few years, a high school runner comes along who forces the entire country to look toward one place.This fall, that place was Flagstaff, Arizona, and the runner was Yohanes Van Meerten.Yohanes is a prominent high school distance runner from Flagstaff High School in Arizona, who just finished an outstanding junior season. We’re not kidding when we say outstanding: he was the runner up at Nike Cross Nationals, the highest finish ever for an Arizona athlete at the meet.He also won the Arizona state championship, setting an overall course record and becoming the first runner in state history to run a 5,000m race in under 15 minutes. He set a course record at the Mt. Sac Invitational, running three miles in 14:10.10. His outdoor PRs include 4:26 in the mile, 9:14 in the 3200m, and 14:28 in the 5,000m.Yohanes was born in Ethiopia and adopted into the U.S. at age one. His story is unique as he emerged as one of the top national high school runners during his junior year, following the impressive 14:28 performance in the 5000m at Nike Outdoor Nationals last spring.He’s Arizona’s fastest. He’s one of the nation’s best. And he’s just getting started. Yohanes is here and ready to tell his story.Tap into the Yohanes Van Meerten 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

Robert Gary is an Olympian, a program builder for thousands of runners, and a coach who puts athletes first. A two-time Olympic steeplechaser (Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004), 11-time World Cross Country Team member, and Track & Field News Cross Country Runner of the Year, Gary now serves as the Director of Cross Country & Track & Field at Furman University, where he has built one of the most respected distance programs in the NCAA.Before arriving at Furman in 2012, Gary coached at Ohio State University and has played a significant role on the international stage, including serving as Head Men’s Coach for Team USA at the 2019 IAAF World Championships and leading the U.S. men to a silver medal at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships.While Gary’s personal performances are elite (7:52.62 for 3,000m, 8:19.26 in the steeplechase, and a 4:01.05 road mile), his impact as a coach may be even more impressive. Under his leadership, athletes and teams have achieved sustained success across cross country and track at the NCAA, national, and international levels.From racing in the Olympics in the steeplechase to leading Team USA and building one of the strongest distance programs in the country at Furman, Robert Gary has seen every level of the sport.Tap into the Coach Robert Gary 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

In this episode, Dominic sits down with Alex Ostberg to distill the three biggest lessons from 2025 and set the framework for a better 2026.They unpack why you sometimes have to “throw out your long-term plans,” how to invest in preparedness without trying to predict the future, and why embracing voluntary struggle is the best training for the inevitable hardships life will bring.They also talk about a hard truth: you’ve already achieved goals you thought would make you happy — and why joy, fulfillment, and “a string of good days” matter more than chasing the next milestone.If you’re trying to make 2026 your breakthrough year in running, business, or life, this conversation will rewire how you think about goals, uncertainty, discipline, and what success actually costs.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

Most people see Anna Sitar as a creator. Fewer people know she’s quietly stacking endurance goals, like marathons, long training blocks, and now Ironman-level ambitions, to show what happens when you commit to something long enough for it to change how you think, work and live. Anna is a content creator and influencer known for her lifestyle vlogs, relatable content and warm and engaging personality.Her dynamic “I Don’t Want It” TikTok series has propelled her to incredible media heights; she has over 11 million followers on TikTik and over 1.5 million on Instagram.Anna is a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate from Western Michigan University. She moved to Los Angeles in 2019 to pursue her master’s, and it ultimately fueled her career as a content creator. Anna is the founder and creator of the A N X N A clothing brand, and has worked with companies like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Delta, Amazon and Google. She is also slowly building up her endurance athlete profile these past few years: she recently completed the New York City Marathon after running the Honolulu Marathon in 2024. According to recent activity, she is training for an ironman, working to become a more well-rounded long distance athlete. Because of that, Anna’s story is a reminder that running doesn’t have to be about times or podiums to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s just a place to test who you’re becoming next.Tap into the Anna Sitar 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

Marcelo Mantecon is Florida’s all-time 5,000m high school record holder, a Nike Indoor National Champion, and an NXN finalist. And he’s only a junior in high school.Marcelo joins the show after a soaring spring and fall season for Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, Florida, that saw him cap it off with a 4th overall finish at the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) on December 6, 2025, with a time of 15:05.In September, he etched his name into the Florida High School Boys XC record book, running a 14:35.25 at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, becoming the fastest boy to do so at the distance in the state. He then took that even lower in October by running a 14:33 in the New World Fall Spectacular.  As a sophomore last year, he was named Florida’s Gatorade 2024-25 Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. He won the 5000m National Title Indoors in March of 2025 as well. His PRs include 4:15.83 for the mile, 8:16.86 for the 3000m indoor, 8:49.78 for the 2 mile outdoor, 14:14.38 in the 5000m indoors, and 14:33 in the 5000m for XC.Records show you how fast he is. We’re here to dissect how he thinks; the discipline behind the breakthroughs, the pressure of carrying expectations, and what it takes to chase national greatness while still being a high school junior.Tap into the Marcelo Mantecon 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