Episode 22 - Willis Chen on Major (Marathon) Success!

Hello, hello! Welcome back to Micromobility DC. This week we hear from Willis Chen, a dedicated amateur runner who recently broke the 3 hour mark at the 2023 London Marathon. This episode is a full-on running deep-dive.For those who don't know Willis, he can often be found trotting along the C&O Canal and around the National Mall or pacing NETC track workouts. I first met him while doing laps in front of the National Gallery of Art about 14 months ago and remember him being both friendly and humble. He is incredibly knowledgeable about running - from knowing what pros are breaking national records to keeping track of (and cheering for) his DC friends' PR successes. If asked, Willis will happily provide very useful and well informed training advice, and he knows all of the best races to run. In this episode, we talk about how Willis started running - he was not a high school or college athlete. We get into how Willis went from being an over 5 hour marathoner to a 2:58 marathoner. (His first marathon was local Marine Corps Marathon!) We discuss the ins and outs of the World Major Marathons. And we get an in depth recap of Willis's London Marathon quest. Thanks so much to Willis for taking the time to speak on the pod (and matching my enthusiasm for the sport). And thanks as always to Dan Hoffman for the soundtrack.