Every Runner Belongs: Caleb and Karen on Inclusion, Joy, and Breaking Barriers

In this episode of At Your Own Pace, Mike sits down with Caleb, a Guinness World Record holder as the youngest person to run a marathon with Down syndrome, and his mom Karen, who has been alongside him every step of the way. Together they share how inclusion, joy, and perseverance reshape what running can mean, both on the course and far beyond it.Before the conversation begins, Mike opens up about his own running origin story. He shares how 2018 brought him to rock bottom, how his mental health unraveled, and how the simple goal of running for 20 minutes on a treadmill without stopping became the first thread he pulled to rebuild his life. He never set out to run a marathon. He just wanted to get healthier, and along the way he found an outlet, a sense of confidence, and a deep desire to live that carried him to where he is today.Then Caleb and Karen take the conversation somewhere truly special. Caleb talks about what it feels like to cross finish lines that were never originally built with him in mind, and how races that get inclusion right create a sense of belonging that changes everything. Karen offers her perspective as a mom raising a child with Down syndrome in a sport that is slowly, but genuinely, evolving into a space of acceptance and advocacy. They speak honestly about the unseen struggles behind every medal and about the power of showing up as your real, raw self so that someone else feels permission to start, whether that means a first 5K or a lifetime in the sport.The future of running depends on whether we choose to welcome every runner, regardless of background or ability. Caleb's story is not just about breaking a world record. It is about breaking down the limits that other people try to place on us and proving that every one of us, at our own pace, is capable of extraordinary things.Tune in to be inspired, challenged, and reminded that running is more than a race. It is a movement toward belonging, and Caleb and Karen are showing us exactly what that looks like, one stride at a time.