Nicholas Thompson, CEO and Age Group Ace episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 28, 2025 · 56 MIN

Nicholas Thompson, CEO and Age Group Ace

from Running--State of the Sport · host Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch

In the running  world, Nick Thompson is known for accomplishments like his 2:29:13 in the 2019 Chicago Marathon at age 44, and his outright win in last April's Lake Waramaug 50-mile in Connecticut at age 49. In the business world, he is more known as the past editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, and the current CEO of The Atlantic, founded in 1857. He is almost certainly the fastest marathon runner among CEOs of a significant company.In late October, Penguin Random House published Thompson's running memoir, titled The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports. It traces the evolution of his own running, his relationship with his complex, multi-faceted dad, and other interesting runners he has met on the road, including Bobbi Gibb.In this podcast with George and Amby, Thompson discusses his busy life, his growing interest in ultras, his thoughts on health and aging, and his views of high-tech running devices-- both those he likes and those he doesn't like. For more about Thompson, visit his website. To read a free selection of his running essays, visit this page. Topics range from how to run fast past age 40 to why the Boston Marathon is a deceptively difficult course.Here, also, are some recent video interviews with Thompson. Seven minutes on CBS Sunday Morning, and 2 hours with Rich Roll.WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.AppleSpotifyAudiblePandoraI Heart RadioYouTube"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels."Run Long, Run Healthy" is a weekly newsletter focused on the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. It was launched by Amby in 2021, and is now edited by Brady Holmer, exercise physiologist and 2:24 marathon runner.

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Nicholas Thompson, CEO and Age Group Ace

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This episode was published on October 28, 2025.

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In the running  world, Nick Thompson is known for accomplishments like his 2:29:13 in the 2019 Chicago Marathon at age 44, and his outright win in last April's Lake Waramaug 50-mile in Connecticut at age 49. In the business world, he is more known...

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