The Shakeout Podcast

Jadyn Keeler will be the first to admit that the further the race distance, the happier she is.  That love for going long was on full display last weekend in Edmonton at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, where even a measurement error that added nearly 700m to the stated race distance couldn’t dampen her professional, and half marathon, debut. In just her second-ever road race, Keeler ran away from an historically deep women’s elite field to claim her first national title. With the win, the 23 year old out of Barrie Ontario punched her ticket to next Month’s World Road running Championships, where she’ll look to keep the good times going against a world class field in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Fresh off a move to Flagstaff Arizona to join the adidas Golden Peaks Track Club and kick off her pro career, Jadyn joins the show to recap her breakout half debut, set the tone for next month’s World Championships, and share what she’s most looking forward to as she takes on the world of professional road racing. Follow Jadyn @jadynkeeler Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Push past the finish line with nutrition that fuels you. CanPrev is proudly Canadian and has been delivering supportive natural health supplements for over two decades. Whether you’re training for your next goal race or looking to maximize performance when the gun goes off, make CanPrev's top-quality products part of your well rounded nutrition plan. Discover more at canprev.ca Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series

Based on running accomplishments alone, Stephanie Case’s career is nothing short of remarkable, boasting a raft of ultra victories and podiums across some of the globe’s most iconic and challenging courses in a career that spans the better part of two decades.  Yet while her accomplishments in the sport are enough to astound, it is her work on the sport of running that has made the most lasting impact.  Through a career as a lawyer in some of the most war-ravaged and crisis-stricken regions on the planet, Stephanie has experienced first-hand how much of a privilege the simple act of running freely can be, especially for women living through conflict and under repressive regimes. While training for her own lofty goals in the sport she has also worked towards creating opportunities for other women and girls to pursue big dreams and experience a more equitable sporting landscape through her organization Free to Run.  This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Stephanie joins the show to preview her return to the iconic UTMB festival and the TDS 100 miler, how the race factors in to her preparations for an assault on the Antarctic 100–mile speed record later this fall, and why going where no woman has gone before at the bottom of the world is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to forging a trail for all runners. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Learn how you can support a more equitable sporting landscape for women and girls at freetorun.org  [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026" Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series Follow Stephanie @theultrarunnergirl 

The Canadian half marathon championships take place this Sunday, August 16th in Edmonton and for Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak 13 miles and a stellar women's elite field stand between her and a 13th national championship title. After a convincing win on the Edmonton course in 2025, Wodak returns looking to defend her title against a field loaded with talent, including last year's runner-up Florence Caron and half marathon debutants the likes of Jadyn Keeler and Gracelyn Larkin. The race serves as a critical step in the selection process for the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships, September 19-20 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Wodak joins the show to talk about her signature grittiness in competition, how she continues to adapt and adjust her training to compete with the best in the country year-on-year, and how her own work as a coach has shaped how she approaches race day. Follow Natasha @tashawodak Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.  [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026" Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Valid on regular-priced items only. Valid for a limited time following registration. Cannot be combined with any other promotion and/or discount code. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount cannot be combined with this offer. Shop The North Face Summit Series https://www.thenorthface.com/en-ca/collections/summit-series

Kumsa Yuya spent years believing that his chronic fatigue and frequent illnesses were simply the cost of training hard for his marathon goals. Based on conventional wisdom, it seemed to Kumsa that he was doing everything right: prioritizing recovery, eating nutritious food, and paying special attention to his nutrition around key workouts and long runs.  Still, bouts of sickness and fatigue that resigned him to bed persisted, and even many medical professionals were at a loss as to how a seemingly healthy, active man in his prime could keep succumbing to the symptoms Kumsa experienced. It was only after beginning to work with a sports dietitian that Kumsa realized his body was in a chronic state of low energy availability, despite his thoughtful attempts at fueling and nutrition. He would come to understand it as a case of Relative Energy Deficiency in sport, or REDs and began a year long journey back to health.  Now, he joins the show to share his experience and help others spot the signs of a condition that’s all too common in endurance sport, but frequently misunderstood. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.  [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026" Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026

For someone who has yet to reach his 27th birthday, Thomas Nobbs has already spent a lifetime in the world of competitive running. Since joining his first track club at age seven, the Vancouver native quickly found his stride, falling in love with the work harder/run faster equation that distance running offered. He also found his stride on the track and went on to assert himself as one of the country's top youth athletes, with a pair of national youth championship golds in the 3,000m and 2,000m steeplechase. But for someone who loved to work hard, the risks associated with a high-output approach began to grow, and Nobbs spent much of his late high school and early university careers sidelined with injuries, including multiple stress fractures. Nevertheless, the passion for running never faded, and after wrapping up a university career at UBC in 2022, Nobbs began exploring the world of longer distances on the road, a journey that eventually, and inevitably, took him to the marathon. Since debuting three years ago, the 26-year-old has steadily improved his time over 42.2 km, most recently with a breakout performance in March in Rockland State Park, NY, where he won the McKirdy Micro Marathon in 2:09:24. It was a three-minute personal best and made him the fourth fastest marathoner in Canadian history. After years climbing his way back through injury, the former youth champion finds himself once again among the best in the nation, and will make his Abbott World Marathon Major debut in October in Chicago, entering that field as the top-ranked Canadian. This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Tom joins the show to recap his breakout race, the big-mileage training that got him there, and what he's learned from the highs and lows of 20 years immersed in the world of competitive running. Follow Thomas @nobbs.not.knobs Cover Photo: Max Collier Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.  [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026" Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

For most of the past 40 years, the Canadian record in the women’s 100m remained stagnant, hovering right under the 11 second barrier and moving just 0.04 over the span of nearly 4 decades. But that all changed earlier this month when Ajax, ON Sadé McCreath stormed to a massive lifetime best of 10.86 at the Edmonton International Track Classic, taking nearly a full 10th of a second off of the previous national record and becoming the first woman in Canadian history to dip under 10.90 seconds.  And while the record-setting run marks a new era in Canadian sprinting, McCreath’s own journey to Canadian record holder parallels the trajectory of the record itself. Far from an overnight success story, McCreath’s breakthrough is rather the result of a decade-plus of relentless work. From nearly walking away from the sport altogether earlier this year to breaking new ground as the fastest Canadian in history, Sadé joins the show to take us inside her journey to national record holder, and how she’s embracing this new chapter in her career with an eye on finding out just how fast she can go.  Follow Sadé @onlymissmac Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.  [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code "SHAKEOUT2026" Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

For many athletes, especially in the world of endurance sport, the exhaustion that follows a hard effort is part of the reward for the training it took to make it happen. But when the mountaintop feeling of a new personal best fades away and the fatigue still lingers, it might be a sign of something deeper lurking beneath the surface.  What if that fatigue you’re battling during a heavy training block is more than simply the product of hard work? What if the impacts of an activity-filled lifestyle might actually be contributing to long term health risks? These are the questions that have often gone unheard or overlooked by athletes at all ability levels, but are crucial to making sure that sport remains a healthy part of any athlete's life.  While there’s no simple catchall answer to the above questions, a recurring theme that has drawn the ongoing attention of leading sports scientists, dieticians, and doctors is the impact of low iron levels. Yet for all iron’s importance to our overall health–and sport performance–it remains largely misunderstood by many athletes. That’s why a group of Canada’s leading sport-science minds have spent the last three years compiling the research for a landmark consensus on the role of iron in sport. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we’re joined be Kelly Anne Erdman, a registered sport dietitian, Olympian, and co-author of “Canada's Best Practice Guidelines for Iron Optimization in Athletes”. Kelly Anne joins us to discuss the critical importance of maintaining healthy iron levels for general wellbeing, how to spot and treat the signs and symptoms of iron deficiency, and how making iron a priority could be the path to feeling–and performing–at your best. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Find out more about Kelly Anne's work with Canadian Olympian teams and athletes at all abilities at https://healthandperformancenutritioninc.com/about/ or contact Kelly Anne: [email protected] Push past the finish line with nutrition that fuels you. CanPrev is proudly Canadian and has been delivering supportive natural health supplements for over two decades. Whether you’re training for your next goal race or looking to maximize performance when the gun goes off, make CanPrev's top-quality products part of your well rounded nutrition plan. Discover more at canprev.ca

A few months ago, Madelyn Eybergen joined this show as Canada's university cross-country champion. Today, she's back as a world champion, but not in running. Instead, she conquered one of the fastest-growing sports in endurance: hybrid racing. If there were ever a competition to crown the world’s most well rounded endurance athlete, Eybergen would be able to make a strong case. She's no stranger to reinvention after trading the high jump for the track and quickly becoming one of Canada's brightest young distance running stars. Now, she's taken on a challenge even further removed, the fast growing world of hybrid racing. Late last month at the HYROX Global Championships in Stockholm she was crowned World Champion in the Professional 20-24 division, with a new national record setting time of 57:37 to boot.  What makes the accomplishment even more impressive is the fact that it comes fresh off the heels of a personal-best setting track season, including a new 15:30 5000m PB set just one week prior to the HYROX global championships.  This week, Madelyn joins The Shakeout Podcast to recap her historic world title and answer once and for all the question runners everywhere are starting to ask: Could Hyrox be the future of endurance training? Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcastfeed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “SHAKEOUT2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

For all of Canada’s incredible venues for trail racing, none captures the attention of the running world quite so much as the famed Quebec Mega Trail. For years, QMT has been the proving ground for the nation’s top ultra endurance athletes and one that has increasingly drawn the interest of some of the sport’s biggest names globally as a stop on the World Trail Majors circuit. Whether it’s the raucous crowds, the beautiful scenes along the St. Lawrence, or the ever-increasing depth of competition, the Quebec Mega Trail weekend has established itself as the crown jewel on the schedule of the Canadian trail scene.  Adding further intrigue to the 2026 iteration is its status as the Canadian trail championships for long and short course, pulling nearly all of the country’s top names to compete head-to-head over the 80 & 50k distances. No stranger to QMT is one of Canada’s top returners for this year’s event, Kelsey Hogan. While her global accolades continue to impress, it is here at QMT that Hogan seems to find her very finest form and after 4 straight years on QMT podiums, including back-to-back 100 mile championships in 2022/23, she’s back again in 2026 and looking to reclaim top honours against a stacked field in the women’s national long course championship.  Today, Kelsey joins the show to talk all things Quebec Mega Trail, from her own preparation leading into this year’s event to the storylines she’s most looking forward to watching play out across the slate of race distances, and what it is exactly about the QMT vibe that keeps athletes coming back year after year. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Follow Kelsey @KelseyPamela [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “SHAKEOUT2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

Nickademus de la Rosa is no stranger to mountaintops, of both the literal and metaphorical variety.  For much of the 2010s he was at the top of the ultrarunning world, rattling off podium appearances at some of the longest, toughest and most iconic events in the sport, and boasting a list of completions almost as long as the races themselves. Of all the highs, perhaps none was greater than his finish at the 2013 Barkley Marathons, a race often deemed the toughest in the world, with only 26 finishes in its 30+ year history.  Yet, while a victory on one of the sport’s greatest stages brought the promise of a legacy cemented, it also served to further deepen an identity rooted in performance, one perpetuated by a constant striving for the next win. While de la Rosa's immense talent for the trails allowed him to dictate his own story for years, his performance-centric identity collapsed when an abrupt diagnosis and open-heart surgery forced him to retire from competition in 2017. What followed were years of soul-searching and grappling to rediscover a sense of self outside of sport.  That journey ultimately led him to mental performance coaching, using his education in sport and performance psychology and the hard-earned lessons from his own career to help athletes separate their self-worth from performance and free themselves to compete at their best. Today on The Shakeout Podcast, Nick shares from his own journey of mountaintops and valley bottoms, how’s he reshaped a relationship with the sport he loves that’s built for the long run, and how stepping away from the narrow constraints of the podium can help us all get the most out of the sport we love.  Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Checkout Nickademus on social media @ultrademus [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “SHAKEOUT2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

The 2026 Canadian track & field championships are underway from Ottawa and The Shakeout Podcast team brings you all the storylines you need to know heading into a full weekend of action on the track. Host John Gay is joined by Canadian Running's Cameron Ormond and special guest Avery Pearson, fresh off her final collegiate season at The University of Colorado. From a jam packed night of distance action on Thursday, June 18th right through the always-riveting 1500m finals set for Sunday, the team takes a deep dive into the head-to-head battles, superstar showdowns, and dark horse picks you need to keep an eye on this weekend. Plus, Pearson shares from her experience competing in her final season as a collegiate athlete, from the demands of the NCAA racing schedule to making her first senior national team earlier this year and how she plans to carry the momentum from a breakout season into a stacked women's 800m competition this Friday and Saturday in Ottawa. Follow Avery @averyypearson Cover Photo: Lauren Cawley Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “SHAKEOUT2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer. Time to plan your next Run-Cation! Spots remain for the 2026 Fiddler's Marathon, a BQ-eligible course in beautiful Sydney, Nova Scotia Sign-Up today: https://fiddlersmarathon.com/

A quick scan of a pre-race warmup area and you’ll see a rainbow array of brightly coloured drink mixes filling the bottles, beakers, and hydration packs of endurance athletes. For many, these beverages are the bridge between the hydration needs of “normal” people and the performance necessities of athletes, with brands touting optimized mineral blends and special formulas aimed at keeping athletes running harder for longer. But how much are these drinks really doing for performance and how much is clever marketing aimed at capitalizing on the most basic of human needs: thirst? With the hottest months upon us and the racing season in full swing, we welcome back Registered Dietitian Sandra Frail to dive into the salty waters of endurance hydration. We’re taking a look at what our bodies really need to perform at their best, debunking some of the common misconceptions around electrolytes, sweat, and dehydration, and understanding the real-world strategies athletes can use to optimize their hydration and avoid pouring away extra money on pricey pee. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Follow Sandra @nosweatnutrition McCubbin Journal Article: Sodium intake for athletes before, during and after exercise: review and recommendations Push past the finish line with nutrition that fuels you. CanPrev is proudly Canadian and has been delivering supportive natural health supplements for over two decades. Whether you’re training for your next goal race or looking to maximize performance when the gun goes off, make CanPrev's top-quality products part of your well rounded nutrition plan. Discover more at canprev.ca

Weeks after retiring from one of the greatest professional running careers in a generation, Evan Jager found himself inside a Swedish lab testing a supplement made from broccoli sprouts. The results of those lab tests caught his attention, and before the ink was dry on his retirement letter to the sport of distance running, the Olympic silver medallist and American record holder was right back in the world of high performance.  But while he’d spent a pro career focused on running as fast as possible, this new chapter would be all about helping other athletes reach their full potential, as he became head of athlete relations for Nomio, the Swedish company behind the broccoli-powered super supplement. Today on The Shakeout Podcast, Evan joins us to talk about how a move to Sweden set the stage for an improbable post-career pivot, what the transition to life after pro running has looked like and what it was about that first experience with a shot of broccoli juice that had him diving back into the heart of high performance sport just as quickly as he’d left. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code SHAKEOUT2026 Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

This week on the Shakeout Podcast host John Gay is joined by his coach Jonathan Green of Verde Track Club to breakdown the 2026 Ottawa Marathon, John's debut at the distance. 48 hours post race John and Jon review the training block leading up to Ottawa, the key workouts along the way, and the final preparation before the gun went off. From race-day strategy to tapering, recovery, and setting up the next training block, Jon shares his insights as a coach and his impressions of John's first foray into the marathon. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code SHAKEOUT2026 Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

For his entire adult life, Olivier Duhaime has been no stranger to taking on hard challenges. Running his first marathon at just 18 years old proved a gateway into endurance sport that would see the Gatineau native tackle events from ironmans to ultramarathons and even a multi-day cross-province run from Quebec City to Ottawa. But when a shock cancer diagnosis in late 2021 put a pause to his endurance-sport lifestyle, it presented a test of perseverance unlike any he’d faced before. From training everyday to barely able to get out of bed, Olivier was faced with a mountain to climb that dwarfed even his longest trail ultras. But from a lifetime spent pushing his body to do the impossible he knew that at rock bottom there’s nowhere to go but up, and after 51 rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, he emerged from a years-long battle cancer free.  Next week, Olivier will make his long-anticipated return to a marathon starting line close to home at the Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon, where he’ll be toeing the line in support the Ottawa Hospital Foundation whose care helped save his life.  Olivier joins The Shakeout Podcast to share his journey of recovery and his return to full the intensity marathon training,  and why this marathon carries extra importance as he raises awareness and funds for the future of the cause that gave him back his.  Support Olivier's Fundraising Efforts for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation Campaign to Create Tomorrow Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. The Shakeout Podcast will be LIVE from The Tamarack Homes Ottawa Marathon Race Expo: Friday, May 22nd @ 4pm EST: Come by and check out our interview with some of Canada's top distance stars, plus a chance to win free gear! [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code SHAKEOUT2026 Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.  

It’s the middle of May and if you’re a marathon runner chances are that means one of two things for you:  either entering the final weeks, days, or maybe hours of your race taper or, on the other end of the spectrum, relearning the fundamentals of basic human function after your most recent date with 42.2km. With marathon season peaking we’re diving into a topic that’s often overlooked but critically important: recovery. And here to share their knowledge on the topic are a couple of guys who happen to know a thing or two about getting the most out of themselves on race day and bouncing back to do it all over again.  This week on The Shakeout Podcast we’re joining forces with Rory Linkletter and Jacob Thomson, professional marathoners, coaches, and hosts of the Out & Back Podcast. Fresh off a pair of Personal best performances  (2:09:51 & 2:06:04, respectively) at last month’s Boston Marathon, Rory and Jacob are here to share their pro-tips on how to nail the taper, navigate race weekend, crush your goal race, and then get your body ready to go again for the next one. So whether you’re wrapping up your build and looking to put the finishing touches on your fitness to get the most out of yourself on race day or have been there, done that and simply want to find out how you can get back to descending staircases like a normal person again, then today’s episode is for you.  Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Check out The Out & Back Podcast

Every sport has had its watershed moment when a new technology upends the landscape and redefines what’s possible. Baseball had torpedo bats, swimming the Lazer swimsuits, road cycling the introduction of aerodynamic carbon frames and in running we are living through an era defined by what were first, and best, described as “super shoes.”  For the last decade, the shoe industry has gone into overdrive to create shoes capable of blending impossible lightness with unbelievable energy return. The holy grail sought by shoe designers in this footwear arms race: crafting the pair of shoes that would propel the first man in history to a sub 2-hour marathon performance.  As of Sunday, we are now officially living in the new sub-2 era, as not one, but two men, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe and Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, tore down the two-hour marathon barrier at last weekend’s London Marathon.  While every factor imaginable aligned perfectly for these two men to take the sport somewhere no one has gone before, one factor in particular has drawn the lion's share of attention: the shoes. Both Sawe and Kejelcha ran in the just-released adidas Adios Pro Evo 3, a shoe touted as the lightest, fastest super shoe ever created. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we’re diving into what makes these super shoes so super, and what physiological factors they impact that have helped runners achieve times long-thought impossible. To make sense of it all is Olympian and Mayo Clinic exercise physiologist Dr. Shalaya Kipp, a leading thinker in the science of shoe innovation. As one of the first researchers to quantify the running economy-improving benefits of super shoes, Shalaya reveals to us what specific factors are at play in these record-breaking shoes, how our bodies respond to these factors over the marathon distance and why runners of lesser ability might actually benefit the most from this new era of shoe tech.  Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Create an account or sign in to access the discount. Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer. Dr. Shalaya Kipp PhD. Google Scholar Shalaya Kipp earned her PhD in Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia, where her research focused on breathing mechanics during exercise, with a particular interest in sex differences and aging. Prior to her doctoral studies, she completed a master’s degree in Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied the biomechanics and energetics of human running, including early research on Nike’s 4% Vaporfly super shoe. Shalaya also has an extensive background as a competitive runner. She is an NCAA champion, a nine-time All-American, and has represented the United States at both the World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she studies human performance. Outside of research, Shalaya enjoys stroller runs with her four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. Below is a curated list of Shalaya's running economy research:  The first "supershoe" paper   https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-017-0811-2?cjdata=MXxZfDB8WXww&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_BOOKS_ECOM_PBOK_ALWYS_DEEPLINK_GL&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100086434&CJEVENT=d09b2ac1dcc811f0801f01d10a18b8f6How improvements in running economy translate to improvements in performance: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00079/full Supplementary data spreadsheet if you want to see how much a n% improvement in performance translates to your new race time: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00079/full#supplementary-materialPoint-counter/point article on the pros/cons of supershoes (also called advanced footwear technology): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pmrj.70149

For shoe designers, bringing a new model to market is always an uphill battle, but when that model is your first foray into the running shoe industry, it’s an even steeper mountain to climb. Fortunately for Scott Robertson, Innovation product manager at KEEN, reaching challenging summits is nothing new.  When KEEN decided that now was the time to make their presence felt in the trail running world, they needed to look no further than their own “resident dirtbag”, whose CV includes stints as a park ranger, trail guide, rock climber and product-tester at some of the outdoor industries biggest brands.  In crafting KEEN's submission to the trail running world, Scott was equal parts innovator and test dummy, and today he joins the show to share his experience crafting the shoe that he hopes will help countless runners take the road less traveled.  Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

Perhaps it comes with the territory for someone with a degree in electrical engineering, but Kieran Lumb has never shied away from exploring the “Why” behind what he’s doing.  In the context of his current day job, running as fast as possible at distances from the 1500m to the 10k, Kieran’s curiosity has led him to explore virtually every training style under the sun, never afraid to embrace the unknown in the name maximizing performance.  That tinkerer’s mindset is what pulled him from his hometown of Vancouver  to Seattle, the sight of his breakthrough onto the global stage as young pro, and it is the same sense of exploration that has seen him make another move in the pursuit of excellence, this time across the world to the hub of endurance innovation, Norway.  Less than a year into this most recent training upgrade, and already with a pair of national record-hitting times on the roads this year, there’s plenty of real-world feedback to suggest the changes made were the right ones.  This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Kieran joins the show to recap his move across the pond, what immersing himself in the now-famous “Norwegian Method” has looked like, and what new and exciting innovations he believes will be the next to propel his career even further forward.  To hear more of Kieran's story, be sure to check out our feature article in the latest edition of Canadian Running Magazine, available now on newsstands from coast-to-coast. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 You need to create an account or sign in to access the discount.Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

Ben Preisner may be the 3rd fastest Canadian of all time over the marathon distance, but when he toes the line on Marathon Monday in Boston he’ll be a rookie all over again.  Despite a 2:08 personal best, 3 World Championship appearances, and an Olympic Games under his belt, the 2026 Boston Marathon will be the 30 year old’s debut at a World Marathon Major.  What makes this year’s Boston debut even more exciting for fans of the sport has been Ben’s transparency in inviting fans along for the journey towards Hopkinton through his daily Vlog, Bensmarathontraining, where he’s shared the ins and outs, highs and lows of what goes into an elite marathoner’s buildup for their goal race.  Today, Ben joins the show to recap his Boston build and share his last minute thoughts on the event before lining up alongside the best in the world for the 26.2 mile trip from Hopkinton to Boylston street.  Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. [This collaboration is part of an advertising campaign led by the Podpass agency for Altitude Sports] Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout2026” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout2026 Valid on items at regular price only. Valid for a limited time only after sign up. Cannot be combined with any other discount code and/or promotion. Limited to one use per customer. Membership discount not applicable on this offer.

When Christopher Morales Williams ran his personal best in the indoor 400m in 2024 he became the first–and only–man in history to dip under 44.5 seconds. Due to a faulty sensor in his starting blocks however, what should be the official world record was never ratified.  Two years later, and Morales Williams has finally gotten his shot at redemption, removing any doubt as to who the best indoor 400m runner in history really is. Two weeks ago in Poland he capped an undefeated indoor season with Gold at the world indoor championships, setting a new championship record in the process.  Still just 21 years old, Morales Williams has racked up a resume that is the envy of pros far more seasoned than he is, yet while this World championship title has been two years in the making, it’s far from the limits of where he believes his career can take him. This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Christopher joins us to recap his record-setting run, the training that got him the gold, and some of the secrets to his success that have made him the man to beat in the one-lap race. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks to this week's sponsor, CanPrev Prime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! Find CanPrev products at your friendly local health food store!

The pre-race carb-load is a right of passage in the sport of distance running, but in recent years runners’ obsession with carbohydrates has reached a level of fanaticism that puts other running trends to shame.  A growing canon of research is rewriting what we thought we knew about the body’s ability to process fuel during hard exercise, and with some recent studies going so far as to advocate for nearly 5 times the carb intake previously deemed effective, we’ve entered into what many are calling a full-blown “carbolution”.  Add to this an ever-expanding selection of goos, chews, and specially-formulated drink mixes and what used to be the domain of elite athletes has now become the norm for those serious about maximizing their race day performance at every distance, with runners of all abilities chewing, slurping, and guzzling a growing buffet of sugary rocket fuel.  This week on The Shakeout Podcast we welcome science writer and lifelong runner Alex Hutchinson back to the show to sink his teeth into the research fueling the hype and find out whether the “carbolution” is just another running fad or if that mountain of pasta the day before a marathon truly is just the tip of the carbohydrate iceberg. Follow Alex on Instagram @Sweat_Science Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

With Spring around the corner, Canada Geese aren’t the only animals reappearing along the park paths and greenspaces of Canadian cities. They’re joined by another species emerging to embrace warmer weather and sunnier days ahead: the spring road racer.  Whether you’ve been counting down the days while slogging out the miles on the treadmill, or find yourself doing a double take at your calendar and wondering where the time went since you signed up for that spring marathon, racing season is here and the time is now to put in the work that will get you across the finish line at your best. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we welcome Olympian and 2:10 marathoner Dylan Wykes to the show. Dylan spent years as one of Canada’s top marathoners before turning his attention to helping all athletes get the most out of their running experience as a coach and founder of Mile2Marathon. Nowadays, he's passionate about guiding athletes to breakthrough performances at every distance, age group, and experience level. Dylan lends his expertise as both athlete and coach to help you focus your training, avoid the mistakes that can derail a build, and ultimately make the most out of your marathon experience, not only on race day but in the days, weeks, and months leading up. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Check out Dylan and the rest of his coaching team @Mile2Marathon and mile2marathon.com Thanks to this week's sponsor, CanPrev Prime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! Find CanPrev products at your friendly local health food store!  

If Rookie cards were a thing in the sport of Track & Field, then Foster Malleck’s would be one you’d kill to get your hands on.  After a 6 year NCAA career at Boston University where it took right up until his final collegiate season to qualify for the national championships, the Kitchener Ontario native wasted no time making a splash in his first year as pro.  Less than a week after his final race in the BU Kit, Malleck was back on the track in a different shade of red, this time representing Canada at the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing China. His first-ever appearance at a senior international championship would kick off a rookie year as a pro that has been, quite literally, one for the record books.  Since Nanjing, Malleck has lowered his Personal bests at the 1500,  Mile, 2000, and 3000m while breaking three Canadian records and becoming the second-fastest Canadian in the 1500m of all time. Add to that a NACAC Gold Medal last summer and trip to the World Championship semi-finals in Tokyo in September and it’s safe to say that jump to the big leagues was not a leap too far for the 24 year old.  Now, a trip around the sun and countless laps around the track later, and Malleck returns to the World Indoor Championships this week in Poland no longer a fresh faced rookie but a battle-hardened vet ready to mix it up with the very best in the sport.  Follow Foster @fostermalleck Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. This week's episode is presented by Under Armour Racing season is here and if you’re on the hunt for your next personal best, why not reach for the shoe that’s propelled the best athletes in the world to theirs? The Velociti Elite 3 combines Under Armour’s HOVR+ super foam with a specially tuned carbon plate and a light but durable outsole to give you all the tools you need to break through on race day.   Cover Photo: Jan Figueroa

It’s been common wisdom in endurance sports that the further the race distance gets, the longer it takes to figure it out. But every rule needs an exception to prove it and on this count one needs look no further than the career of Molly Seidel.  After a gold-studded NCAA career at Notre Dame winning titles at 3000, 5000, 10000 and cross country, Seidel’s star only seemed to rise higher as the distances grew greater. She made her marathon debut in 2020 at the US Olympic Trials, proving a quick-study at the event with a stunning 2nd placing showing and a spot on the US Olympic Team headed to Tokyo.  A year and a half later, at those pandemic-postponed Olympic Games, She’d once again outperform expectations to run away from the best of the best en route to a brilliant bronze medal. Fast forward to today and it seems her reputation for moving up in distance and throwing down continues to hold true, even with yet another change of surface. In January she marked the start of a new chapter on the trail scene with a win and course record clocking at the Banderas 50k in Texas. Weeks later, she would take another huge leap forward at the famously competitive Black Canyon 100k in Arizona.  Facing some of the best trail talent in the world, Seidel turned a lack of experience into gold, claiming a 4th-place finish and snagging an elusive “Golden Ticket”, securing her a place in the biggest ultra of them all, the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run.  Today, Molly joins the show to recap her incredible rise through the trail running ranks, what it’s looked like to double her race distance with every start, and how she’s applying the lessons of a legendary career on the roads and track to a the new challenges of the trails. Check Molly out @bygolly.molly Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks to this week's sponsor, CanPrev Prime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! Find CanPrev products at your friendly local health food store! Cover Photo: Misty Wong  

It’s the first week of March and that means one things for Canadian track & field fans: the U Sports track & field championships have arrived. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we’re joined by Canadian Running staff writer and U Sport insider Cameron Ormond, who joins the show to give us the rundown on the top storylines, podium picks, and athletes to watch heading into an action packed weekend. The University of Manitoba is set to play host to Canada’s top student-athletes from March 5-7 as they vie for podium places and men’s and women’s team titles. The University of Guelph looks to reclaim titles in both men’s and women’s team competitions after being thrown from the top of the podium in 2025 by a dominant home-track showing from then-host Western. Meanwhile, the individual competition sees a mix of returning U Sports stars such as Guelph’s Max Davies looking to cap off his university career with a four-peat in the men’s 1500m and emerging talents like Western’s Maria Linton, who will look to carry the momentum of a breakout season into a podium performance in the women’s 3000m. Checkout Runningmagazine.ca and @Canadianrunning on Social Media so you don't miss any of the action! Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. This episode is brought to you by Under Armour: all season long Under Armor has highlighted the top performances of the USport track and field season through their Athlete of the Week awards and this week the action reaches it’s boiling point at the 2026 USports championships. Check out their line up by visiting the link below.  https://www.underarmour.ca/en-ca/p/ua_velociti_distance_mens_running_shoes/6006030.html

The injury cycle can feel like a game of whack-a-mole, with one nagging pain going away only to be replaced by several different issues elsewhere. For the injured runner, the path to lasting health and getting back to the pain-free running begins with the right diagnosis. Yet while that may sound obvious the reality of getting there can often feel far from straightforward.  On this week's episode we're joined by Doctor of Chiropractic Bryan Kent to explore why so many runners treat the same injury over and over without lasting success—and how shifting the focus to accurate diagnosis can break that cycle.  Bryan unpacks some of the common myths around dealing with injury and pain, laying out a path for runners to take on a more active role in their long term resilience by working alongside their care providers to create lasting results. So whether you’ve been stuck in the not-so-merry go round of injuries or are looking to protect against set backs on the road ahead, then this is the episode for you.  Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts Follow Bryan on social media for more tips on running injury free @forwardspineandsport

Like finishing a marathon, successfully completing a Rubik's Cube is something that even those who have never done it understand that it's challenging, unique and worth celebrating. And the few who have done it enjoy a special type of camaraderie.To most minds, the similarities between the cube and the marathon stop there. But for this week’s guest, Canadian Running's cover athlete, George Scholey, there’s much more to the equation. At just 23, Scholey has already broken multiple Rubik's Cube world records, including for the most cubes solved in 24 hours. In recent years, he’s begun a new pursuit: marathon running. It wasn’t long before his two passions converged–in his hometown at the London Marathon, where he broke yet another record, solving 520 cubes over the course of the marathon (an average of more than 12 cubes per kilometre).On this week's episode, George joins us from his new home base in Canada, where he’s working on the business of cubing as a brand manager at Rubik’s global headquarters in Toronto. We talk about the parallels between cubing and training, how he fits the pieces of his full-time work and passion project together, and what the world’s most popular puzzle might have to offer runners of all ability levels.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcastsFollow George on Social Media @George.ScholeyThanks to this week's sponsor, CanPrevPrime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! Find CanPrev products at your friendly local health food store!

So who’s really driving this machine?Today’s guest, Paul Gamble, PhD, has spent his career preparing elite and international athletes. But after years inside professional sport, he started asking an uncomfortable question: Are we developing better athletes—or just burning kids out earlier?In his book, Sport Parenting, Paul introduces the idea of the Sport Parent, a powerful, often invisible force shaping sport more than governing bodies, or even coaches. Whether you’re a parent, a former youth athlete or someone who still has emotional scars from PE class, this conversation hits close to home.We’re talking about early specialization, the rise of “premature professionalism,” why modern kids are actually becoming less athletic, and how well-meaning adults may be trading their kids' long-term confidence and love of movement for short-term results.This isn’t an episode about blaming parents. It’s about unpacking how a culture obsessed with performance turns play into pressure—and what it costs kids, sport and, ultimately, all of us.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Follow Paul on social media @PaulGamblePHD and check out his book, Sport Parenting 

The last time Cam Levins took the streets of Vancouver for the Vancouver First Half, he left with a new Canadian record at the half-marathon distance. Weeks later, he kept the record-breaking streak going with a career-defining run of 2:05:36 at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, taking a minute and a half off of his personal best and breaking his own Canadian record in the process. Fast forward three years, and Levins is returning to the playbook that served him so well in the past, as he’ll toe the line this weekend at the Vancouver First Half in a final tuneup effort before a much-anticipated return to the streets of Tokyo on March 1.Now, eight years into his marathon career and nearly 14 years since his first Olympic team in London, Cam joins the show to talk about how he continues to chase excellence in the sport. We talk about his famous high-mileage training, how he’s found his way back to healthy running after years battling injury, and what it all looks like while balancing life as a new father. Plus we talk about his return to the streets of Tokyo, a city that has been a common thread throughout his marathon career, and what it’ll take to once again capture lightning in a bottle there in less than a month’s time. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Follow Cam on Social Media @CamLevins

Getting the worst flu of your life isn’t a perfect plan for anyone’s marathon race-week, but if there’s any athlete who's used to less-than-ideal prep it’s Hamilton’s Erin Mawhinney, a nurse educator who balances training upwards of 150km each week with the demands of full-time healthcare work. At last month's Marathon Project in Arizona, Mawhinney's hopes of capitalizing on a flat, fast course against world-class competition were dashed by a nasty race-week flu that forced her to withdraw just 10K into the race. Yet for her and coach Reid Coolsaet, a 2xOlympian at the marathon himself, letting the months great training go unused was never an option.  Fast forward to January 11th and Mawhinney was back on the starting line of a marathon for the second time in under a month, this time in Texas at the Aramco Houston Marathon. Free from the illness that had derailed her previous attempt, Mawhinney would go on to run a massive 7-minute personal best of 2:29:36, finishing 5th in the women's elite field and making her the 12th fastest Canadian marathoner of all time. Today on The Shakeout Podcast, we’re joined by Erin Mawhinney and Coach Reid Coolsaet to talk about the work behind the breakout performance and how they approach elite marathon training while balancing the demands of a full life outside of sport. Follow Erin @ErinMawhinney_Follow Reid @ReidCoolsaetSubscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Huge thank you to this week’s sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailinglist to receive updates and 15% off your first smartwool.com purchase on fullprice products only. See terms for details. https://bit.ly/481oMZYConditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details.

If there’s one word to describe the professional career of Lucia Stafford, it’s consistency. Since storming onto her first Olympic team in Tokyo at just 22, there has yet to be a global championship or major games where the Toronto native hasn’t been a part of Team Canada. For half a decade, she’s been a constant presence on national championship podiums, while also lowering Canadian records at both the 1K and 2K distances.Yet, for all the success that consistency has brought over the past five years, 2026 will be a season of change for Stafford. Earlier this month she announced her move to the U.K., where she has joined the likes of Olympic medallists Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter-Bell as a member of the Manchester-based M11 track Club. Today on The Shakeout Podcast, Lucia joins us from training camp in South Africa, sharing about her decision to strike out in a new direction and what she’s excited for in the new year, with a new team around her. Follow Lucia on Instagram @luciastafford7Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Huge thank you to this week’s sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailinglist to receive updates and 15% off your first smartwool.com purchase on fullprice products only. See terms for details. https://bit.ly/481oMZYConditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details. 

If the early days of 2026 are any indication, the year ahead might be one for the history books in Canadian road running. This past weekend saw the fall of not one, but two national records in two of the most hotly-contested distances, the 10K and the half-marathon. Within the span of just a few hours, the duo of Kieran Lumb and Rory Linkletter lowered the all-time best marks at the 10K and half, breaking new ground for Canadian distance running by eclipsing the elusive 28-minute and 1-hour marks, respectively. After a mid-season coaching change in 2025 to begin working with Gjert Ingebrigtsen–the estranged father and former coach of multi-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen–Lumb’s pivot and subsequent move to a new training base in Europe paid off on Sunday morning in Valencia, Spain. His mark of 27 minutes and 50 seconds over 10K made him the first Canadian to dip under 28 minutes on the roads, eclipsing Charles Philibert-Thiboutot’s 2025 mark of 28:10.Mere hours later, in Houston, Texas, Linkletter continued the momentum of a career-defining 2025 season by reclaiming the Canadian half-marathon record with a 59:49 clocking, besting Cam Levins's mark by nearly 30 seconds and becoming the first Canadian man to break the one-hour barrier.Lumb and Linkletter join this week's episode of The Shakeout Podcast to recap their record-breaking weekend and to set the tone for a year of action in Canadian running that is off to an historic start.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Check out @Kieran.M.Lumb & @Rory_Linkletter on Social MediaHuge thank you to this week’s sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailinglist to receive updates and 15% off your first smartwool.com purchase on fullprice products only. See terms for details. https://bit.ly/481oMZYConditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. Seeterms for details.

As in almost every previous year, in 2025, Canadian elite startlines looked much the same from coast to coast. Whether it was 5,000m on the track, 10K on the road or on the mud and grass of the cross-country course, a familiar cast of national elites toed the line from Vancouver to Montreal, Edmonton to Ottawa. But among the rows of seasoned harriers, one face was relatively unknown: Matt Talbot of Ailsa Craig, Ont. An OFSAA qualifier nearly a decade ago, Matt went the route of most avid high-school runners, putting his passion aside to pursue education and a career. It wasn’t until nearly a decade later, at a local road race in London, Ont., that his passion to compete was rekindled and transformed into one of the sharpest ascents in Canadian distance-running history. In just over a year, Talbot has shaved a nearly five minutes off his 10K personal best and begun to establish himself in the lead pack of some of Canada’s premiere distance races. Accumulating a run of personal bests on the road and track, Matt broke through into the collective consciousness of Canadian distance running just over a month ago, when he traded blows with the likes of four-time Olympian Moh Ahmed at the Canadian Cross Country Championships, running to a fourth-place finish and booking his spot on his first national team. He's now set to represent Canada at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla., this weekend. Today, Matt joins the show to talk about his return to the sport, his rapid ascent and what it means to kick off the year in the red and white. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Check Out Matt Talbot on Instagram @matt.talbottHuge thank you to this week’s sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailinglist to receive updates and 15% off your first smartwool.com purchase on fullprice products only. See terms for details. https://bit.ly/481oMZYConditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. Seeterms for details.

The Shakeout Podcast kicks off 2026 with a special New Year's Day episode featuring guest host Rory Linkletter. Rory joins John Gay for a conversation with recently crowned The Marathon Project champion JP Flavin, fresh off his win and new lifetime best of 2:09:18. The pros-only event was held in Chandler, Arizona last week.Flavin, a member of the Michigan-based Brooks Hansons Original Distance Projectteam, discusses his build up for his most recent event and his year-over-year progression in the marathon, with a personal best in each of his last five showings. In addition, JP talks about his decision to move up to the event right out of university, and whether other young distance runners should consider making the jump earlier in their careers. The crew also talks training, fuelling and marathon peaking, while laying out the biggest storylines heading into the new year.Give JP Flavin a follow @JFlavinPSubscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Check out the Out & Back Podcast on Instagram & Spotify 

While the holiday season represents a break from training for some, for others it’s the perfect opportunity to start ramping up towards big goals in the year ahead. Regardless of where you find yourself, the end of one year and the beginning of the next marks a perfect time for all runners to take some time to plan for racing and training goals in the year ahead. And while plenty of athletes will be obsessing over their Strava year-end stats and setting even loftier targets for fast times and high mileage in the new year, many might be overlooking an area for improvement that’s equally ripe for the taking: their nutrition. This week on The Shakeout Podcast, we’re joined by Registered Dietitian Sandra Kilmartin of No Sweat Nutrition. Sandra’s joint passions for running and nutrition come together in her work helping athletes of all abilities, from the track to Ultramarathons, fuel better, feel better, and get the most out of themselves through real-world nutrition solutions. Today, she joins the show to talk about steps runners can take to make sure they’re giving their bodies the fuel they need to perform, how to avoid some of the common race day fuelling pitfalls, and what it looks like to create a nutrition plan that works with you to achieve all your running 2026 running goals. Find more Sports Nutrition advice at nosweatnutrition.caFollow them on Instagram @NoSweatNutritionSubscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

After being named to lead the Canadian marathon team at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Malindi Elmore had some injury struggles through the spring and summer and was forced to withdraw. She  decided to focus on returning to full health in hopes of finding a later starting line where she could arrive in top shape. She built steadily through the fall, and her decision to delay returning to the marathon paid off in Valencia, Spain, last week, where Malindi crossed the finish line in 2:24:53, breaking the Canadian 45-49 age group record by a staggering 14 minutes. Malindi now owns five of the six fastest times in Canadian history. The time also eclipsed the men's Canadian 45-49 record, making Malindi the fastest Canadian of all time, male or female, in the age group.Today on The Shakeout Podcast, Malindi joins the show to discuss how she built back from injury to make it to the starting line in Valencia healthy and fit–and how in this, the 10th marathon of her career, she continues to grow and evolve in pursuit of her best performances.Follow Malindi on Social Media @MalindielmoreSubscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

On November 20th, McGill University announced devastating budget cuts to its athletics programs and the dissolution of 25 varsity and competitive club sports, effective next year. Amongst that list was both men’s and women’s track and field, programs which have existed on campus for more than a century. The decision to cut the track & field program at one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious universities has quickly drawn the condemnation of the broader Canadian athletics community while raising concerns about the future viability of similar programs across the country. A petition launched in the wake of the announcement to save the program has already garnered more than 11,000 signatures.Joining the show today is Derek Covington, head of Friends of McGill Track & Field, High Performance Director of Athletisme Quebec, and alumnus of McGill Athletics, where he was a multiple time All-Canadian on the track. Derek highlights the critical role that McGill’s track team has played as a development pathway for Canadian athletics talent, its importance to the broader track & field community in Montréal, and what McGill’s decision means for the state of amateur athletics across the country. Learn more at Friends of McGill Track & FieldSign the Petition Follow @savemcgilltrack on InstagramSubscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

When a debilitating back injury derailed Jesse Prescott's own athletic endeavours over a decade ago, it created in him an obsession with better understanding the root causes of pain, learning how to strengthen his body against future injury, and sharing what he learned with athletes of all ages and abilities. What followed was a journey into the inner workings of movement and performance and a career teaching others how to overcome their own pain and unlock the best version of themselves through his corrective manual therapy practice and strength coaching. Soon, Jesse was working with some of the fastest runners in North America in Flagstaff, Arizona; constantly tweaking and improving his programming to be tailor-made for the needs of runners. Combined with his manual therapy practice, runners began finding a solution to years spent dealing with chronic pain and vicious injury cycles and The Robust Human Project was born. Today, Jesse joins the show to share his unique approach to pain management and his strength training philosophy, one that he believes is at the heart of helping runners of all abilities get healthy, stay healthy, and bring out the best performances of their career.Learn more about Jesse Prescott at The Robust Human Project websiteand on Instagram @the.robust.humanSubscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Thanks to this week's sponsor, CanPrevPrime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! canprev.ca

After missing out on seeing Ceili McCabe in competition this outdoor track & field season, the wait is over for running fans to see her back at a national championship, as she returned in style this past weekend with a masterclass performance at the 2025 Canadian Cross Country Championships in London.In her first national championship as a professional, the national steeplechase record holder and 2024 Olympian broke away from the field and never looked back, running nearly a minute clear of the competition to claim her second ACXC title and remove any doubt as to whether she was back to her pre-injury form.This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Ceili joins the show to recap her ACXC win, discuss her road back from injury, and share what lies ahead in 2026 in her first full season as a pro, starting with the World Cross Country Championships next month in Tallahassee, Florida. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeoutConditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer.

As a teenager, Jane Roos was one of the country’s most promising young talents in track and field, with Olympic aspirations to represent Canada in the heptathlon. At age 18, those aspirations came to an abrupt halt after a devastating car accident brought an end to her athletic career.While tragedy marked the end of her personal pursuit of Olympic glory, it also served as a catalyst for a new pursuit that would help countless other Canadians achieve their own sporting dreams. While recovering in hospital from the spinal surgery needed to repair the broken back suffered in the accident, Jane set about raising money to fund fellow athletes pursuing the upcoming Olympic games [Sydney]*, creating the vision for a charity that would help bridge the gap between good and great for promising Canadian athletes by providing them with direct financial support. Shortly thereafter, the Canadian Athletes Now Fund was founded.Fast forward to today, and CANFund has provided direct financial support to 80% of Canadian Olympians spanning every Games from Athens 2004 to the upcoming Games in Milano-Cortina in 2026. In recent years, reliance on the funding CANFund offers has become even more acute for many, as rising costs place an added squeeze on athletes. Add to this the Federal government’s announcement earlier this month that they would not increase core funding for National Sport organizations from their most recent increase 20 years ago, and the prospects of competing on the world stage for many of Canada’s top athletes have become evermore unfeasible. Today on the shakeout podcast, CANFund founder Jane Roos joins the show to discuss how CANFund is gearing up to meet a record number of applicants and why it’s more important than ever for Canadians to support the athletes that represent our country on the global stage.Find out more about CANFund HERESubscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to receive updates and 15% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/4hCway5 Conditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details.

The best distance runners in the country are heading back to London for the 2025 Canadian Cross Country Championships and Canadian Running is your source for all the action.The stakes are extra high for this year’s edition of ACXC, as athletes go head-to-head for to secure their place on the Canadian team heading to the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida in just 6 week’s time. This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Canadian Running Staff writers Cameron Ormond and Marley Dickinson join host John Gay to tackle all the major story lines heading into this year’s championships. They break down the entry lists on both the men’s and women’s sides and give their picks on medal threats, dark horses, and which athletes will be punching their tickets to to don the red and white in Florida.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to receive updates and 15% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/4hCway5 Conditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details. Cover Photo: Sean Burges - Mundo Sports Images

For as long as he can remember, running has been a fundamental component of Kevin Smith’s life. Even during recurring bouts of injury, Smith held onto the identity and community that the sport provided, trusting that someday, he’d have the chance to find out just how much he was capable of. Through the years of setbacks and time relegated to the status of what he calls a “non-practising runner,” Smith turned his attention to helping other runners reach their goals, holding fast to the belief that one day he’d string together enough healthy years to realize his own racing goals, as well. While the goals changed over time, the relentless pursuit of achieving his best–whatever that might be–remained the same, finally resulting in the breakthrough he had waited decades to experience. Following a Canadian 55+ record in the half-marathon at last year’s TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Smith set out in pursuit of an audacious goal: notching a dozen records in the same number of months. A year on, he can now count himself a six-time Canadian record breaker at distances from five miles up to 30 km.Despite falling short of his 12-record target, the quest brought a renewed passion for the sport and brought home the importance of chasing big goals, no matter your age or ability. Today, Smith joins the show to talk about his breakthrough year, continuing to find joy in the sport as he got older, and how settingh bold goals is its own reward.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeoutConditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer.

When Mark Bomba accepted the head coaching role at Queen’s University in 2020, he inherited a men’s program that was decades removed from their last appearance on a national cross country podium. For the new head coach the climb back to the top of the mountain had to begin with a strong culture, and his top priority was identifying just one athlete who would buy into the team-first ethos he was trying to build and serve as a pillar for the team in years to come. Less than 24 hours after the hiring announcement was made, an email from a keen Toronto-area highschooler named Roman Mironov appeared in the new coach’s inbox expressing his eagerness to run in the tri-colour kit of the Gaels; and Bomba knew he had his man.5 years later, the men of Queen’s are now back-to-back USports National Champions, with Mironov himself scoring All-Canadian honours to assist the Gaels in both team victories and Bomba being named 2025 USports Men’s coach of the year. Fast approaching the end of his time as a student-athlete at Queen’s, it’s safe to say that the version of Queens varsity cross country that Mironov will leave behind is a far cry from the one he stepped into 5 seasons ago and that the culture he and his team spent years nurturing into a juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down.Today on the Shakeout Podcast, we’re joined by Roman Mironov, the captain of the 2025 USports Men’s Cross Country Champion Queen’s Gaels and coach Mark Bomba to recap their dominant team victory last week in Sherbrooke and retrace the incredible arc of the program’s trajectory since 2020, culminating in back-to-back national titles.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.This episode is brought to you by CanPrev! Prime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! canprev.ca

When the University of Victoria women’s cross country team claimed a team bronze medal at last year’s U Sports Canadian University Championships, it marked the first time in 13 years that the Vikes had climbed onto the national podium. Claiming bronze individually that same day was Madelyn Eybergen, a breakout star at the University of Windsor, who had entered the season as a complete unknown. Eybergen discovered distance running only a year earlier after injury woes put an end to a promising varsity high-jump career. At the time, both feats seemed like crowning achievements: a return to form for the once-dominant Vikes program after several years of steady rebuilding under new head coach Hilary Stellingwerff, and an incredible cap to her career as a Lancer for Eybergen, who was set to wrap up her time in Windsor and pursue graduate studies in kinesiology elsewhere.Fast-forward to this past weekend in Sherbrooke, Que., however, and the 2025 iteration of the U Sports Championships would see both the Vikes and Eybergen achieve even greater heights, topping the podium with gold medals in the team and individual competitions, respectively. The biggest difference a year later? That the 2024 bronze-medal-winning individual had joined forces with the 2024 bronze-winning team, combining to bring a national title home to Victoria for the first time since 2001–the year Eybergen was born. Today on The Shakeout Podcast we’re joined by the newly minted U Sports Cross Country double gold medallist Madelyn Eybergen and Vikes head coach Hilary Stellingwerff to recap a historic win for their team and talk about how they turned a pair of bronze medals from 2024 into double gold in 2025.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to receive updates and 15% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/4hCway5 Conditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details.

This week on The Shakeout Podcast, we’re tackling the sensitive topic of sensitive tummies, diving into an exploration of the science behind gastrointestinal distress and learning how runners of all abilities can turn their fuelling, nutrition, and the inner workings of their gut from a weakness into a strength. Sharing her from her extensive experience is Jessalyn O’Donnell.  As a registered sports dietitian, Jessalyn has helped countless members of Canada’s national teams achieve success at Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship competition through optimizing their nutrition strategies. She joins the show today to share the same tools used by elite athletes with runners of all abilities, helping you get the most out of every run by listening to your gut. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeoutConditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer.*** A Note from Jessalyn on FODMAPS (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols)--short chain carbs that the body has difficulty absorbing-- which are often associated with GI Distress in runners: Cutting out FODMAPs altogether or long term could come with a cost, as FODMAPs are also a great source of prebiotics which is essentially the fuel needed to nourish the good bacteria in our gut. FODMAPS are also a good source of carbohydrate which if reduced could compromise our bodies’ fuel supply needed to run well. So despite FODMAPS being a common culprit, cutting them out altogether is not a good idea and working a sports Dietitian to figure out a plan to balance minimizing symptoms, but still getting the nutrition benefit of FODMAPS is important. For more info on FODMAPS, click HERE

Having to “Go” has long been the enemy of runners everywhere, but might it hold the key to unlocking higher performance? While any runner can attest to how critical a well placed porta potty can be to performance, few realize the powerful science backing it up. Today on The Shakeout Podcast we’re joined by Dr. Chia Hua Kuo,  professor in the department of health and physical education at the Education University of Hong Kong, to explore how defecation could play a powerful role in endurance sport. From fatigue delay to enhanced cognition, you’ll never look at your pre-race ritual the same way again.This episode of The Shakeout Podcast is part one in a special two part series on Taming the Tummy: How runners of all ability levels can take control of the Gastrointestinal health to feel better in training and maximize performance on race day. Stay tuned for part two, where we’ll connect with Registered Dietitian Jessalyn O'Donnell to learn how we can apply the science behind GI distress to training, racing, and everyday life.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to receive updates and 15% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/4hCway5 Conditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details.

For more than a decade, few athletes have been as ubiquitous in Canadian athletics as Charles Philibert-Thiboutot. From a legendary university career at Université Laval that saw him help turn the Rouge et Or into the powerhouse they remain today, Charles quickly rose through the ranks on the elite scene, chalking up podium performances, national records, and championship titles on the roads, track, and cross country course while becoming a mainstay of Canadian national teams from Brazil to Budapest, Santiago to Tokyo.While his approachability has made him a favourite of both fans and competitors alike for years, it has been his remarkable versatility as an athlete across a variety of different surfaces and distances that has made his staying power in the sport so unique. And while Charles has made himself equally at home in a diamond league 1500m as he is in a muddy cross country 10k, there’s still one event that remains as the final line item on a career bucket list that seems to stretch on forever, the mighty marathon. Now, the wait is finally over and the man they call CPT will take to the streets of NYC to tackle the TCS New York City marathon this Sunday, November 2nd, hoping to put an exclamation point on the final chapter of a career that will go down as one of the greats in Canadian distance running history. This week on the Shakeout Podcast, we welcome Charles back to the show in the lead up to New York, looking back at the moments that have defined his career thus far, as well as hearing why the long road of his professional career reaches its terminus only after 42.2 more kilometres through the streets of the Big Apple.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Follow Charles on Social Media @CharlesPTSpecial thanks to this week's sponsor Altitude Sports!Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeoutConditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer.

A look back at the past 12 months and there’s not much that Nelson, BC’s Jazmine Lowther hasn’t done in the trail running world.After a summer of big-time performances that included a top ten finish at the legendary UTMB World 50k Finals in Chamonix, Lowther saved her best performance for last, leading the Canadian team at the World Mountain and Trail running championships in Spain with a stunning 4th place finish in the 82km Long Trail event.When she’s not taking on the best in the world head-to-head, Jazmine’s competitive fire stays stoked chasing some of the most iconic FKTs in the trail running, notching Fastest Known Times on routes like Mauna Kea Volcano in Hawai’i and the summit of the legendary Grand Teton in Wyoming.Today on The Shakeout Podcast we connect with Jazmine to recap her stand out performance at the World Championships, the preparation that got her there, and what  challenges still loom large on her bucket list in the months ahead.Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Follow Jazmine on social media @Jazmine_LowtherHuge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to received updates and 15% off your first purchase 👉  https://bit.ly/4nrD1wb

The 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon takes place this Sunday, October 19th. Headlining the Canadian National championship field this year is Ben Flanagan, as he looks set to make his much-anticipated debut over the Marathon distance. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we catch up with Ben to hear how he's approaching his first step into the deep waters of marathoning. Following a stellar 2024 season that saw him PB on the track at every distance from 1500m to 10,000m and make his first Olympic team in Paris, Ben tells us why the time was right to make the move full-time onto the roads.Already a multi-time national champion at shorter distances and the Canadian record holder at the road 5k, Ben shares his thoughts on why the roads have always felt like home for him despite a glittering track resume and how the unprecedented depth of Canadian marathoning currently is making the move both a daunting and exciting one for him. He also shares about his decision to move from his long-time training group in Michigan under the legendary Ron Warhurst to training solo in Cape Cod, his relationship with new Jon Green, and what it's been like to balance so much change with the demands of parenthood after the arrival of his first daughter this March. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.Follow Ben on social media @Ben_flanaganHuge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to received updates and 15% off your first purchase 👉  https://bit.ly/4nrD1wb