Marathon Handbook Podcast

This week on The Marathon Handbook Podcast, Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr, and Katelyn Tocci tackle a stacked list of listener questions starting with one every marathoner has wondered about: does switching into your super shoes mid-long run actually hurt you on race day? Plus, Alex and Katelyn share the news that they're heading to Australia to cover the Sydney Marathon (and race actual lifeguards on Bondi Beach), a 66-year-old listener's quest to run a fast 800 m, advice on training two marathons just 15 weeks apart, how to keep a young runner in love with the sport, and when it's time to step back up to the marathon distance.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:05 Sydney Marathon trip announcement
10:07 Announcements: Runs Like Hell, Run Club, and The Green Room
22:46 Sponsor: Kila custom insoles
24:49 Back from break: your questions
25:43 Q&A: Training for two marathons 15 weeks apart
38:06 Sponsor: Orion Sleep
39:23 Back from break
39:31 Q&A: Chasing a fast 800m at 66 years old
50:37 Q&A: Coaching a young runner (age 8) who loves the sport
59:33 Q&A: When to return to marathon training
1:10:10 Sponsor: Momentous creatine
1:12:19 Back from break
1:12:34 Q&A: Should you switch shoes mid-long run?
1:34:26 Wrap-up & sign-off
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:
Custom insoles made with supershoe foam: visit kilarun.com and use code “marathon” to get $80 off your first order.
Orion is a personlized cooling sleep system: get up to $400 off at orionsleep.com/marathon
This episode is presented by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: https://⁠livemomentous.com
Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub
Shop Marathon Handbook Merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com
Send us a question:
https://marathonhandbook.com/podcast/
Join our newsletter:
https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/

We're halfway through 2026, and it's time for our mid-year shoe power rankings. Michael and Alex each built their own Top 10 favorite running shoes of the year so far: super shoes, super trainers, daily trainers, and everything in between. Plus, a bonus trail shoe corner at the end.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro — how we're ranking shoes this year
0:38 Alex #10 — Saucony Endorphin Pro 5
3:52 Michael #10 — On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper (Light Spray)
6:40 Alex #9 — Saucony Endorphin Azura
9:50 Michael #9 — Mizuno Wave Rider 30
12:29 Alex #8 — Brooks Hyperion Elite 6
14:50 Michael #8 — Saucony Ride 19
17:22 Alex #7 — On Cloudboom Strike 2
20:51 Michael #7 — Salomon Gravel Concept Shoe
23:45 Alex #6 — Hoka Clifton Pro
29:13 Michael #6 — Adidas EVO SL ATR
32:09 Alex #5 — Adidas Hyperboost Edge
36:44 Michael #5 — Mount to Coast C1
39:59 Alex #4 — Puma Deviate Nitro
43:19 Michael #4 — Brooks Hyperion Elite 6
46:57 Alex #3 — Asics MetaSleek
51:30 Michael #3 — Tracksmith Eliot Rider
57:16 Alex #2 — Saucony Paramount Max
1:01:40 Michael #2 — Mizuno Neo Vista 3
1:07:17 Alex #1 — Asics Superblast 3
1:12:37 Michael #1 — On Cloudboom Strike 2 LS
1:19:05 Bonus: Trail Shoe Corner
1:20:15 Trail #3 — Nike ACG UltraFly 2
1:21:06 Trail #2 — Asics Metaspeed Fuji Trail 2
1:22:07 Trail #1 — Adidas Gravic Speed Ultra 2
1:24:30 Wrap-up & what's coming at year-end
Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub
Shop Marathon Handbook Merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com

Max Jolliffe is one of the most followed ultrarunners on the internet, and in July 2026 he became the fastest man in the 49-year history of Badwater 135, finishing Death Valley's brutal 135-mile course (ending with a 12-mile climb up Mount Whitney Portal Road, in temperatures hitting 118°F) in 20 hours 53 minutes, on his very first attempt.
In this episode, Michael talks to Max about his journey from Newport Beach surf-and-skate culture to ultrarunning champion, the science behind his heat training, his race-day battle for the lead at Badwater, how he balances content creation with elite racing, and why Cocodona has become his "white whale."
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
3:25 Growing up in Newport Beach: surfing, skating, and sports
6:16 Getting sober and finding running almost by accident
8:14 His first marathon: OC Marathon, 2019
10:14 The meteoric rise from marathoner to ultrarunning champion
10:37 Training through COVID and building real consistency
12:13 Racing his way into Badwater (Sean O'Brien 100K to Angeles Crest 100)
14:05 Course recon and race-specific prep for Death Valley
14:58 The science of heat training: core temp, sweat tests, and data
17:28 What it's actually like to run Badwater 135
19:12 Race strategy and the back-and-forth battle
21:41 The darkest night: fighting through stomach issues and self-doubt
23:04 The explosion of content creators in ultrarunning
24:16 Balancing brand partnerships with full-time training
26:14 Running is the new skateboarding
28:59 Project-based running vs chasing competitive results
30:32 Cocodona 250: the race he's never finished, his white whale
31:25 What's next: Kodiak 100, UTMB qualifying, and the Go and More Ultra
32:11 Honeymoon plans in Spain (with a little training on the side)
32:59 What his watch showed during the hottest miles of the race
34:25 Do your feet really cook running on Death Valley asphalt?
35:34 Bucket list races: Western States, Barkley, and Tor des Géants
Follow Max:
https://www.instagram.com/woah_max/
Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub
Shop Marathon Handbook Merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com

This week, Michael, Alex, and Katelyn dig into that enduring debate before working through a full mailbag of listener questions: from whether it's worth traveling internationally for a bucket-list marathon, to pacing strategy on brutally hilly courses like Boston, to setting a realistic goal for your first-ever marathon.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Icebreakers
4:59 Sponsor: Kila Custom Insoles
7:01 Fall Marathon Training Kicks Off
7:42 Training Updates: Katelyn, Alex & Michael
24:51 Sponsor: Lagoon Sleep Pillows
26:40 Q1: Should You Travel for a Marathon? (London Marathon Lottery)
49:37 Sponsor: Marathon Handbook RunClub
53:01 Q2: Is Cross-Training a Substitute or Compliment to Running?
1:15:04 Q3: Setting a Realistic First Marathon Goal Pace
1:21:07 Q4: Pacing Strategy for Hilly Marathons (Boston)
1:42:15 Q5: Balancing Music and Marathon Training
1:54:11 Wrap-Up & Announcements
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:
Kila creates custom insoles made with supershoe foam. Visit kilarun.com and use code “marathon” to get $80 off your first order.
Lagoon pillows help us sleep better, so we run better.  Want to try? You can save 15% with code MARATHON. Go to https://LagoonSleep.com/marathonhandbook and take the 2-minute sleep quiz to find your match.  
Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub
Shop Marathon Handbook Merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com
Elevation Calculator:
https://30grados.com/en/perfil-de-elevacion-y-pendiente

What should marathon pace actually feel like? On this episode of the Marathon Handbook Podcast, Michael Doyle, Katelyn Tocci, and Alex Cyr break down how to dial in your marathon pace using RPE and lactate threshold, whether you need a running coach, when to wear super shoes on race day, and how to figure out your true running ceiling. Plus, Katelyn recaps crushing a two-hour PR at the Vermont 100 and Michael shares his hilliest (and weirdest-named) run through rural Newfoundland.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro: doubling season
1:30 Katelyn's Vermont 100 recap & PR breakdown
7:50 Crushing a two-hour Vermont 100 PR
9:51 Being the happiest runner on the course
11:36 Running Newfoundland's hilliest, weirdest towns
17:30 Recognized by a fan mid-dinner
21:39 Preview: pacing, super shoes & running ceiling
25:29 Should you hire a running coach?
38:00 What should marathon pace feel like?
58:00 Training for a marathon with a demanding job
1:20:24 To super shoe or not to super shoe
1:35:29 What is your running ceiling?
1:48:10 Wrap-up & listener shoutouts
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:
This episode is presented by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: https://⁠livemomentous.com
Lagoon pillows help us sleep better, so we run better.  Want to try? You can save 15% with code MARATHON. Go to https://LagoonSleep.com/marathonhandbook and take the 2-minute sleep quiz to find your match.  
Join Marathon Handbook's RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub
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