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Kevin Thoma on Overcoming a Life-Changing Accident, Running All Six World Marathon Majors With His Father, and Building Community With On
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On today’s episode of Just In Stride, we’re joined by Kevin Thoma, a dedicated marathoner, community builder, and driving force within the On Running family. Kevin is the co-founder of 612run and has played an instrumental role in fostering a culture where athletes of all levels feel inspired and connected.
His story took an unexpected turn in 2017, when a serious car accident left his running future uncertain. But Kevin refused to let go of a dream he shared with his father: completing all six World Marathon Majors together. That vision carried him through recovery and ultimately to the coveted Six Star medal, a milestone that represents not just personal achievement but also family and perseverance.
Now, as a Community Architect at On, Kevin channels his passion into helping others chase their goals. His path reminds us that running is about more than races and medals—it’s about community, resilience, and the bonds that keep us moving forward.
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Thanks for tuning in to the Just In Stride Podcast. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple Podcasts. With your feedback we’ll be able to make the show even better and it’ll help us reach new listeners too. You can also find us on Instagram @justinstridepod and YouTube @justinstridepod for all the latest episodes and updates. Glad you came along for the ride with Just In Stride!
Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorships
00:00:03
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Justin Stride Podcast. I'm your host, Justin Pugliese. If you love endurance sports, you've definitely come to the right place. On this show, we'll talk to athletes, coaches, and professionals who can help us reach our true potential.
00:00:18
Speaker
Being a student of distance running for over 10 years and interviewing people in the sport for the last five, I've learned a ton, but there's always more to discover. Everyone has a story and I know you'll resonate with each of our guests as we embark on this new journey together.
00:00:34
Speaker
Join us at home, on the road, or while you run. Together we'll have some fun. So follow along on Instagram at Just In Stride Pod and your favorite podcast platform and prepare to be inspired.
00:00:47
Speaker
Come along for the ride with Just In Stride. This episode is presented by our friends at Exact Nutrition, a tasty and healthy way to fuel your body before, during, and after a solid training session.
00:01:00
Speaker
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00:01:13
Speaker
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00:01:33
Speaker
We're also supported by our friends at Lagoon, the experts in deep restorative sleep, the ultimate recovery tool for your training. When I spoke with Ryan Hurley, the founder of Lagoon on episode 37 of the podcast, I learned just how important the right pillow is for optimal sleep and performance.
00:01:51
Speaker
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00:02:04
Speaker
So head to lagoon sleep.com and see for yourself why better sleep leads to better running.
Meet Kevin Tomah
00:02:10
Speaker
On today's episode of Justin Stride, we're joined by Kevin Tomah, a passionate marathoner, community leader, and the co-founder of 612 Run. Kevin's story is one of perseverance and purpose shaped by his deep love for the sport and the community it creates.
00:02:26
Speaker
After a devastating car accident in 2017, many would have doubted his return to competitive running, but Kevin held onto a powerful motivator, finishing the six world marathon majors side by side with his father.
00:02:39
Speaker
That dream carried him through recovery and eventually to the coveted six-star medal, a symbol of resilience and family connection. Today, Kevin continues to share his energy with the world of running as a community architect for Aan, where he helps inspire and bring athletes together to chase their own goals.
00:02:57
Speaker
His journey is a reminder that running is not only about finish lines, but also about connection, legacy, and the drive to keep moving forward.
00:03:11
Speaker
Kevin, welcome to the Justin Stride podcast. Finally, thank you. Justin, thank you so much for the invite. Yeah, it came ah like we work together now, ah both at ON. So that's special. I get to see you quite often, but it's sometimes more difficult to chat and have these conversations. So nice that we could set some time aside.
00:03:33
Speaker
I was looking forward to that. Super curious where this leads us to today. Yeah. And how long you been there by by a chance? i i don't know that actually. um I'm there for almost three years now.
00:03:45
Speaker
um Yeah, which is... not super long and still as we're growing that facet on, it's ah yeah, still feel sometimes like I'm i'm one of the the elder ones. So yeah, it's it's cool.
00:03:59
Speaker
Yeah. And for a big company, it's got this startup feel too. it's ah It's cool. It's innovative. um You play a big part in in community, which which I see a lot of and special activations. Is that like primary what you're doing there?
00:04:13
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah. Well, i'm I'm part of the Swiss marketing team um and taking care of of communities and um yeah, influencers, partnerships, stuff like that.
00:04:25
Speaker
it It's a lot of fun. It's a lot, as you can see in the home market for a brand. um So yeah, it's it's it's cool. It's wild, but it's exactly what I what i need um in my daily work.
00:04:40
Speaker
on top of fatherhood and and doing your own your own special projects too. I know you just did you just completed one, I think, right? For a foundation and everything. You want to talk about that a little?
00:04:52
Speaker
Yeah, let's do that. Well, yeah, as you just mentioned, on top of of the family life, um there is family, wife and two kids. And then, yeah, have the running on on the side or... or which is always one of the big pillars in my life.
00:05:08
Speaker
Having it on the side will be would be wrong. um Still love that that running is is something that you can do everywhere. And then anytime makes it super easy. Also, while you have a family.
00:05:23
Speaker
So yeah, whenever I have a half an hour or something, I go out for a run, a quick one, a longer one, whatever it is. And the project you just mentioned, um yeah, that was, I guess it's three weeks now, four or even four.
00:05:38
Speaker
It was with two friends of mine, ah a friend from Hamburg and a friend from
The Munich McDonald's Charity Run
00:05:43
Speaker
Munich. And we heard of another dude in Canada. um So the original idea was was in in Vancouver, um who did run across the city and knocked off all the McDonald's um outlets that there are in Vancouver.
00:06:03
Speaker
And we found this funny. um We checked out the cities. So Zurich, It would have been 15 kilometers, which isn't even a project, which is a mid-distant run in in a regular runner week, I guess. And then um we had Hamburg, which would have been over 100. And we were like, ugh.
00:06:27
Speaker
That sounds crazy. And so we checked out Munich and Munich was right in, well, not right in the middle, but it was at 70 kilometers. And so we were like, okay, let's let's do this and bring a little more cost to it. So we got in touch with Ronald McDonald's foundation um who helped families when when a kid has to go to a hospital and they have to live right next to the hospital. So they have doors for family.
00:06:55
Speaker
family and helping them in in those difficult times. And as family dads, we thought this would be would be a great cause. And so, yeah, we we we started funding money.
00:07:07
Speaker
And on that particular rainy Saturday Munich, we started at 6 a.m. at Marienplatz, which is right in the middle of the city. um between the dudes who were still awake um making their way home from nightlife and grabbing their last cheeseburger and we grab a donut and and the coffee and made our ways on that 71 kilometer ride through the city which was A long way, but also a lot of fun.
00:07:39
Speaker
um Our second last stop was that Ronald McDonald House um in in South Munich. And that was really moving, A, to see the families who are suffering there. So we saw what impact we can have.
00:07:54
Speaker
But then also get to knowing the people there who work there and were like, You're the craziest dudes who have entered this house. And thank you so much for for bringing attention to our project and and of course the donation.
00:08:09
Speaker
So yeah, that was cool. And yeah, definitely have to admit, um fries and burgers never tasted that good as on that Saturday. Right after I stopped my watch and it was something like beyond 5000 calories burned. It was like I can have easily two medium menus and it's still cool. So yeah, that was that was quite fun.
00:08:34
Speaker
So how many how many how much McDonald's did you eat in this adventure? Well, um the to to be to be honest, as just mentioned, we started 6am at Marienplatz.
00:08:47
Speaker
We had a donut there. And then for like the first six or seven outlets, they were closed because it was yeah early morning and and yeah they will not be open.
00:08:58
Speaker
But then around noon, we had a ah stop at one particular McDonald's and we we stopped there. we We started ordering, but during the order, we were like, woof is this ah this a good decision? So we stuck to Pommes.
00:09:13
Speaker
um and And the fries the fries was was really, honestly, it's something I will keep in my runs whenever I run and have a long run and I will feel bad. I will stop at a McDonald's.
00:09:26
Speaker
fries are amazing. you have You have the potato, you have salt, okay, a little too much of the fat. But so yeah, for the rest of the day, um yeah, we we had lots of of fries.
00:09:41
Speaker
funny side note, um fries in the small menu are served in those paper bags, not in the in the cupboard bags. And so that's even better because we all had our ultra Wests and so we could stick them into the ultra West and and have them during the run.
00:09:58
Speaker
That was that was really, really, really good. um So, yeah, fully transparent, no burger during the run, many burgers after, but lots of fries during during that adventure.
00:10:13
Speaker
Okay, so McDonald's was fueling the the excursion, I guess. Absolutely. and And did you reach out to the guy in Canada to to see how he did it? or my my friend tmo My friend Timo did. um He spent like a year or so um in Vancouver back then. And so we got in touch with him. They had...
00:10:36
Speaker
friends of friends together so they got in touch and and yeah of course he he found it quite funny because he did something around ah marathon or so and so um he was like in shock of our distance but loved that the project is living on and so yeah that that's it's cool um we're We're bringing on his project and let's see who does it next. There were many voices around me who were like, oh, I'm going to do something like that as well. Yeah.
00:11:07
Speaker
Let's see where Mac Marathon is is going. Yeah. And so you guys all ran together, right? It wasn't relay style. You guys did the Absolutely. Yeah. yeah um So yeah, that was that was misunderstood before.
00:11:20
Speaker
Definitely people were like, oh, so each and every one of you does something in the 25 kilometers or something like that. And we were like, no, we're running it together. um Yeah, which which is fun because you always have a buddy to talk.
00:11:37
Speaker
But also so between 50 and 60, there were those darker hours, to be honest, or that the darkest hour on our journey where everyone had his tail.
00:11:50
Speaker
and And so, yeah, we we sometimes spread out maybe 100 meters or something like that, where we just... realized that running the same pace would not help us at that particular moment.
00:12:03
Speaker
So we were like, okay, see you at the next McDonald's. but overall, we arrived at every McDonald's together and we left together and yeah, started our Garmin watches together and stopped them at at the end. So nice.
00:12:18
Speaker
Makes it easier to do with friends. Yeah. And how much were you able to raise? How many how much
The Power of Running and Community Impact
00:12:24
Speaker
funds? Are you still raising funds? At the end of the day, it was a little more than 4000, which is cool.
00:12:32
Speaker
ah We our goal was one K per person. So we were around three. Now it's four, which is cool. And yeah, and I'm still I'm still moved by by the amount of people who who donated their hard earned money.
00:12:49
Speaker
It's always something beautiful for me to see that that you can really do a yeah. you can be the change in the world if if if you do so and and have amazing people around who support that.
00:13:04
Speaker
And I find it's, especially when you're doing charity work for charity, it's always easier if you frame it like if I look at it, like I'm not asking for myself, I'm looking, I'm asking for something I'm passionate about.
00:13:18
Speaker
And if it's something that's truly meaningful to you, then it's so much easier to ask and also for people to give because they know that there's a thought behind it. 100%. How did you choose that one? like Was there something that stood out to you about that? Did you look at many different organizations? like I know who they help was moving for you, but...
00:13:39
Speaker
Absolutely. we were We were checking different um yeah different foundations and and ideas that we could support. And then at the end of the day, of course, the Mac Marathon thing kind of, yeah, obviously led to Ronald McDonald.
00:13:56
Speaker
And on top of it, as family dads, it was ah another thing where we were like, hey, if... yeah if If that moment happens where we have to go through through those dark days, are super happy if if if help is there.
00:14:11
Speaker
So yeah, let's let's maybe work on that karma first and yeah have it on our yeah in our back. do you Do you know the impact that your 4K has on like for this foundation? Yes. Absolutely.
00:14:27
Speaker
Yeah. They were like, with that money, they can um they can help three to four families. and Yeah, of course, depending on on the duration day they will spend in in the in the hospital.
00:14:40
Speaker
But yeah, and already hearing that it's three or four families, yeah, moves me again because we just got to know two families there and their stories were kind of moving and and we saw that how how thankful they are.
00:14:56
Speaker
So now imagining that and another two um families, yeah, have that support because of us is beyond great. It's it's amazing.
00:15:08
Speaker
That's great, man. I love i love stuff like that. and And it's always nice when you could put a purpose behind it and make it more than it just about yourself. and you see You said a few times putting change into the world. Is that something that as ah as a runner, as a also somebody like working in the community space, is that something that you're after? Is that is that a kind of a mission of yours, would you say? Absolutely.
00:15:33
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah. and At the end of the day,
00:15:38
Speaker
Running has changed slash saved my life and I ah personally would love to see everybody run.
00:15:49
Speaker
I still think that that it's the purest form of movement that we have and and I just see how much joy it can bring not just to my life but the life of hundreds and thousands of people I worked with in the last decade or something like that.
00:16:05
Speaker
And so... This is quite a mission for me. Yeah, I think a running world is is a peaceful world. And well, world peace is a big ah big thing. But at the end of the day, yeah do the change in in your community and the communities around.
00:16:24
Speaker
And that's what I'm very passionate about and and working on night and day. And even even small things can make a big impact. you know Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:16:37
Speaker
and I mean, it starts it starts literally with with with small talks. I had. Yeah, that's one particular um example that that always falls into my mind very quickly.
00:16:52
Speaker
i was I just finished my my third or fourth marathon, came back home and went to a ah a birthday of a friend. And got to know that girl there who who was like, oh, you're the runner I heard of. And I was like, well, yeah, I run i run marathons. it'ss It's my passion, but I would still not consider being that runner.
00:17:14
Speaker
um And we talked that whole evening. And she then um told me that she always thought of running New York City Marathon one day.
00:17:25
Speaker
This is the thing I might do someone. And... we talked in fall 2014 and then the week after we we met for a run and she was like, you know, what you told me, how running changes your world.
00:17:44
Speaker
This took to my head and I think I really have to work on on that dream and the New York City Marathon and And I told her that that my goal would be running New York City Marathon 2018. I was on the hunt of doing the the six world marathon majors back then.
00:18:01
Speaker
And she was like, okay, it's a date. I'll join you. i will be there as well. I will not run in your pace. but But that's my longtime goal now. And she literally made herself that plan of like a three-year plan to New York City Marathon.
00:18:19
Speaker
And... Still, when I see her, when I see someone one from her family who are all runners now, who have all finished a marathon um and and seeing her and she's always literally every time we we meet, she's thankful for for what happened that that particular evening.
00:18:41
Speaker
And I see that in her family and and her community again. And so I think, as you just mentioned, small small yeah small stones who who start a role can really lead to something big. And and yeah, that's that's what what we all can do day in, day out, hopefully.
00:19:00
Speaker
And yeah, if if we keep on doing that, I think it's it's just the best thing we can do, inspire other people to do their best and the world will be a ah way better place when we leave somewhere deep.
00:19:13
Speaker
But yeah, sure. And you never know, you never know who's listening to. I mean, absolutely. That's why I started this podcast because I met a couple that, you know, i was active and running, but I met a couple that made me think bigger and yeah ended up doing some endurance ah triathlon that I never thought I could do. And, um,
00:19:37
Speaker
Yeah, like getting to some big majors and, you know, like just, I mean, but it's because of them. It's because of like I met them and they and inspired me by their story. And, you know, it's and then what happens then is people catch on to that or the more they share that story, the more um people.
00:19:56
Speaker
maybe challenge themselves or whatever. And this sounds like this girl did the same. And it's cool that just her voicing that to you and you kind of like accepting what she was telling you and and also maybe encouraging her in that way helped her get there, you know, and she painted the picture. 100%. Absolutely. and So cool. it's it Yeah, I think it's just on one hand, you feel like super thankful for the person who brought you in but then I'm sometimes even more thankful to see to what it led with the people we inspire or I inspire or you inspire like when you can see like the seeds that you somewhere somehow plant start to bloom and and become beautiful flowers and trees it's it's's yeah beyond yeah it's one of of the best feelings I guess
00:20:56
Speaker
And even like little things like the run club, you know, let's say at ON, for example, it's a community thing. You see somebody coming for the, you know, for the first time joining a group and then they come back week after week. And then two years later, they're still there. They've...
00:21:12
Speaker
You know, they before they were at the back of the pack and now they're no problem. and Come back and and suddenly show up in their finisher shirt and and you're like, oh, wow.
00:21:23
Speaker
I remember you coming in for the first time and having a very red hat after 5K. And now you're standing in front of me with that half marathon shirt. How did that happen? But yeah, it happens right in front of us.
00:21:39
Speaker
Super amazing. um I always like to go back to the start of yeah you, ah Kevin, and and how you grew up as a kid, where you grew up, were you active as a kid, what kind of things were you into, and and then maybe how did running come into your life?
00:21:54
Speaker
um Well, I was born in 1999 in the east of Switzerland, St.
Kevin's Running Journey Begins
00:22:02
Speaker
Gallen. It's called small town, a university town, known for its economics university.
00:22:09
Speaker
There's not much more. But yeah, and um yeah, that I was, we had a pretty normal ish family.
00:22:19
Speaker
um The parents, three kids, I have, yeah, two siblings, sister and a brother. um I'm the middle one. um And, and then Well, I was an active kid, definitely. um I did a lot of football, soccer, as they would say in the US. But um yeah, that's kind of the also very regular thing a boy in in Switzerland would do.
00:22:48
Speaker
It's still sports number one here and did that for my yeah my childhood. My brother, my little brother, was more of the runner. He was part of the athletics team here.
00:23:02
Speaker
And I was always like, no, thats that's not the thing I would want to do. I always needed to have that ball that I started to catch or shoot at the at the target. And it stayed like that until my adolescence somewhere um where where, yeah, then the the decision came, yeah, do you want to stay with sports or do you start doing, yeah, start learning a job, something like that. And Switzerland, it's often the case that you say, okay, first we learn a job and then we can do the sport thing again, which is all very fine.
00:23:39
Speaker
um In that time, i started to find fun in in endurance stuff, but everything with wheels, it was mountain bike, road bike, it was those those inline skates that were a thing back then.
00:23:55
Speaker
um That was all all a thing. And and Then around my 18th, 19th birthday, kids in or boys in Switzerland have to do their their basic training in army.
00:24:08
Speaker
um That is 21 weeks. um And yeah, the week looks like Monday to so Friday or Saturday, you're in the army and then for a weekend you go home and on Sunday evening you go back.
00:24:20
Speaker
And my weekend looked the same as always. I came home Saturday morning, needed some rest, did the laundry. In the evening, I met my friends, went out, drank way too much, slept almost the whole Sunday, and then I went back um to the army.
00:24:39
Speaker
And yeah, parents did not like that that much, obviously. And at one particular Saturday, it was my dad who was like, what's your plan this weekend? Are you doing the same as always? And I was like, well, I thought, what's in your mind? And he was like, well,
00:24:58
Speaker
as you told me, you're marching a lot. you marched 25k last week. So I signed you up for a half marathon tomorrow. And I was like, let's go.
00:25:10
Speaker
And so I basically ran my my first half marathon without proper running training and still my endurance and and time on my legs was there. Absolutely.
00:25:20
Speaker
And I joined him for that half marathon. Um, And that was quite of like my entry ticket into into running. And and i the sporty mind in me was like, I finished somewhere around 152, 153, I guess. And I finished and I saw a lot of elder people, a lot of less sportive people than me in front of me finishing. And I was like, that's not how it should be.
00:25:49
Speaker
And that's where where it all started. if I felt like, okay, I want to do a half marathon a little faster next time. And yeah, that's how it started rolling. At some point I was like, okay, half marathon sounds only half assed. Let's do a marathon.
00:26:04
Speaker
so yeah Half of a marathon. What is that? Absolutely. Why would you celebrate that?
00:26:14
Speaker
Crazy. But your dad was already into that. That's great. for Absolutely. i mean, and and and funny thing, he he wasn't the runner. himself either during his his childhood.
00:26:26
Speaker
It was something he he found during his 30s. So, um yeah, he was in it. He did nine marathons until or eight until that time where I started picking up running.
00:26:42
Speaker
Then he did his ninth anten and then he did all those nine marathons somewhere in Switzerland, which are small, which were small marathons back then. And um yeah, then then he was like, OK, for my 10th, I want to do it somewhere in another city and I'll check out where where I could do it. And I was like, OK, I'll join you.
00:27:04
Speaker
That's my first marathon. And so he picked the Prague Marathon in Czech Republic, um which was on his birthday. um And it was also ah Mother's Day weekend. So we made a family trip there.
00:27:20
Speaker
Mother's Day, Daddy's birthday, his 10th marathon, my first marathon, all five together. we had an amazing time. I had a horrible marathon. um but But also there, i mean, i we finished together.
00:27:34
Speaker
We stuck together for the whole race, which I still am super thankful for. And yeah, i was also once again that day where I was like, okay, I got to put more preparation in that. I can do better.
00:27:48
Speaker
And yeah, Yeah, that's where the marathon um addiction started. a And do you remember the early struggles that you had with the with running and op how you felt when you did? Like, of course, when you finish, it feels good. But, you know. Yes. Well, first marathon, not that much. I was like...
00:28:11
Speaker
dumb thing to do. i did one of those mud races two months prior to marathon, stumbled into one of those mud puddles, cut to my knee, a knee surgery exactly two months before my first marathon, was able to move my knee five weeks before my marathon and the dogs were all, well, you might better not do that marathon. And I was like, if you knew, of course I would.
00:28:40
Speaker
And so, yeah, I, of course, I didn't even have, I guess my longest long run was somewhere 26, 27 K and everyone who ever did a marathon knows that what this will lead to.
00:28:52
Speaker
So yeah, it was exactly what what we all know now from K30 on. It was like that. Yeah. Start and stop for, for those last 12 kilometers.
00:29:03
Speaker
um But, but running in particular in the beginning, um hey i I never loved running like in in in my childhood, as mentioned before, and and also not during that during that endurance phase with cycling, etc. I was always like, I'll do every sport you want me to do as long as there is a wheel or a ball.
00:29:28
Speaker
And now I'm doing everything without a wheel and a ball and and somewhere it just... clicked between those first half marathons and that that marathon and in in that big phase of the beginning for myself it was definitely more of a ah grind thing i just wanted it for myself i didn't even enjoy it that much um but then preparing for my second marathon and starting into those long runs where I guess I felt that so-called runner's high for the first time. That was maybe one of the breakthroughs. I still remember where it was. And I was like, oh, what the fuck?
00:30:14
Speaker
um That's an amazing feeling. I could run forever now. and And that's where I guess I really fell in love with running and not just the the thought of becoming faster.
00:30:27
Speaker
And I think as, yeah, as soon as you, you find that point in your own running journey, I think running really changes again from scratch and you, you start learning. Okay.
00:30:42
Speaker
Um, I can think of other stuff than just, oh, this is hard and left foot, right foot and breathe in and breathe out. So, and then that's and what I'm super thankful for that it even happened.
00:30:55
Speaker
Still cannot imagine running without a runner's high because, yeah, every now and then you talk to a person and they say, like, I don't think I've ever felt it. And I was like, I hope you can.
00:31:06
Speaker
No wonder. Yeah. Hopefully one day. yeah um And so were you following a plan or were you just like just running more? about In those first three or four years.
00:31:18
Speaker
to Is that the beginner way? I don't know. I call it the beginner way. It was like runnersworld.com 12 week marathon plan. Yeah. Target time.
00:31:30
Speaker
And there was like train those four or five times a week. Do that, do that. And I was just like, let's do it. Let's do it. Let's do it. Yes, sir. and And just like that, yeah, the there was still that goal of becoming faster. and And just like that for those first four, five, six marathons, I was just like, yeah, changing the numbers in that runner's world tool. And we're like, okay, somehow it still works.
00:31:59
Speaker
Yeah. And maybe the accountability of having your dad doing them too. Did you do all of them with him are you? hey Yeah. Well, um yes, absolutely. um It took quite a while until and went to a marathon without him.
00:32:15
Speaker
Absolutely. um We did those first five or six. Well, we traveled together. Back then he was faster than me. And so it, yeah, i needed those three or four years until until we were.
00:32:31
Speaker
on eye level and then I quickly overtook him. That definitely helped. And um we trained a lot together back then, which is a beautiful thing to do for a father and a son.
00:32:47
Speaker
But yeah, and and and the thing that that we often um talk about now, the days when he doesn't run that much anymore, um I run a lot when I'm in the office, around the office with friends.
00:33:02
Speaker
And every now and then we we go on a run. so It's always a beautiful thing to remember back then. Yeah, yeah. Stuff yeah fathers and sons do, right? Yeah. and not And not everyone gets that opportunity. you know like I'm umm lucky you know my dad and I like golf, so we play golf together. um i can't run with my dad. There's no way that's ever going to happen. but You know, golf is a place we can go and spend four hours together and, and chat and enjoy each other's company. And I'm grateful that I have at least one thing and like in common and for you guys that's running and that's, that's so great. You know, that's awesome. 100%. Couldn't agree more.
00:33:48
Speaker
It's a blessing, you know? Yes. and And you'll look back and you'll have those memories to cherish forever with and you know family trips and and traveling to different locations. and you know Absolutely. Our fourth or fifth marathon was was the Berlin Marathon.
00:34:05
Speaker
and As mentioned before, i at some point um joined all those um weird runners um catching those those six marathon majors, which are now seven.
00:34:20
Speaker
yeah But that was that was a ah thing as well. we We went to Berlin, got to know that WMM and we're like, okay, that could be a thing for us.
00:34:33
Speaker
And so we started... checking out when do the marathon happen and we planned that that Yeah, the ah calendar for us, who was like one marathon each year to finish 2018 in New York City on my birthday.
00:34:55
Speaker
So we found out that the New York City Marathon 2018 would be exactly on my birthday, which would be a cool thing to then finish this this journey together. And during that whole journey, um it was it was fun because people sometimes ask my mother, like...
00:35:14
Speaker
Is your husband going to more trips with your son than with you? And that they were like, well, yeah, the the family vacations are not a thing anymore. And so, yeah, now he's traveling to marathons with his son.
00:35:26
Speaker
um Yeah. which somehow is fun and we we really have and great trips to to look back together. Absolutely. Amazing. um ah you know Doing a little research on you, I know getting to that point wasn't the easiest. With with that comes challenges, not only with the training and everything, but sometimes life throws you curveball.
00:35:49
Speaker
2017 was that that year for you and um maybe That's what makes this story even more fascinating that you got to the you actually got to race that that last one.
00:36:01
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. um Yeah. So so the.
Life-Changing Car Accident
00:36:08
Speaker
Yeah, as you just said, life sometimes throws something at you that you were not expecting. um I was working for for another sportswear brand back then, 2016, 2017.
00:36:21
Speaker
i loved work a lot, also community. had so much going on, on one side with with training, but also then with life and with job, of course.
00:36:33
Speaker
And I was in ah in a very... numb phase of ah thinking like, well, i can I can sleep when I'm done and die. And and I worked long days, trained hard, slept way too little, um two or three hours a night and stuff like that.
00:36:56
Speaker
And as we all know, our bodies are are amazing and they can proceed a lot. But at some point, um everybody, yeah gets what he needs and my body decided to to get back sleep which was happening 11 p.m.
00:37:16
Speaker
on the highway on my way back home and so I I crushed the traffic sign um somewhere between 90 and 100 kilometers per hour and yeah well because I fell asleep um ah Definitely the moment in my life that changed everything from before the accident and after the accident.
00:37:45
Speaker
I had to or I changed a lot after. and um yeah, as you can imagine, driving almost into a wall with with that pace causes a lot of, of of yeah,
00:38:03
Speaker
demolished cars, demolished bones in my body. um They picked me up with the the ambulance, brought me to the hospital, spent three nights um yeah on that... don't even know the English word. It's intensive station.
00:38:22
Speaker
um Yeah, and yeah that intensive care. Yeah, exactly. And... and Yeah, as soon as I got out, I learned that that my sternum, which is which is the bone here in front that keeps together the ribs, was broken in two pieces.
00:38:42
Speaker
um I had a squeezed heart so that the biggest the biggest injury was on my heart. My heart was was weak at that moment of time.
00:38:54
Speaker
And What I just learned like two or three weeks when when I stopped getting the medication and and they had to be sure that I'm clean when I when i hear that was like that 99% of people who have crashes like that.
00:39:11
Speaker
don't make it. um Their words were like 99% of crashes like that don't get the colored car, but the black car. And yeah, still hear these words um every now and then in my mind, and which makes me thankful that I'm that one in 100, that they was lucky.
00:39:34
Speaker
um Yeah, there you go.
00:39:39
Speaker
somehow had to try to get back. which wasn't easy. um But ah yeah, it was my dad who remembered remembered me to to our challenge.
00:39:54
Speaker
I had moments where where I was done, where I felt like, two what's the reason to still be here? i was in in really, really dark places. And then, as as as we learned before, um poison death it's always a special thing and i i got back to ah point where it got back to a point where my my dad reminded me of our of our ongoing challenge and that that we will run new york city marathon together and that we have unfinished business and that's not how ah we stop now and yeah so it was literally our our journey that that that's
00:40:38
Speaker
brought back that the ah flame and then lighted that fire again. Yeah, which brings me back to the point where we where we started and where I said it really saved my life. um Don't know what would have happened without that.
00:40:55
Speaker
And so, yeah, here we go. was summer 2017 and somewhere in in fall I started to do those baby steps to get back to running and Yeah, that was that was a journey because um on the outer side, you could not see that I was hurt.
00:41:15
Speaker
So all the injuries were were inside. And um especially because it was, yeah, the biggest injury was on my heart.
00:41:27
Speaker
I had to get back into running. very very slowly so i was almost running and if you would drive a car with tempo control was like okay as soon as my heartbeat goes up higher than 125 i had to stop or walk and bring back that heart rate and then two weeks later it was like okay you can now go to 135 and then 145 and and then running the first and and then running the first
00:41:59
Speaker
10 kilometers again it was like yeah falling in love with running again and yeah as soon as I was able to to run 15 or something like that I was like okay and I need a bit I want to go to a race um so we chose Morten Fribourg which is a ah classic in Switzerland almost same story than the initial marathon like that's that guy who who ran after after the fight told them what happened and died I was literally dead and we we chose that race for a particular reason he was one of my best friends of me and my dad myself us three running and yeah after that I knew okay here we go again let's let's let's do this and and we we we got back into it then yeah
00:42:57
Speaker
Here we go. running so the Marathon gave you hope. Dad gave you hope. Is your dad like an outspoken guy? yeah Is he this rah-rah motivational kind of figure? out or Not even that My dad isn't as vocal as I am. um He's more of the oh people who who would sit with the family and definitely be the one talking the least and listening to to everyone so whenever he said something you you listen twice absolutely and so therefore this might have been one one part of of of why those those words were that that little tick that i needed i was like okay if he says okay let's do this yeah
00:43:54
Speaker
And what were some of the things you you had to change about yourself from before? Because you mentioned leading up to that point. Absolutely. Well, at first, um yeah, it was one of those points where I realized, okay, that a a human body has has boundaries.
00:44:12
Speaker
And I still think it's something very, very male that we somehow feel like invincible and we can do literally everything.
00:44:24
Speaker
And that's where where I learned it on the hard way that it's not like that. And I obviously started prioritizing sleep. um That's one thing.
00:44:35
Speaker
And then on the other, um really starting to to
00:44:42
Speaker
yeah have had a clear, what should I say? Yeah. um Clear two words. Yeah. Clear boundary, maybe. clear two-way approach from from work and what's happening around or beyond work.
00:44:58
Speaker
And yeah, started therapy then, um which which is something that that is more accepted and known in North America than it is here in Switzerland. People still think you're or totally out of this world if you work with the with a therapeut. And so, ah yeah, that was...
00:45:21
Speaker
That was where where it all started. And and to this day, um I'm... And it sounds crazy, but but super thankful for what what happened. Because I feel like a way better human being now. um My wife...
00:45:39
Speaker
who who fell in love with me with, as she said, with old Kevin, um often says that that that new Kevin is the cooler version, and she's super thankful for for that change that happened.
00:45:51
Speaker
So, um yeah, same for me. I think it change changed a lot. Yeah, and it makes you, like, reflect on on yourself, too, and um you want to do things differently. i mean, even reflecting. i start trying to to talk about reflection with my kids from from the early days on now but I just think like that it's not something that boys are really good with and I observed that and in my surroundings and and wherever boys are somehow there's still a ah gap between male and female energy when it comes to reflection and
00:46:38
Speaker
that definitely made a huge impact on that cannot deny it is that something you you advocate towards like mental health and stuff like that absolutely absolutely yes yeah 100 mean um i i wish i could i could lead each and everyone um to his first therapeutic session like go talk to to to a person that does not know you it will always help and um i still see and and feel that we have a far way to go here in switzerland um we're way behind all the other countries and how they did treat cases like that but me talking
00:47:27
Speaker
publicly about it is one way to try to advocate for it and and and bring change into that field. Absolutely. Yeah. Especially when you're in the community yourself and like we said, making these little changes. i know like I started doing Movember years back and this is a way for mental health or the the mustache is a way to create a conversation and the conversations are what actually helps.
00:47:54
Speaker
man it's to it's to talk and share our feelings and stuff and uh yeah we're we're not the best with doing that right yeah no 100 and it's it's you know and it's it's actually like when you when you get in a room with a bunch of bunch of dudes and and you start to you have a space for that, then you start to, it comes out a little bit more.
00:48:21
Speaker
Yeah. It's like the more you practice, the easier it gets also. 100%. Absolutely. Yeah. To share. Right. So. but So then you went out and you you did this marathon, right?
Running Marathons with Family
00:48:34
Speaker
You you completed it. yeah Your birthday is very close to mine. You're the your fourth. i'm I'm the sixth.
00:48:41
Speaker
oh yeah You got your sixth star there, right? On the 29th? Yeah, exactly. 29th birthday, six star, one big runner party with 50,000 people.
00:48:54
Speaker
One of the best days of my life. Until that day, definitely best day of my life. um I have kids. and yeah That changes something.
00:49:06
Speaker
But no, that was that was one hell of a day. I still remember so many moments of of that race. Maybe the most I can i can remember of of running a marathon. and yeah Of course, then the special moment in Central Park.
00:49:27
Speaker
where you first get the regular marathon medal and then the heavy metal bling. Um, that was just amazing. And we, we had a a great night after drinks and burgers and, and yeah, I didn't, didn't pull that medal down for three straight days.
00:49:47
Speaker
And yeah, now, and now it's, now it's up there in our house. Um, my my baby girl likes the medal a lot she's like one day I want to have it as well and I'm like well that takes a lot of work but we can talk about that in a few years and so yeah it's the it's a good thing to finish it but also and that's the thing whenever you have a long range goal and and you you get it so it's like okay what's next and then had those moments as well and was like what what are we going to do next and then
00:50:24
Speaker
It was back to to running really fast again or trying to become faster um for for a year or two. And yeah, as soon as COVID kicked in, we we all changed our running one more time, I guess.
00:50:40
Speaker
he and and a goodness And a nice moment for you and Dad too, right? I mean, I'm sure. 100%. Yeah. He was like that night. um It was his 20th marathon.
00:50:52
Speaker
marathon um and he was like you know what it doesn't get any better than this this is my last marathon and everyone who was with us back then was like no fucking way you will run a marathon again until this day he didn't and he's perfectly fine with it that was his cherry on the cake and yeah If I was his age, I would have done the same, but there's way too much life to run. and yeah so yeah it's Nice to hear i see you talk that way, you know, after everything you went through. And um I'm sure for him, too, I mean, there's probably no worse news to get than the one he received that night. And then to...
00:51:43
Speaker
take cross to cross the finish with you and at a big, big event like that, to complete the big goal, his 20th, you know, like there, there had to be so many wins there.
00:51:54
Speaker
Yes. Yes. Um, absolutely. So many wing wins so much. We overcame together. Um, so many tears right after, of course, um,
00:52:10
Speaker
yeah, it was just a culmination of, of, yeah, a big ass feeling cocktail and but most beautiful feelings.
00:52:22
Speaker
And so, yeah, therefore
00:52:26
Speaker
i would, I would give a lot of money to, to live, live that day again. um but also 100% happy with, with how we did it. We, we cherished every moment and, um,
00:52:39
Speaker
Yeah, therefore I totally get it why he said, okay, it doesn't get any better than this. I'll stop here. That's good for me. And he's so right with that. And on a high, right?
00:52:50
Speaker
Yeah. And do you find that there's a trickle down in how you now raise your own kids um based on your lived experience?
00:53:02
Speaker
Well, yeah, 100%. At first i I really try to to be the dad that's always there for them whenever they yeah have something to share that's happy feelings or or sad feelings. um I hope and I try my best to not become ah one of those helicopter parents who wants to yeah um be around them and and take care of them not doing any mistakes.
00:53:36
Speaker
at the end of the day, we all do mistakes to learn, I guess. But um I just want to show them, and that's maybe one of the things I i started very early. i have one day a week that I spend with them on top of the weekend.
00:53:54
Speaker
And i established that break that we do together. um Just for them to know that it's totally fine and normal to to take a break during the day where we just do nothing but chill or hang and loose together um to to really show them that yeah we all have limited capacity of energy and we have to to be very mindful and not run the whole day but yeah bring small breaks
00:54:32
Speaker
And that's where it definitely has has has a big impact. We're trying to make them mindful, little human beings and who who take care of themselves.
00:54:45
Speaker
They probably teach you a few few things too. 100%. They definitely do. It's break time, Dad. Yeah, exactly. It's so easy to get caught up in everything and just go, go, go all the time. You know, i was like that among growing up and you don't want to miss out on anything or opportunities or but there's a price for that. And yeah, and so not everyone's so lucky, right? Like, yeah, in in the video I saw, you said you were, you know, nine times out of ten, you're not coming out of that car. And and you did. And yeah, that's just it's there's so much to be grateful for, I guess. And
00:55:22
Speaker
who Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, and that's the sad or yeah, you you could call it the sad story about it. but But I think it's also a point that we all have to to acknowledge that death is always an option.
00:55:42
Speaker
Like tomorrow is never given. Like you don't know if you wake up tomorrow. So of course, we get caught up in in daily life and all the things we have to do and things we want to do.
00:55:56
Speaker
But at the end of the day, yeah, sometimes just it's way easier to stop and and reflect on what really matters and, and yeah, come back to the to little things, um being thankful.
00:56:14
Speaker
yeah For just health um that we, that we often forget. And simple things, right? Like I've interviewed a lot of para paraplegic athletes, you know, that could have gone another way where you're never walking again, you know, and yeah here you are running, leading runs and community running things and everything around running.
Running Culture in Switzerland
00:56:35
Speaker
So um have you seen how have you seen in your own eyes run culture evolve over the years? You've been part of it for so long.
00:56:45
Speaker
probably since 2010. So know, yeah um Well, the thing is, as mentioned previously, um Switzerland is more known for for being slow adapters, I guess.
00:57:00
Speaker
um So friend of mine and myself founded a run crew was called 612 Run back in 2015. we were literally the outlandish in Switzerland. Nobody get it.
00:57:15
Speaker
They were like, why would you do that? Who wants to run? on streets and not the track or somewhere in the woods. So, and, and it was for the whole country Switzerland, we were like three run clubs and we, we did know each other, but the two others were on, on the far West of the country. What would take us four hours of train ride to, to meet. And so we didn't even meet that much. it We met at Berlin half marathon.
00:57:44
Speaker
So that that was the the place to meet and not in Switzerland. So, Run culture wasn't a thing here for for a long time. And we did a lot of groundwork.
00:57:56
Speaker
and But then somewhere around 2023, first run club started popping up around Zurich.
00:58:08
Speaker
um I guess then 2024 was one hell of a year, I guess, for for running itself. Now it's somewhere around 30 run clubs in Switzerland.
00:58:20
Speaker
And I mean, yeah I'm a little bit of both. On one hand, I'm super happy that it finally happened. um I also realized that I got older because I,
00:58:35
Speaker
don't really get it at at some points from from some young run clubs and I think like what are you guys doing but I think that's good young should do what they should and on the other side I sometimes still feel like yeah to just give me back the the running running i don't want to talk about running is the new dating and um who has the better look and who has the has huge abs to go to high rocks. I would really yeah get back to to that time where but we were all just runners and it was okay sit around in that sweat-out shirt hurt and just said have a beer and a pizza and it still feels good even if the pizza is yeah very fatty and not not an organic one.
00:59:29
Speaker
So i kind of miss that, which mostly shows that I got old like but um I end up the other side as mentioned before I love that that it's getting more diverse I guess there's something for everyone now if you if you search for ah more dedicated running and pacing around you find someone but if you want to go to date people go to that run club and and do it there so that's cool as well Yeah, I feel you, man. i'm I'm with you. I think generationally we're in a different zone. We don't have to understand the kids, you know, um you know, probably like our parents don't understand certain things about what we did or what we listened to.
01:00:14
Speaker
So, but yeah, I think, I think the big picture like is that people are moving more and all ages. And I think at the very least, it's just getting people out the door.
01:00:28
Speaker
for you know to do the activity together i think that's cool but yeah all these uh i like i like when running is just running and yeah yeah yeah i just yeah some ad popped up in my in my instagram timeline last week or so and i saw that shirt it was like make running boring again i was like i felt it somehow i was like okay i got you guys but you should not do a share for that that's why you're part of the problem as well
01:01:02
Speaker
But yeah, somehow I felt bad. Cool. So what are your plans now? Like where do you lie? feel you're kind of the that flies where the wind takes you and aren't influenced by many people. You kind of do things the way you want to do. Absolutely. admire that.
01:01:24
Speaker
um Well, but what what's what's happening right now ah um one point the marathon continues as we tend to say um i I'll run Munich marathon mid of October with a bunch of friends um yeah didn't make the training that great as I as i wanted to I would love to PR one more time i think I still have it in the tank so maybe that happens this or next year um and then there's there's still so stuff like like like speed projects
01:02:00
Speaker
for example. um There was never a proper Swiss team who took part in that race, and I feel like someone's got to do it. um That's definitely one on um on the bucket list somewhere.
01:02:15
Speaker
And then, and that's what i what I got into with with that McDonald's project as well. i would really love to to find out how far that I'm able to run.
01:02:26
Speaker
um I'm not that ultra marathon person when it comes to altitude i don't get it why they need thousands of meters of altitude why not running a flat um i could i could imagine me doing something like that so i i i want to find out if it's 100 k if it's 100 miles whatever it is but some would yeah but maybe as you just mentioned wind comes, blows in another day direction, and then we have another cool project coming on. So, yeah, it's it's not set in stone. the you The timing of what you just said is is interesting because it's like UTMB this weekend. not when Not when the episode comes out, but this coming weekend. And the speed project's there in Chamonix,
Future Plans and Advice for Runners
01:03:17
Speaker
too. I know.
01:03:19
Speaker
ah So it's on everyone's radar. But, yeah, it's it's cool to do these. Or Eurotrip. Yes.
01:03:28
Speaker
100%. That's that absolutely a thing. And yeah, we we got to talk about Eurotrip whenever this was. That's a fun one. That's a fun one and good people. and hey i i should I just love the approach, how how they took it.
01:03:47
Speaker
It's just when they popped up in the first year, it felt like, oh, now you're just doing a European speed project kind of thing. But then as soon as you realize that it's never the same route, it always leads you to a new place, somewhere new.
01:04:06
Speaker
That's where, where I started to love the idea. Um, I think it's, it's brilliant and yeah, maybe next year, maybe the year after, um should be cool. Croatia next year. so Boom. croatia Let's do it. and you know Yeah, that's on the that's on the radar right now. So yeah, it would be it'd be pretty cool.
01:04:28
Speaker
um Yeah, that's no it's an amazing event and great people that put it on. So no I love supporting that kind of stuff. and You did it once, right? I did it, yeah, not this past year, the year before.
01:04:40
Speaker
yeah So we did to Innsbruck, actually, in Austria. So it was kind of cool because you got to touch on Liechtenstein and go through France, Germany, and then part of Switzerland and into Austria and stuff. so it It was most definitely the Eurotrip version with most countries crossed, I guess. Yeah, five.
01:05:03
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. which is Which was pretty awesome. So, yeah. and any Anything lined up for this year? that you're Any races you're doing? ah You said you're doing in October. You're doing Munich, Yeah, Munich.
01:05:15
Speaker
And then, um yeah, let's see. I guess somewhere end of the year, always those so those city races. and I do Sylvester Lauf in Zurich. Oh, yeah. Which is a classic.
01:05:28
Speaker
um But that's really one you don't you don't train for in particular but just take it as it as it comes and yeah switch gears all out and and back to it. yeah Do those loops loops over and over again.
01:05:48
Speaker
Exactly. and And dodge all the people. that's ah yeah that's the that's a real That's the real part of it. That's the challenge. what ah What is something you would tell somebody looking to either start or move on to another distance? like What's the best like running advice that you... I'm sure you get people asking you all the time. but like what's Absolutely. And...
01:06:10
Speaker
and um I always say the same and it feels, it feels a little dumb, but I always say same and it's take your time. um Give yourself the chance to fall in love with running and falling in love often takes a little more time. That love on first sight thing is,
01:06:34
Speaker
cool if it happens, but we know it's more on the movies than in real life. So yeah, just give yourself the time to fall in love with running and this and this much time as you invest, you will yeah you will get it back with with lots of love and goosebumps moments while running. So always worth the wait.
01:06:56
Speaker
And what would you say running has brought to your life? I know this is a loaded question, but and then ask I'll ask it anyways. Literally, literally everything. And this sounds, sounds cheesy, but I went out, um, literally days, 10 years ago with a friend of mine and runners, um, and got to know my wife that night.
01:07:23
Speaker
Um, we ran marathons together. Um, we have kids now. I'm still living for running. So running has has really given me everything. and i even work in running now.
01:07:36
Speaker
People often ask, like, is is your whole life running? And I'm like, well, I know it looks like that. And it it often feels like that. But there's some other aspects as well. But yeah, i do it's way more than I would have ever imagined.
01:07:51
Speaker
Amazing. and And so give us a nugget. Like, what do you like to do when you're not running? is there's the other side What's the other side of Kevin? Hey, I i really, really love doing um stuff that people would call guilty pleasures, like just hanging around or, yeah, driving to McDonald's with my kids and spending way too much time in those play areas at McDonald's.
01:08:20
Speaker
yeah, that's that's kind of, I don't know why. um it's It's always somehow that's then... the guilty pleasure extreme side and then the running i also do it on an extreme way so somehow i'm a person of the extremes and that's that's quite okay with me yeah sure of course you got your vices and and i guess the rest of your time is dedicated to the kids too so yeah absolutely yeah that's that's definitely something that changed the last four or five years of course now that they're here um
01:08:55
Speaker
But it's it's also fun. And and once you you have kids and and you keep on running, and and we did, i mean, our ah stroller choice was dependent on if it's a running stroller. So that was the first thing that has to be ticked in the boxes. So we we ran as soon as as our baby girl was four or five months old.
01:09:19
Speaker
So she knows that this is part of our life. um Baby boy. as well Of course, he learned that from from the early days on.
Running and Family Life Integration
01:09:31
Speaker
And now and now it's it's it's the thing that yeah we run races and and baby girl wants her medal as well. And you you start getting to those races where where kids' races happen as well, which is fantastic. I mean, of course, um your own race will maybe be impacted a little by that.
01:09:53
Speaker
But the love felt for that is is way bigger than the two or three seconds that he will be faster could ever could ever make you that for.
01:10:04
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. and I'm sure it's it's always motivating to see your kids cheering you on too. So that's... Yeah, absolutely. Well, I'm i'm i'm a person that's close to the water. i start crying way too fast. And so...
01:10:18
Speaker
Having them on the course is not always a good thing. I've got to get back my breath. But them absolutely, gives you wings in ah in a way bigger way than a regular cheer point would ever give.
01:10:38
Speaker
um Favorite places to... going to let you be an advocate for Switzerland now. Favorite places to run in Switzerland? What would you... Hey, well, this is cheesy for a person that works and loves Zurich, but yeah, Zurich 100%. There are so many beautiful routes in Zurich.
01:10:58
Speaker
um I know people always talk about um Lakeside, Limat or Siel, who are the two rivers, but there's so much more to see. Strolls through the city are my favorite.
01:11:12
Speaker
I love running through three or four different districts. It's It gives me a feeling of of being alive very much. And then also, and that's where where I grew up in the eastern part of Switzerland, it's called Alpstein.
01:11:28
Speaker
um For the people who who love to go a little more trail, it's one of the most beautiful um yeah areas that you can have when running in mountains. um It's very steep.
01:11:41
Speaker
a lot of of of riches and same beautiful lakes in between. so yeah, but I would, I would say these two are are definitely favorites last, but not least to have three, um, Lake Constance.
01:11:55
Speaker
Um, I often do my, my long runs in marathon prep there. Yeah. Just because it's, it's a, it's a long shoreline where you really run on the lake.
01:12:06
Speaker
You see Germany, you see Australia, you see the mountains. It's,
01:12:11
Speaker
Fantastic. Perfect. Exactly. And you can always jump in if you're little too fast. Absolutely. Who doesn't love a post around this? Oh, man.
01:12:22
Speaker
I appreciate that so much because Montreal, where I'm from, is surrounded by water, but no way in hell I'm jumping in. It's not clean. So this clean water, is it's great to jump in a lake or river. And yeah, I'm grateful for that every day.
01:12:36
Speaker
um Kevin, where can people find out more about you? Hey, um the easiest is definitely Instagram. It's Kevin run the world, which is my first name and then my call to action.
01:12:51
Speaker
Yeah, literally everyone should run the world because it will broaden their view and change their life forever. Amazing. Well, Kevin, thanks so much for taking the time. i know you're a busy guy. You got a lot going on with the kids and work and everything. and But I'm glad we got this this time to spend together, at least in you your story. And and um I know it'll inspire a few folks for sure.
01:13:16
Speaker
You're more than welcome, Justin. was a pleasure to do it. um Super thankful for the opportunity and keep on doing it because you inspire a lot of people with that as well. And as we talked about, um the more inspiration, the more running, the more peace.
01:13:34
Speaker
Perfect. Thank you so, so much. See you around. Ciao. Ciao. chair Ready to crush your next goal? With 15 years of experience across endurance sports, from 5Ks to ultras, over 10 marathons with a personal best of 2 hours 45 minutes, including Boston, New York City, and Berlin, plus two Ironmans, I know what it takes to achieve real results.
01:13:58
Speaker
But training for a race is about more than just logging miles. It's about training smarter, and that's where a coach makes all the difference. As your coach, I'll create a personalized week-by-week plan tailored to fit your unique goals, lifestyle, and schedule.
01:14:14
Speaker
You'll also get guidance on race day strategy, nutrition, pre-race routines, and the insider tips that can transform your performance. With a coach, you're not guessing through training.
01:14:26
Speaker
You're following a proven, customized roadmap with support every step of the way. So if you're ready to train smarter and reach new levels, email me at justin at justinstridepod.com and let's make those goals happen.
Conclusion and Thanks
01:14:40
Speaker
Thanks for tuning in to the Just In Stride podcast. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple Podcasts. With your feedback, we'll be able to make the show even better and it'll help us reach new listeners too.
01:14:58
Speaker
You can also find us on Instagram at Just In Stride Pod for all the latest episodes and updates. Of course, this show wouldn't be possible without a solid team behind me. With logo and design by Vanessa Pugliese, as well as audio, music, and editing by Forrest McKay, a huge thank you goes out to both of them.
01:15:17
Speaker
Guest outreach, social media, writing, and advertising are handled by me, your host, Justin Pugliese. Finally, we'd like to thank you, our listeners, for coming along for the ride with Justin Stride.