Marathon Handbook Podcast

• BONUS: Inside the 2025 Barkley Marathons: Full Breakdown + Historical Deep Dive

  Join us for an in-depth analysis of the 2025 Barkley Marathons, one of the most brutal and mysterious ultramarathons on the planet. In this episode, we break down exactly what happened in this year’s race — from the start line in Frozen Head State Park to the final taps of "Taps" for runners who didn’t finish.🔥 What We'll Cover:Who toed the line in the 2025 Barkley MarathonsHow far each runner got — loop-by-loop breakdownWas this the toughest edition ever? We compare it to past yearsDetailed finish statistics: Did anyone even finish the "Fun Run"?Weather, course conditions, and any route changesHistorical data deep dive: Finish rates, race trends, and how the 2025 field stacked up against Barkley legends📊 We also explore the full history of the Barkley Marathons, including:First-time finishers and repeat attemptsHow rare are Barkley finishes, really?Data trends across decades: Has the race gotten harder?💀 Was the 2025 Barkley Marathons unbeatable? We look at the numbers.Further Reading:Was 2025 the Hardest Barkley Marathons Ever? The Data Says Yes:https://marathonhandbook.com/2025-barkley-marathons-data-analysis/Read John Kelly's breakdown of his 2025 Barkley Marathons experience:https://marathonhandbook.com/john-kelly-reflects-on-brutal-2025-barkley-fun-run-this-one-hurt-more-than-my-full-finishes/Re-live the event with our live updates of the 2025 Barkley Marathons:https://marathonhandbook.com/2024-barkley-marathons-results/Read our story "No Finishers for 2025 Barkley Marathons as 36-Hour Cutoff Passes":https://marathonhandbook.com/breaking-no-finishers-for-2025-barkley-marathons-as-36-hour-cutoff-passes/Who is Lazarus Lake, the Barkley Marathons creator?https://marathonhandbook.com/lazarus-lake/Over 230,000 runners read our newsletter. Sign up here and get our free book The 26 Golden Rules Of Running:https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/Our free running training plans:https://marathonhandbook.com/trainingplans/Follow us on IG: https://instagram.com/marathon.handbookFollow us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marathon.handbookLike us on FB: https://facebook.com/marathonhandbookFollow us on X: https://x.com/MarathonHB#ultramarathonrunner #ultramarathon #barkleymarathons #runningpodcast #running

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• What Happened at the 2025 Barkley Marathons?

  Our editors Michael Doyle, Katelyn Tocci and Alex Cyr dig into everything you need to know about the Barkley Marathons, the most mysterious, alluring and difficult race in the world. They go into the history of this 100-mile running race, its long list of eccentricities, how to get into the Barkley, and what the heck happened this year on the course, with no finishers.Follow our live updates of the 2025 Barkley Marathons:https://marathonhandbook.com/2024-barkley-marathons-results/Read our story "No Finishers for 2025 Barkley Marathons as 36-Hour Cutoff Passes":https://marathonhandbook.com/breaking-no-finishers-for-2025-barkley-marathons-as-36-hour-cutoff-passes/Who is Lazarus Lake, the Barkley Marathons creator?https://marathonhandbook.com/lazarus-lake/Over 230,000 runners read our newsletter. Sign up here and get our free book The 26 Golden Rules Of Running:https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/Our free marathon training plans:https://marathonhandbook.com/trainingplans/marathon-training-plans/Follow us on IG: https://instagram.com/marathon.handbookFollow us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marathon.handbookLike us on FB: https://facebook.com/marathonhandbookFollow us on X: https://x.com/MarathonHB#ultramarathonrunner #ultramarathon #barkleymarathons #runningpodcast #running

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• Marathon Race Day Disasters: What Could Go Wrong & How to Fix It

  We dream of the perfect race day, but let’s be honest—things can (and often do) go wrong at retty much any running event distance, from the 5K to ultramarathon distances. On today's podcast, we'll delve into the top 10 hiccups that can wreck your race.From blown-up pacing to blister meltdowns, weather surprises fueling nightmares, to the dreaded running side stitch, we’re getting into everything that could go wrong in a race and, more importantly, how to fix it in the moment. Plus, we will share personal horror stories from the road and trail.For each issue, we'll break down the details and science behind why it happens, practical tips on how to handle it in the moment, and strategies to prevent it from happening again.We Cover:00:00 - Intro01:56 - Hitting the Wall in a Marathon11:22 - GI Issues22:13 - Chafing, Blisters and Shoe Problems29:36 - Side Stitch38:30 - Leg Craps and Muscle Fatigue41:41 - Dehydration50:44 - Fueling Mistakes and Energy Crashes54:40 - Bad Weather1:02:50 - Mental Fatigue/Losing Focus1:13:55 - Getting Lost/Sent Off CourseOver 230,000 runners read our newsletter. Sign up here and get our free book The 26 Golden Rules Of Running:https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/Our free marathon training plans:https://marathonhandbook.com/trainingplans/marathon-training-plans/Follow us on IG: https://instagram.com/marathon.handbookFollow us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marathon.handbookLike us on FB: https://facebook.com/marathonhandbookFollow us on X: https://x.com/MarathonHB

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  1:23:32
• Bonus Episode: Live from the Boston Run Show!

  Alex, Katelyn and Michael were live onstage at the Boston Run Show. They discuss the biggest running trends in 2025 and beyond: Are we really experiencing a running boom, and will it last? Are the World Marathon Majors making a mistake by expanding, and which events will be added next? Why is "running the new dating app"? And what do Nike's curious new set of running shoe patents suggest about the future of super shoes?Over 230,000 runners read our newsletter. Sign up here and get our free book The 26 Golden Rules Of Running:https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/Our free marathon training plans:https://marathonhandbook.com/trainingplans/marathon-training-plans/Follow us on IG: https://instagram.com/marathon.handbookFollow us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marathon.handbookLike us on FB: https://facebook.com/marathonhandbookFollow us on X: https://x.com/MarathonHB

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  27:26
• We Pick Our Bucket List Running Events

  Alex, Katelyn and Michael try something a little different in this week's podcast. They compete in a "race draft," similar to a sports fantasy draft, but with running events. They each have to build the perfect calendar year of running events, by picking one of the following: an ultra/trail event, a marathon, a half, a 10K, a 5K, a "wild card" race, and an event to they'd like to spectate as a fan. If a race is selected, it's off the board!Follow along and tell us who has the best schedule of dream races for the year, along with your picks!You can watch a video version of our podcasts on our YouTube channel, or on Spotify!Over 240,000 runners read our newsletter. Sign up here and get our free book The 26 Golden Rules Of Running:https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/Our free marathon training plans:https://marathonhandbook.com/trainingplans/marathon-training-plans/Follow us on IG: https://instagram.com/marathon.handbookFollow us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marathon.handbookLike us on FB: https://facebook.com/marathonhandbookFollow us on X: https://x.com/MarathonHB

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