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 @JFlavinP Subscribe 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.ca Follow them on Instagram @NoSweatNutrition Subscribe 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. Subscribe 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.  Subscribe 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. 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 website and on Instagram @the.robust.human Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. 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

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-shakeout Conditions 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. 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.

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.

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-shakeout Conditions 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.

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.

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-shakeout Conditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer.

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. 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.

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_Lowther Huge 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_flanagan Huge 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

After one too many long commute times on Toronto’s aging street car network, Mac Bauer was fed up and decided to take it to the Toronto Transit Commission in a battle of man vs. machine. Over the past several months, Bauer has made it his mission to outrun the 11 routes that comprise Toronto’s streetcar network, tackling summer heat, distracted drivers, and endless red lights all while maintaining a perfect undefeated record against his hulking red steel opponents. While the challenge began as an excuse to motivate Bauer’s own training, the competition has taken on a life of its own, resonating with fellow disgruntled commuters and bringing attention to a system that Bauer says has fallen behind the demands of the growing city. This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Mac joins us to talk about his battle against public transit and why despite his perfect undefeated record, the victory he really dreams of is someday to lose. Huge 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

In 2024, Ryan Keeping made headlines from coast to coast, literally. Over the course of 99 days, the Halifax ultrarunner completed a cross country trek that took him from St. John’s NL all the way to Victoria, a journey of more than 7300 kilometres, all while fundraising for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Since then, the incredible feats of endurance running haven’t stopped, and Keeping was soon back at it with more outlandish tests of resolve, including a 250 km ultramarathon in under 44 hours and a 10–day, 660 km journey that took him the entire length of Florida, completely unsupported. Now, Keeping is back in the news–and the record books–with perhaps his most audacious challenge yet; becoming the fastest person to run the entire perimeter of Iceland, a journey of nearly 1,400 km along its iconic Ring Road. Battling everything the northern country had to throw at him, Keeping stopped the clock in Reykjavik at 14 days, 13hrs and 38 mins, breaking the existing record by almost two days. On this episode of The Shakeout Podcast we catch up with the new world record holder to talk about the run itself, his origin story in endurance running and how it all starts with inspiring others to “flip the switch” and take on the impossible. Follow Ryan's journey on Instagram @Ryan.Keeping Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

This week on The Shakeout Podcast we welcome Calgary, AB's Cody Ko, a comedian, DJ, and YouTube megastar. While Cody became famous largely through his YouTube and social media presence, amassing millions of followers and hundreds of millions of views through his signature brand of comedy, running has been a part of his life for a long time and, in recent years, has become the focus of his online presence through his YouTube channel Cody Trains. Born into a family of endurance athletes, the former Division 1 diver at Duke made his return to distance running in 2023, taking up the challenge set for him by his family to join them in completing both an Ultra marathon and an Ironman triathlon. Shortly after, Cody ran the 2023 New York City Marathon, where he was the most tracked participant in a field of more than 50,000 runners. Fast forward to the present and Cody is making his return to the streets of New York for the 2025 edition of the marathon, looking to lower his time, fundraise for a great cause, and bring his fans along with him for the ride. We catch up with Cody between training sessions to talk marathon prep, balancing life as a full time content creator, and how he's harnessed the overwhelming support of the fans who've joined him on his endurance sport journey. Plus, we'll hear what he's doing this time around to make a bid for fastest celebrity in the marathon.

The Rundown returns for a special World Championships preview. With the biggest week in Track and Field of the year finally here, host John Gay and Canadian Running staff writer Marley Dickinson connect to break down all the biggest Canadian story lines heading into Tokyo. Also joining the show is national team member and 2024 Olympian in the 1500m, Kate Current. Kate joins the conversation from Athletics Canada's final phase training camp in Gifu, Japan, where she's putting the finishing touches on her own preparations, hoping to continue riding a wave of breakout performances and personal bests this season agains the world's best. In addition to sharing about her meteoric rise through the ranks of middle distance running this year, Kate also gives us the inside scoop on the atmosphere within Team Canada's camp as they head into these championships. After an historic showing at the last edition in Budapest, where Canada took home a record 5 Gold Medals, look for the red and white contingent to be setting there sights on even greater heights in the Japanese capital.