Rephonic
Artwork for Science of Running

Science of Running

Steve Magness
Coaching
Endurance Training
Running
Distance Running
Recovery
Athletic Performance
Nutrition
Strength Training
Mental Health
Fatigue
Athlete Development
Motivation
Training
Lactate Threshold
Sleep
Base Training
Biomechanics
Performance Anxiety
Coaching Strategies
Cross Country

An in depth look at training, coaching, Sport Science, and anything else that relates to enhancing endurance performance.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes300Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
RunningFitnessHealth & FitnessSports

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Science of Running

Latest Episodes

Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss an updated approach to summer base building that keeps aerobic mileage as the foundation but adds “spices” year-round to prepare athletes for race demands. Instead of a reductionist focus on aerobic capacity ... more

Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss the art and science of delayed training effects, arguing that training adaptations are non-linear, hard to quantify, and often misunderstood as quick “return on investment.” They contrast complicated vs compl... more

In this week’s episode Steve and Jon discuss injuries as an unavoidable, unpredictable part of running due to impact and eccentric loads, arguing coaching has shifted from “rest and hope” to creative training that maintains fitness without worsening ... more

The episode focuses on constraints in coaching: manipulating training and environment to drive physical and psychological adaptation by identifying and widening an athlete’s primary bottleneck. David Epstein recounts Sheila Taormina learning the Theo... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

David Epstein
Writer, former college athlete and college runner
Author of a new book discussed in the episode
Episode: Unlocking Potential: The Power of Constraints in Coaching and Training
Marius Bakken
Former Olympian and innovator of the Norwegian method
Norwegian Method / author of related training framework
Episode: Marius Bakken on the Norwegian Method: Double Threshold, Lactate Control, and Muscle Tone

Hosts

Steve Magness
Co-host with deep expertise in physiology, coaching science, and performance optimization; frequently discusses measurement, recovery, and training philosophy.
Jonathan Marcus
Co-host, focusing on coaching application, athlete development, and practical training execution across levels.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 568 ratings
  • Fills a necessary gap and top content

    The content is so good, thank you for providing this podcast! Please expand the topics into ultra running!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BeaSwiss
    Switzerland8 days ago
  • Excellent

    Steve is awesome. Would recommend to every runner.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ngdapx
    Austria3 months ago
  • Really awesome content!

    New subscriber- bingeing on their lactate and strength training podcasts!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rebabecca
    United States5 months ago
  • Energy Gels

    Physiology Effects

    Is it possible to include content on energy gels. I am concerned that athletes using them too frequently in training may be having an affect on stress and adaption due to possible poor development of mitochondrial biogenesis - basically could gels interfere with the natural process of storing glycogen. Thanks

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Industrial Runner
    United Kingdom9 months ago
  • Audio editing dramatically worse in 2025

    I find these two mostly fun and informative to listen to, though recently it’s a real struggle to listen. For a few weeks one of their mics was reverberating and this week one of them was on an audio delay. They could use someone to edit their show, or at least listen to it for sound quality prior to publishing.

    Unrelated, the wickets content they advertised on the show as available in a nicely packaged format through their website was incomplete (just an intro pdf) when I joined the scholar p... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Fellah26
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many describe the show as a top resource for running coaching and performance science.
Listeners praise deep coaching insights and practical takeaways for runners and coaches.
Some listeners note audio quality issues but consistently highlight valuable content and expertise.
Partners and guests are seen as credible and informative for endurance training and coaching.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#27
United States/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#47
United Kingdom/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#53
Canada/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#29
Italy/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#41
Australia/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#113
Germany/Sports/Running

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Marius Bakken on the Norwegian Method: Double Threshold, Lactate Control, and Muscle Tone
Q: Why was it important to lower the traditional threshold value rather than adhering to a fixed four millimolar standard?
The idea is to start training at a lower threshold to accumulate load safely and adapt over time; a lower threshold reduces risk and allows more consistent progression. Threshold is treated as a zone rather than a single point, enabling better long-term balance of training load.
Marius Bakken on the Norwegian Method: Double Threshold, Lactate Control, and Muscle Tone
Q: How do you think elite East African runners discovered the lower lactate level approach without modern science?
Bakken explains that it's a mix of cultural factors, altitude effects, and long-term adaptation that naturally tuned their systems toward more aerobic efficiency and a different threshold. He emphasizes observation and practical testing rather than formal lab work, leading to broader adoption of sub-threshold work and controlled intensity.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Science of Running

What is Science of Running about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show dives deep into training science, coaching strategies, and practical performance insights for endurance athletes. Across episodes, listeners hear rigorous discussion of physiology, neurology, recovery, and mindset, with guest perspectives from top coaches and researchers. The format blends data-driven analysis with coaching experience to help runners and coaches optimize training, race preparation, and athletic development. A standout aspect is the emphasis on integrating science with real-world practice, rather than relying on hype, and the ongoing focus on safe progression, individualized plans, and clear, actionable takeaways for both athletes and professionals.

Where can I find podcast stats for Science of Running?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Science of Running. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Science of Running and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Science of Running get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Science of Running, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Science of Running?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Science of Running, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Science of Running have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Science of Running has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Science of Running?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Science of Running:

1. The Strength Running Podcast
2. excellence, actually
3. THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST
4. The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show
5. Sweat Elite Podcast

How many episodes of Science of Running are there?

Science of Running launched 12 years ago and published 300 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Science of Running?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Science of Running?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Science of Running from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Science of Running?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Science of Running. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Science of Running?

Recent guests on Science of Running include:

1. David Epstein
2. Marius Bakken

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days