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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
Training
Motivation
Lactate Threshold
Sleep
Biomechanics
Performance Anxiety
Coaching Strategies
Cross Country
Training Plans

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes300Founded11 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SportsFitnessHealth & FitnessRunning

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Science of Running

Latest Episodes

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

We host Olympian and Norwegian-method innovator Marius Bakken and talk bout the history and principles behind double-threshold training, lactate testing, and “muscle tone” as a key limiter of recovery and performance. Bakken contrasts lessons from co... more

Steve Magness and John Marcus continue their peaking series by reframing peaking as maintaining fitness while eradicating fatigue so athletes can express existing fitness on race day, rather than expecting a magical performance boost. They emphasize ... more

Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss how coaches should define a training approach without falling into two traps: having no coherent philosophy by mixing everything, or rigidly copying one system with no flexibility. They argue training must ac... more

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

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 of the show with deep focus on physiology, coaching science, and running performance.
Jonathan Marcus
Co-host of the show; brings practical coaching experience and running-specific insights.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 667 ratings
  • Excellent

    Steve is awesome. Would recommend to every runner.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ngdapx
    Austriaa month ago
  • Really awesome content!

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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rebabecca
    United States3 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 Kingdom7 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
  • So great last episode, really helpful :)

    Looking forward to the next two parts of it and thanks also for your books. Very inspiring and so great, that you help athletes to give there very best

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    FlipEsp
    Germanya year ago

Listeners Say

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

Some listeners wish for more concrete workout examples and less philosophical discussion.
Audio quality issues are a recurring critique, with feedback calling for better mic etiquette and editing.
Many find the coaching strategies, psychology discussions, and real-world anecdotes highly valuable for improving training and race performance.
Listeners praise the depth and practical coaching insights, especially for running coaches and athletes.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#38
United States/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#38
United Kingdom/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#46
Canada/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#60
Germany/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#67
France/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#73
Australia/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
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Frequently Asked Questions About Science of Running

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

A deep-dive show focused on endurance training, coaching strategies, sport science, and practical performance optimization. Episodes cover topics like training philosophy, mindsets, recovery, youth and new-runner coaching, shoe technology, and innovative training methods, all grounded in physiology and real-world coaching anecdotes. The conversation tends to blend science with hands-on experience, emphasizing individualized approaches, athlete psychology, and simple, effective routines over fads. A notable strength is the strong emphasis on coaching practice and how to adapt methods across levels, from beginners to collegiate athletes, often with references to high-profile athletes and race strategy. A recurring asset for potential listener... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Science of Running?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Science of Running:

1. excellence, actually
2. The Strength Running Podcast
3. THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST
4. COFFEE CLUB: a running podcast about nothing
5. Doctors of Running Podcast

How many episodes of Science of Running are there?

Science of Running launched 11 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.

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What guests have appeared on Science of Running?

Recent guests on Science of Running include:

1. Marius Bakken

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