The Rich Roll Podcast The Atlantic’s Nick Thompson Is The Fastest Runner In Publishing: On Setting Age-Group Records, Beating Cancer, & Why Media Must Survive AI
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Oct 20, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, shares his insights as an elite marathoner and author of The Running Ground. He reflects on how running serves as a mirror for personal growth and resilience, revealing deep psychological patterns. Nick candidly addresses his journey through cancer, the complexities of familial ties, and the gripping challenges posed by AI in media. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance, the lessons from his father's struggles, and how running intertwines with life’s bigger questions.
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Running As A Mirror To Self
- Running's simplicity makes it a powerful lens to track inner growth and aging over time.
- Nick Thompson argues running reveals deep psychological patterns because success and failure are unmistakably yours.
Running Is A Moving Meditation
- Solo, repetitive running creates a liminal space for introspection comparable to meditation.
- Thompson says running triggers mental states that surface character defects and opportunities for change.
Use Short Intervals To Reset Pace Fear
- Do targeted speed work to change what your body and mind expect from a race pace.
- Thompson improved marathon times by adding short intervals and focused tempo sessions with elite coaching.
