113. Knox Robinson, Writer & Runner @firstrun

#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in December of 2019.

I could listen to Knox Robinson (better known to his 28K+ IG followers as @firstrun) talk for a while, which is no wonder why this is my longest Hurdle to date. The Brooklyn resident writer and runner has his fair share of how-did-that-even-happen stories, from his days logging miles in Ethiopia with Mo Farah and running with Eliud Kipchoge in Kenya to heading up Fader Magazine and writing Kanye West’s first cover article. Upon sitting down with the father-of-two and run coach, I saw a whole other side of him that perhaps his 27.6K Instagram followers don’t often catch.

In today's episode, the Nike+ Run Club founding coach talks to me about his beginnings as a runner growing up in San Diego, and how his passions landed him running at a collegiate level at Wake Forest. He gets really honest about the #hurdlemoment that made him quit the sport for 10+ years, and the life-changing event that reunited him with his biggest passion. We talk about everything from impossible training tactics and what it felt like to be one of the top 100 male finishers in the NYC Marathon (twice) to his best advice for anyone new to lacing up.

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@firstrun
@emilyabbate
@hurdlepodcast