Today in Running History
Today in Running History
Podcast Description
Today in Running History is your daily dose of the most unforgettable moments in the world of running. From legendary races and record-breaking performances to quirky, obscure, and downright outrageous stories, each short episode dives into a key event that happened on this day in the sport’s rich history. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner, a casual jogger, or a running trivia nerd, this podcast brings the past to life - one stride at a time.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Each episode focuses on notable events, athlete achievements, and quirky stories in the sport of running, such as Kara Goucher's birth, the infamy of Rosie Ruiz in the Boston Marathon, and Hicham El Guerrouj's mile world record, blending historical facts with personal anecdotes and insights.
While there is no shortage of podcasts that focus on the mechanics of running, I was surprised to find very little that looks at the history of our sport. I created the daily podcast “Today In Running History” to fill this space. In eight minutes or less, listeners will learn the backstories and lasting impact of some of the biggest names and milestones in running history, plus some they might not know about yet. Like the sport itself, Today In Running History is for all of us, from passionate and facts-obsessed sports-history geeks to the most casual of newbies.
Today is Saturday, September 6th, 2025, and on this day in 1907, Boston Marathon legend John A Kelley was born in Medford, Massachusetts.
In this episode, we’ll hear how as a young man, Kelley made a name for himself as a two-time Boston Marathon champion, and then dive into how his running career evolved over the decades, ending with his 58th Boston Marathon finish at the age of 84.
It is #SaltySaturday, which means that this episode is sponsored by SaltStick. The summer heat is not going anywhere any time soon, which means that we all need to be replenishing electrolytes lost in sweat.
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This episode and every single other was edited and produced by my good friend Rob Garcia, who many know by his own podcast “Rob on the Run”. If you are looking to get into the podcasting or Youtube space, but need some help on the technical side, I HIGHLY suggest reaching out to Rob. His email is [email protected]
And as always, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow me on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected]
Bibliography:
- https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/john-adelbert-kelley
- https://irishboston.org/2025/running-legend-johnny-kelley-finished-the-boston-marathon-58-times/
- https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/johnny-kelley-beloved-icon-boston-marathon/
- https://www.baa.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/BostonMarathonHistoricalResults.pdf
- https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/john-kelley-obituary?id=26922060
- https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2004/10/12/what-great-run-it/50929138007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114128e008100v114128b0046xxd004665&gca-ft=155&gca-ds=sophi
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