Neil Robinson started running seriously in his 40s, ran a 4:53 first marathon he swore would be his last, and then — at 52 — ran a 3:16:24 Boston Qualifier. This is the story of the slow build: years of run-walking, the nutrition and training lessons from the White Rock Running Co-op crowd, Pfitzinger plans, 1,960-mile years, and the mindset shift of learning to push through discomfort. A conversation about getting faster as you get older, the heart-health stakes that started it all, and why the running community is the real reason to keep showing up.

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Eleven days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North Texas, runners and soccer fans are converging on The Sound at Cypress Waters for the Countdown to the Cup 5K — and in this episode, I get the full story from the two people making it happen.

Cindy Solomon of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee and Eric Lindberg of On Your Left Marketing & Events join me to break down the race: the cup-shaped finisher medal, the brand-new USATF-certified course with a downhill finish, age group awards featuring the official Dallas World Cup ball, the Flying Saucer after-party, and the virtual option that's pulling registrations from across the country.

We also go way beyond the 5K. Cindy walks through everything the Organizing Committee is doing — the FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park (free, open to the public, 96 of 104 matches shown live), the Unity Cup youth soccer tournament, 26 mini pitches going into underserved communities, Dallas hosting nine matches including the July 14 semifinal, and why this is the first World Cup on U.S. soil since 1994.

Eric also makes the case for why this is one of the last major DFW running events before the calendar goes dark for the summer — most races June through July moved their dates because of the World Cup.

Register: https://www.countdowntothecup5k.com/ Save 15%: Code DFWRG Adults: $60 | Youth (12 & under): $30

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Drew Martig started running at 27 — talked into a 5K by his CMO at Checkpoint Software. Less than a decade later, he ran 2:28 at the Berlin Marathon while self-coaching from his home in Flagstaff, Arizona.

In this conversation, Chris Detzel and Drew (Tanium teammates and fellow distance runners) get into the nuts and bolts of building real marathon fitness on limited time. Drew opens up about leaving structured coaching to design his own plans, why he caps mileage around 70-90 per week, and how altitude in Flagstaff changes everything — including measurable shifts in red blood cell count and ferritin after just three weeks at 7,000 feet.

We cover:
→ Drew's journey from no athletic background to 2:28 marathoner
→ Why "running by feel" beat structured pace-chasing for him
→ The Berlin Marathon: pre-race nerves, hip flexor niggles, negative splitting through 50,000 people
→ Self-coaching vs hiring a coach — the real tradeoffs → Why strength training prevents most running injuries
→ ChatGPT coaches, AI training plans, and the value of human mentorship
→ Coming back from September hernia surgery for a Chicago Marathon fall goal
→ Heat training in Texas vs altitude in Arizona
→ Why community matters even when you train alone

A grounded, honest conversation between two working runners who balance demanding corporate careers, family life, and serious training goals.

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