NYT: "How a Former Boxer and Opioid Addict Became the World’s Best Marathoner Over 50"

Cool article. Thanks for posting.

Didn’t read the article; what’s his age grade?

He was on the Morning Shakeout a while ago. Episode 186

podcasts.apple.com

‎the morning shakeout podcast: Episode 186 | Ken Rideout på Apple Podcasts

‎Udsendelse the morning shakeout podcast, EP Episode 186 | Ken Rideout – 13. dec. 2021

Link:podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/episode-...

I also heard him on a Boston Marathon podcast, and I thought Tracksmith was involved. Episode 201 of the Morning Shakeout.

podcasts.apple.com

‎the morning shakeout podcast: Episode 201 | Racers' Roundtable på Apple Podcasts

‎Udsendelse the morning shakeout podcast, EP Episode 201 | Racers' Roundtable – 18. apr. 2022

Link:podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/episode-...

Dude is intense to say the least.

The man has it!

TRT for the win,

Tommy Hughes is 10 years older and faster.

I listened to the podcasts also - Mario Fraoli (the host of the podcast) is his coach. Ken has a lot of personality.

TRT or not dude's a beast. 50+ and goes sub 2:30. Looks strong as an ox too. 90 mins running in the am, 30 mins strength training in the pm, that sounds like the ideal schedule.

God bless him for beating the opioid addiction with distance running.

"..his daily 10+ mile runs at a fast pace for a 51 year old, usually averaging well under 7 min per mile."

If true, its amazing.

He posts all his runs and races on Strava. His performances are quite impressive in his age division. I've never seen anyone with the muscular build of a light heavyweight boxer run world class marathon times like that.

Don't you think there is an obvious explanation for that?

Yeah, and that reason is quality running and strength training. Have you ever tried to train hard while on prescription pain medications? It’s not as helpful as you think. Water retention, constipation/diarrhea, weight loss, nausea, and weakness in the muscles won’t help you run 2:30 marathons. There have been numerous cases of former addicts finding relief from endurance sports, but you probably don’t care since you clearly lack the ability to be happy for the success of others.

P.S. The guy that beat Rideout is named Jonathan Walton, and he did it at the London Marathon which (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) was their only head-to-head competition to date. He also posts all his runs on Strava, and frankly, his training might be even more incredibly for the age group (50-54). Walton will get up to 130 miles per week in a build up, whereas Rideout tends to be in the 80 mpw range with a peak around 100, in a race build up.

I went on his Strava a few months ago after someone mentioned him on a thread. I just can't get into his story and don't believe for a second that he's clean. I know people go crazy here with the "innocent until proven guilty" mantra, but do so at your own peril in this instance. His training intensity combined with his age reeks of someone on PEDs. If he inspires someone else, then great, but I get nothing from him.

remember our last masters former drug addict and what made him so fast.

Kevin Castille, the former drug dealer turned US masters record holder, was handed a four-year ban from the sport by USADA on Thursday for testing positive for 19-norandrosterone, a metabolite of the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. The positive test was collected at the USATF Masters 10K Championships in Dedham, Mass., in April 2019 — a race Castille won by 90 seconds in 30:47 (he has now been stripped of the title).

I like what he is doing...and am impressed

but to the person who wrote the article - you do him no favors by calling him the World's best over age 50, when he is in fact, not the World's best over age 50. Look up the World's records for over 50...beat those...and then say he is the World's best marathoner over age 50.

as for the PED accusations - no evidence has been given to back this up.

Training like his is rare, but not undoable for over age 50 runners. If he is running 10 miles in 6:55 daily, I have no trouble believing this. If "by well under 7:00 pace means 6:20 every day...then I would be a little more skeptical". To me, at 58, 7:00 pace is a good pace, but not a pace I couldn't recover from and do again the next day and the next day etc. But 6:30 is pushing it, and I would certainly need the next day to be easier.

There's not a chance that he is clean. Not an iota of a chance. The fact that he is involved in boxing makes it MORE likely he's on TRT and whatever else he can get his hands on than less. Gym culture and all that. Look at his build: doesn't even remotely look like a world class runner. There's a reason for that.

Cool article but Tommy Hughes kills this guy.

Yes, but TH is an anomaly. A beast of an anomaly. At least I can relate to Ken in terms of upbringing, career, athletic career and now. Tommy? Forget it.