Inspired Soles

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Erin Mawhinney is a 28-year-old elite runner, full-time nurse, and proud Hamiltonian who recently ran her way onto the podium at the 2025 Canadian 10K Championships with a personal best of 33:09.

In this fun and wide-ranging conversation, we discuss:

• Erin’s race-day patience and strong finishing kick
• How working with coach Reid Coolsaet since late 2021 has kept her injury-free
• Her...

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Rory & Jill Linkletter are the ultimate marathoner + mom duo — and this conversation is everything you’d hope for: real, funny, insightful, and inspiring.

Just 34 days after running a 2:07:02 PB at the Boston Marathon, Rory followed it up with a 2:08:31 in Ottawa to firmly secure his spot as the second fastest Canadian marathoner of all time 🥈🇨🇦

But what goes into a decision ...

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Today I’m joined by my favourite repeat guest — and husband — Johnny Coffin, who just smashed through the 35-minute barrier with a 34:49 at the Canadian 10K Championships in Ottawa! 🇨🇦🔥

We recap our whirlwind weekend at the Ottawa Race Weekend, which came together very last-minute after a chaotic week of travel, a blown tire, and minimal sleep. Despite it all, we both rallied — ...

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Ashley Wiles is a mental performance coach & Founder of Sole Girls, which is dedicated to helping young athletes build confidence, resilience, and the mental tools they need to thrive—not just in sport, but in life.

She’s also a 3-time Ironman athlete and 70.3 World Championship competitor, so she walks the talk when it comes to pushing limits and staying mentally tough.

Inspire...

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What happens when you go all in on a bold goal — and let the whole world watch?

In this episode, writer, runner, and content creator Alex Cyr reflects on his journey to run sub-30 for 10K before turning 30. It took six tries, a chaotic travel schedule, and a whole lot of humility — but on April 27th, he finally did it in 29:41 at the Vancouver Sun Run.

We talk about the pressure of ...

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Caroline Fisher is a lifelong runner, passionate community builder, and the woman behind Big Sky Run Co. in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Caroline started running long distances as a teenager, inspired by her mother—a strong and enduring runner in her own right—and that family legacy continues to shape how Caroline approaches both life and business. Now the sole owner of Big Sky, she’s crea...

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Alison McPherson, a 31 year old lifelong runner, coach, and all-around powerhouse who lives in Canmore, Alberta. In March, Ali won a hilly 50K trail ultramarathon, and just one month later, ran a personal best of 2:58:13 at the Boston Marathon. If that wasn’t special enough, her 64-year-old mom – whom she coached – also crossed the Boston finish line in an incredible 4:09! 

In this...

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Today’s guest is Andrea Wilson — a 49-year-old runner and occupational therapist from Comox, BC who has gotten faster throughout her 40s, culminating in a 2:58 marathon at CIM in December 2024. But her story is about so much more than running.

Roughly a decade ago, Andrea’s world got turned upside down, and she found herself asking some big questions: Who am I? What do I believe in...

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Justin Kent joins Inspired Soles fresh off a huge PB and win at the McKirdy Micro Marathon (2:09:29) to talk about the race, the growing depth of Canadian men’s marathoning, and how he and wife/Olympian Lindsey Butterworth juggle elite training with life as new parents.

Connect with Justin:

• Instagram: @jkent_ 
• Mile2Marathon: https://mile2marathon.com/

Connect with Carolyn:

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Today I’m joined by Jason Fitzgerald—fellow podcaster, run coach, and the founder of Strength Running, one of the most trusted names in the running world. Based in Denver, Colorado, Jason brings a deep well of experience to the sport. He ran cross country and track at Connecticut College, dabbled in the steeplechase, and has posted impressive lifetime PRs including a 2:39 marathon...

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If you’ve been around the world of distance running for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the name Ben Rosario. He’s done just about everything in the running industry—from professional runner and run specialty store owner to race director and Olympic-level coach.

Ben spent nearly a decade as the head coach and executive director of NAZ Elite in Flagstaff, AZ, where he guid...

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Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the world of professional race announcing with none other than Steve Fleck – one of the leading endurance sports announcers and commentators in North America. If you've ever crossed the finish line at a major race, chances are you've heard his energetic and insightful voice bringing the moment to life.

Beyond calling the action at ...

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Today’s format is a little bit different — and hopefully a whole lot of fun.

I recently put out the call for your burning questions, and you did not disappoint! Welcome to our very first Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode, where I’ll be answering questions directly from you, the amazing listeners. And by popular demand and to make things even more interesting, I’ve invited back a specia...

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Today, we’re breaking down the topic of competition amongst athletes – and exploring the differences between healthy and unhealthy rivalries.

My guest is Brandy Adolphe, a fierce competitor and good friend, who recently won the 1500m national indoor title in the 45-49 age group with a blazing time of 5:32.19. Carolyn & Brandy have raced head-to-head many times—mostly Brandy win...

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The Canadian Masters Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Winnipeg March 1-2, 2025. In a rare solo episode, host Carolyn Coffin recaps her 1500 and 3000-meter races, including why she’s more proud of her silver medal than her gold one!

• 1500: 5:39.81, 🥈45-49
• 3000: 12:02.13, 🥇45-49

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can...

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Today I’m joined by five incredible fellow female running coaches to pull back the curtain on what it really means to coach runners—not just the workouts, but the philosophy, the passion, and the little things that make a big difference.

Three of these amazing ladies—Lynsey, Sarah, and Janelle—have been on Inspired Soles before, while Andrea and Alison are making their first appear...

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Imagine running seven marathons… on seven continents… in just seven days. Sounds impossible, right? Well, Charlie Tétrault did just that—alongside his brother, Rob—pushing themselves to the limit in one of the most grueling endurance challenges on the planet: the World Marathon Challenge.

Charlie joins us fresh off this once-in-a lifetime experience to share what it was really like...

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Leanne Klassen is back on the show, along with her coach, the legendary Malindi Elmore, to break down Leanne’s outstanding marathon performance last month in Houston.

Malindi is a three-time Olympian and a true icon of Canadian distance running. A Stanford graduate, she first competed in the 1500 meters at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and then made a remarkable transition to the marat...

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I’m joined once again by my husband, Johnny Coffin, for a lively discussion on the pros and cons of the popular running app, Strava.

Johnny is an avid Strava user—he loves leading by example, engaging with his running community, and tracking his data all in one place. I, on the other hand, am more of a Strava minimalist. My account exists solely to share training logs with my remot...