He broke the barrier—and the sport felt it.
Quentin Nauman is back on the pod in the final episode of our Festival of Miles series—a fitting finish to a week that reminded us just how far the sport is moving.
Just days ago at the HOKA Festival of Miles, Quentin lined up against the top high school milers in the country and ran 3:58.65—joining the elite ranks of sub-four athletes and pushing the ceiling of what high school runners can do.
It wasn’t just a win. It was a cultural moment in high school track.
This year has been something different. Sub-four miles are no longer mythical, they're happening. But Quentin’s not just following the wave. He’s setting it.
Earlier this season, he became the first high school athlete in U.S. history to run sub-1:50 in the 800 and sub-4:00 in the 1600 at the same meet. That’s not progression. That’s a shift in what young athletes believe is possible.
What’s fueling this surge in high school distance running? What does it mean to carry the weight of a generational leap? And where do we go from here, now that the old limits are falling?
This isn’t just a fast kid running fast. This is a flashpoint in the evolution of the sport and Quentin Nauman is right in the middle of it.
In today's conversation, Quentin takes me through a race that will define him and his legacy for years to come. We dive into the BTS of the 2025 FOM and Quentin's legendary performance, where he won in 3:58 in a 54 close; we talk about the rest of his season, his ambitions for the future, including breaking Alan Webb's record, and more.
Tap into the Quentin Nauman Special.
If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.
Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen.
If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!
S H O W N O T E S
-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs
-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run
-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run
-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ
-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en
-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.