DFW Running Talk

The former TCU runner, CFO, and father of two explains how he progressed from a 3:28 marathon debut to a Boston qualifier—and ultimately one of the strongest races of his life. We get into the marathon training volume that changed everything, why 55–60 miles per week wasn’t enough for his goals, how the DFW Sloths pushed him toward 70–90-mile weeks, and the race-day pacing decision that saved his CIM.

Jeff al...

Kai Michelle, founder of Sweaty and Steady Curvy Girl Run Club, joins DFW Running Talk to discuss beginner running, body confidence, marathon training, and building an inclusive women’s running community in Dallas.

Kai shares how she went from completing casual 5Ks to training for the BMW Dallas Half Marathon, documenting her journey through the Curvy Girl Running Chronicles, and inspiring women who never considered themselves...

Kaitlin Moore once believed running a mile was too far. Years later, the former Division I soccer player, working mom of three, and Dallas-area runner crossed the Houston Marathon finish line in 2:57.

Kaitlin joins Chris Detzel on DFW Running Talk to share how she went from casually running to completing her first marathon in 3:27, qualifying for Boston, running 3:08 in Houston, 3:01 in Chicago, and eventually breaking the three-hou...

Pete Johnson ran 1:05:11 in his first half marathon, averaging roughly five-minute-mile pace at the Houston Half Marathon. Now, the former University of Tulsa and Central Arkansas runner is preparing for his marathon debut at the California International Marathon, where he hopes to begin chasing the 2:16 Olympic Trials qualifying standard.

In this episode of DFW Running Talk, Pete joins host Chris Detzel to share his complete runnin...

Chris Detzel sits down with Chris Shelton of the McKinney Running Club for a story that starts with a competitive streak and turns into a full-blown love for running and community.

Chris shares how it began in 2018 when his boss signed him up for the RAR 5K, why his very first training run (1.32 miles at a 16:23 pace) proves everyone starts somewhere, and how joining the McKinney Running Club in 2021 changed everything — from ...

How did former SMU football player Troy Castle go from a painful five-hour first marathon to a 2:34 finish at the Berlin Marathon? On DFW Running Talk, host Chris Detzel sits down with the Dallas runner and two-time Irving Marathon winner to explore the marathon training, Ironman endurance base, Boston-qualifying breakthrough, Texas heat preparation, threshold workouts, and relentless consistency behind his transformation. Troy als...

Miranda Hyvl started running 14 years ago with a couch-to-5K program as a busy mom just trying to get in shape. Today she's run 23 marathons, finished Boston seven times, checked off five of the six World Marathon Majors, and become an RRCA-certified coach — all while raising five kids in a blended family.

But Miranda's biggest impact might be off the racecourse. When Rockwall's running community found itself scattered across ...

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 fast...

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 fini...

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 des...

Nick Polito is a DFW running institution — 60 marathons, 30+ ultras, a 2:58 Boston PR, a Western States 100 buckle, and 19 straight years of high-mileage training. He founded Dallas Running Project, helped shape White Rock Running Club, and has paced 40-50 races for runners chasing their own goals.

He's also the rare runner willing to tell on himself: in this episode, Nick shares the full story of banditing Boston, getting cau...

Scott Manis didn't start running until his early 40s, and he started in a swimsuit. Twenty years later, he's logged 45 marathons, five Boston appearances, a full Ironman, and become one of the most well-known and well-loved figures in the Dallas running scene through the White Rock Running Co-op.

In this conversation, Chris and Scott trace the whole journey — from a lonely job transfer to West Palm Beach that accidentally igni...

Sergio Mena grew up running cross country in Spain, earned a full D1 scholarship to the University of Kentucky, got his MBA in Texas, and is now one of the most dominant half marathon runners in the DFW area — all while working full-time as an accounting manager.

In this episode, Chris sits down with Sergio to talk about his journey from Spain to Kentucky to Texas, his years-long quest to win the BMW Dallas Half Marathon (whic...

Dallas runner Jodi Jordan is back at Boston for her third time — and she's never felt more ready. In this conversation recorded live at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza the day before the 2025 Boston Marathon, Jodi shares how she went from partying on weeknights to qualifying for Boston with a 3:23 at St. George in 2015, the health scare that almost kept her from her second Boston, and how she's evolved into one of DFW's most con...

Eli Rodriguez went from tearing his rotator cuff as a bodybuilder to qualifying for Boston — twice — in just a few years of running. In this live episode recorded at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza the day before the 2026 Boston Marathon, Eli shares how he went sub-3 in only his second marathon, what he learned from his first Boston, and why he's chasing a 2:49 this year. Plus, his take on how run clubs like Trained Pegasu...

Recorded live at the Hilton Park Plaza in Boston, Chris sits down with Train Pegasus coach and Dallas running legend Alfonzo "Fonz" Gonzales on the eve of his 10th Boston Marathon. Fonz breaks down why he keeps coming back year after year (hint: it's not for himself), shares his race-day strategy for 2026 — a disciplined progression run targeting around 2:45 while using Boston as a tune-up for the Sendai Half Marathon —...

Jana Kizakova ran her first marathon in 2017 on a New Year's resolution dare — finished in 3:44 and swore she'd never do it again. She meant it. Five years went by with zero marathons. Then a quiet moment on a seawall in Vancouver changed everything.

Inspired by the memory of a former manager named Alex who ran alongside her on her worst training days, Jana set a single condition: if she was going to run again, she had to qual...

Nick Pencil moved to Dallas knowing nobody, found Train Pegasus, and ran a 2:44 in his very first marathon. Now he's toeing the line at the 2026 Boston Marathon after battling an IT band injury that sidelined him for six weeks just months before race day. Chris catches up with Nick live from the Hilton Boston Park Plaza the day before the race. They talk about going from fourth-grade track meets to high school cross country to mara...