Having to “Go” has long been the enemy of runners everywhere, but might it hold the key to unlocking higher performance? While any runner can attest to how critical a well placed porta potty can be to performance, few realize the powerful science backing it up. Today on The Shakeout Podcast we’re joined by Dr. Chia Hua Kuo,  professor in the department of health and physical education at the Education University of Hong Kong, to explore how defecation could play a powerful role in endurance sport. From fatigue delay to enhanced cognition, you’ll never look at your pre-race ritual the same way again. This episode of The Shakeout Podcast is part one in a special two part series on Taming the Tummy: How runners of all ability levels can take control of the Gastrointestinal health to feel better in training and maximize performance on race day. Stay tuned for part two, where we’ll connect with Registered Dietitian Jessalyn O'Donnell to learn how we can apply the science behind GI distress to training, racing, and everyday life. Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to receive updates and 15% off your first purchase. 👉 https://bit.ly/4hCway5 Conditions apply: Valid on regular-priced items. Can., 16+. Initial registration only. See terms for details.

For more than a decade, few athletes have been as ubiquitous in Canadian athletics as Charles Philibert-Thiboutot. From a legendary university career at Université Laval that saw him help turn the Rouge et Or into the powerhouse they remain today, Charles quickly rose through the ranks on the elite scene, chalking up podium performances, national records, and championship titles on the roads, track, and cross country course while becoming a mainstay of Canadian national teams from Brazil to Budapest, Santiago to Tokyo. While his approachability has made him a favourite of both fans and competitors alike for years, it has been his remarkable versatility as an athlete across a variety of different surfaces and distances that has made his staying power in the sport so unique. And while Charles has made himself equally at home in a diamond league 1500m as he is in a muddy cross country 10k, there’s still one event that remains as the final line item on a career bucket list that seems to stretch on forever, the mighty marathon. Now, the wait is finally over and the man they call CPT will take to the streets of NYC to tackle the TCS New York City marathon this Sunday, November 2nd, hoping to put an exclamation point on the final chapter of a career that will go down as one of the greats in Canadian distance running history. This week on the Shakeout Podcast, we welcome Charles back to the show in the lead up to New York, looking back at the moments that have defined his career thus far, as well as hearing why the long road of his professional career reaches its terminus only after 42.2 more kilometres through the streets of the Big Apple.

A look back at the past 12 months and there’s not much that Nelson, BC’s Jazmine Lowther hasn’t done in the trail running world. After a summer of big-time performances that included a top ten finish at the legendary UTMB World 50k Finals in Chamonix, Lowther saved her best performance for last, leading the Canadian team at the World Mountain and Trail running championships in Spain with a stunning 4th place finish in the 82km Long Trail event. When she’s not taking on the best in the world head-to-head, Jazmine’s competitive fire stays stoked chasing some of the most iconic FKTs in the trail running, notching Fastest Known Times on routes like Mauna Kea Volcano in Hawai’i and the summit of the legendary Grand Teton in Wyoming. Today on The Shakeout Podcast we connect with Jazmine to recap her stand out performance at the World Championships, the preparation that got her there, and what challenges still loom large on her bucket list in the months ahead. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Follow Jazmine on social media @Jazmine_Lowther Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to received updates and 15% off your first purchase 👉 https://bit.ly/4nrD1wb

The 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon takes place this Sunday, October 19th. Headlining the Canadian National championship field this year is Ben Flanagan, as he looks set to make his much-anticipated debut over the Marathon distance. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we catch up with Ben to hear how he's approaching his first step into the deep waters of marathoning. Following a stellar 2024 season that saw him PB on the track at every distance from 1500m to 10,000m and make his first Olympic team in Paris, Ben tells us why the time was right to make the move full-time onto the roads. Already a multi-time national champion at shorter distances and the Canadian record holder at the road 5k, Ben shares his thoughts on why the roads have always felt like home for him despite a glittering track resume and how the unprecedented depth of Canadian marathoning currently is making the move both a daunting and exciting one for him. He also shares about his decision to move from his long-time training group in Michigan under the legendary Ron Warhurst to training solo in Cape Cod, his relationship with new Jon Green, and what it's been like to balance so much change with the demands of parenthood after the arrival of his first daughter this March. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Follow Ben on social media @Ben_flanagan Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to received updates and 15% off your first purchase 👉 https://bit.ly/4nrD1wb

After one too many long commute times on Toronto’s aging street car network, Mac Bauer was fed up and decided to take it to the Toronto Transit Commission in a battle of man vs. machine. Over the past several months, Bauer has made it his mission to outrun the 11 routes that comprise Toronto’s streetcar network, tackling summer heat, distracted drivers, and endless red lights all while maintaining a perfect undefeated record against his hulking red steel opponents. While the challenge began as an excuse to motivate Bauer’s own training, the competition has taken on a life of its own, resonating with fellow disgruntled commuters and bringing attention to a system that Bauer says has fallen behind the demands of the growing city. This week on The Shakeout Podcast, Mac joins us to talk about his battle against public transit and why despite his perfect undefeated record, the victory he really dreams of is someday to lose. Huge thank you to this week's sponsor Smartwool. Join the Smartwool mailing list to received updates and 15% off your first purchase 👉 https://bit.ly/4nrD1wb

In 2024, Ryan Keeping made headlines from coast to coast, literally. Over the course of 99 days, the Halifax ultrarunner completed a cross country trek that took him from St. John’s NL all the way to Victoria, a journey of more than 7300 kilometres, all while fundraising for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Since then, the incredible feats of endurance running haven’t stopped, and Keeping was soon back at it with more outlandish tests of resolve, including a 250 km ultramarathon in under 44 hours and a 10–day, 660 km journey that took him the entire length of Florida, completely unsupported. Now, Keeping is back in the news–and the record books–with perhaps his most audacious challenge yet; becoming the fastest person to run the entire perimeter of Iceland, a journey of nearly 1,400 km along its iconic Ring Road. Battling everything the northern country had to throw at him, Keeping stopped the clock in Reykjavik at 14 days, 13hrs and 38 mins, breaking the existing record by almost two days. On this episode of The Shakeout Podcast we catch up with the new world record holder to talk about the run itself, his origin story in endurance running and how it all starts with inspiring others to “flip the switch” and take on the impossible. Follow Ryan's journey on Instagram @Ryan.Keeping Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts.

This week on The Shakeout Podcast we welcome Calgary, AB's Cody Ko, a comedian, DJ, and YouTube megastar. While Cody became famous largely through his YouTube and social media presence, amassing millions of followers and hundreds of millions of views through his signature brand of comedy, running has been a part of his life for a long time and, in recent years, has become the focus of his online presence through his YouTube channel Cody Trains. Born into a family of endurance athletes, the former Division 1 diver at Duke made his return to distance running in 2023, taking up the challenge set for him by his family to join them in completing both an Ultra marathon and an Ironman triathlon. Shortly after, Cody ran the 2023 New York City Marathon, where he was the most tracked participant in a field of more than 50,000 runners. Fast forward to the present and Cody is making his return to the streets of New York for the 2025 edition of the marathon, looking to lower his time, fundraise for a great cause, and bring his fans along with him for the ride. We catch up with Cody between training sessions to talk marathon prep, balancing life as a full time content creator, and how he's harnessed the overwhelming support of the fans who've joined him on his endurance sport journey. Plus, we'll hear what he's doing this time around to make a bid for fastest celebrity in the marathon.

The Rundown returns for a special World Championships preview. With the biggest week in Track and Field of the year finally here, host John Gay and Canadian Running staff writer Marley Dickinson connect to break down all the biggest Canadian story lines heading into Tokyo. Also joining the show is national team member and 2024 Olympian in the 1500m, Kate Current. Kate joins the conversation from Athletics Canada's final phase training camp in Gifu, Japan, where she's putting the finishing touches on her own preparations, hoping to continue riding a wave of breakout performances and personal bests this season agains the world's best. In addition to sharing about her meteoric rise through the ranks of middle distance running this year, Kate also gives us the inside scoop on the atmosphere within Team Canada's camp as they head into these championships. After an historic showing at the last edition in Budapest, where Canada took home a record 5 Gold Medals, look for the red and white contingent to be setting there sights on even greater heights in the Japanese capital.

Run club culture is on the rise in Canada and globally, yet for many would-be participants the idea of showing up can be an intimidating one, especially when their own cultures and ethnicities are underrepresented. With an eye on creating greater representation in the sport of running, a new wave of culturally focused run clubs are on the rise in cities across Canada, setting out to make participation more inviting to a diverse array of runners from all backgrounds and cultures. This week on the Shakeout Podcast we sit down with run club leaders and organizers making a difference in their communities by promoting a more inclusive version of run club culture. Mel Merzeau of Black Runners of the GTA, Ekua Cudjoe of Soleful Runs, Alex & Vince Hyunh of Asian Toronto Run Club and Tep Bautista of Filipinos in the 6ix Run Club (FIT6ix) join the show to talk about their work, the rise of BIPOC run clubs, and how the broader running community can become a more welcoming space for all.

This week on the Shakeout Podcast we're joined by Justyn Knight, Olympic finalist, multi-time NCAA Division 1 national champion, and the second fastest man in Canadian history over 5000m. After a devastating injury sustained at the 5000m final at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 kept Knight off the track for nearly 4 years, he's back competing against the world's best in 2025. Fresh off a podium-performance at the Canadian championships and a 13:03 clocking in the 5k just days ago in Europe, Knight joins the show to talk about the long road back to the top of the distance running world. Following years of injury, and a move across the continent to train alongside Canadian record holder Moh Ahmed as part of the Oregon-based Nike Swoosh Track Club, the Toronto-born Knight is still chasing the same lofty goals as ever, albeit with a perspective that's been formed in the trials of the past several years.

With the fall road race season fast approaching, now's the time to dial in your fuelling strategy to make sure you get the most out of yourself on race day. Joining the show to answer all your marathon fuelling questions is Rachel Hannah, registered dietitian and 5xCanadian champion on the roads and track. Rachel breaks down the science of fuelling, from day-to-day to peak performance, and shares tips from her own elite marathoning career, including a meal-by-meal breakdown of her race weekend at the 2025 Boston Marathon, where she was the 2nd Canadian woman in a time of 2:34:42. Whether you're tackling your first marathon or you're a seasoned vet, Rachel is here to lend her personal experience and professional expertise to help runners of all abilities dial in their nutrition strategy in training to maximize their performance while racing.

The Rundown returns for this week's episode of the Shakeout Podcast. John Gay is joined by Canadian Running staff writer Marley Dickinson to recap the action from last week's Canadian National Championships and do a deep dive into who's in, who's out, and who's on the qualifying bubble for the 2025 World Athletics championships in Tokyo next month. Later on the show, we catch up with newly-minted Canadian 1500m Champion, 21 year old Max Davies. After missing the outdoor seasons in 2023 and 2024 with injury, Max is back and better than ever in 2025, outkicking an elite field of Canadian middle-distance talent to win his first senior national title last week in Ottawa. With his eyes set on a qualifying mark for Tokyo, he joins the show to discuss his return from injury, his record breaking season, and how he's leaned into his status as the dark horse in the hotly contested qualifying battle for Canadian team heading to Tokyo. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Follow The Shakeout Podcast @shakeoutpodcast

This week on The Shakeout Podcast we bring you a conversation between Brian Beckstead, founder of pioneering low and no-drop running shoe maker Altra, and Canadian Running staff writer Marley Dickinson. Brian joins the show for a conversation about his own journey in the sport, recapping how his years-long struggle with recurring injuries and decade-plus of experience in the run specialty retail world combined to form the kernel of Altra’s innovative approach to shoe design. From their origins creating a shoe that emphasized natural movement through their signature low-drop, natural toe-box fit to the continuing innovation at the heart of the company today, tune it to hear how Brian and his team are on a mission to help athletes of all abilities run faster, further, and more naturally by using their feet the way nature intended. 

This week on the Shakeout Podcast we're joined by Kelowna, BC's Jerome Blake, a member of Canada's Olympic Gold medal-winning 4x100m relay and the fastest man in Canada this year in the lead up to this weekend's Canadian Track & Field Championships in Ottawa. A core member of Canada's dominant 4x100 relay team throughout its multi-year global medal streak, Blake has announced himself as a contender in the individual events as well, becoming just the 6th man in Canadian history to eclipse the 10-second barrier in the 100m with his 9.97 clocking in Dessau, Germany last month. Tune in this week as Jerome shares about the changes in training and mindset that led to a breakout season and why he believes the best is yet to come as he eyes his first national title this weekend in Ottawa at the Canadian Track & Field Championships. Thanks to this week's sponsor Altitude Sports. Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout Conditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer.

In part 2 of our series on gender equality in road races we sit down with Canada Run Series CEO and TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon race director Charlotte Brookes. After noticing a sharp drop off in female marathon participation post-pandemic, Charlotte and her team at CRS set out to address the decline, with the aim of bringing more gender parity to starting lines across CRS events. At the heart of their initiative has been their "Women's Training Program" in partnership with Mile2Marathon, offering a free 16-week training plan to all female participants in the marathon and half-marathon events at Toronto Waterfront. Now in it's second year, the program has seen participation quadruple since it's inception in 2024 and with it a growing community of motivated female participants supporting one another on their journey to the finish line this October 19th. Tune in this week to hear more about the work Charlotte and her team at CRS are doing as well as how her own experience as a new mother and runner has given her wider perspective on the needs of female athletes.

Despite rising total participation in road races, the gap between male and females toeing the line is growing. This week on the Shakeout Podcast we bring you part one of our two part series examining the gender gap in road race participation. Joining the show today is Dr. Sasha Gollish, co-host of the “Strong Girl Talk” Podcast, author of the Yellow Running Shoe newsletter, and Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC). A Canadian masters record holder, Canadian University Champion, and multi-time Canadian National team member on the road, track, and trail Sasha has long been a champion of promoting gender equity and initiatives that support higher female participation in athletics. She joins us today to share her perspective from a lifetime of involvement in running, and highlight some of the promising initiatives currently underway. Follow Sasha ⁨@SGollishRuns⁩ and at the "Strong Girls Talk" Podcast Follow us @ShakeoutPodcast on social media Thanks to this week's sponsor Altitude Sports. Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout Conditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer. Cover Photo Credit: @_Nikkiross Youtube LInk: https://youtu.be/uZarhjJK1zM

This episode is brought to you by Altitude Sports! Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up to 20% off your first order with the promo code “shakeout” Click here to order 👉 https://bit.ly/altitude-shakeout Conditions apply: Valid for a limited time on regular-priced items. Cannot be combined with other offers or the member discount. One use per customer. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we welcome back multiple-time Canadian Record holder and 2xOlympian Gabriela DeBues-Stafford. After consecutive injury-plagued seasons that left her just short of qualifying for her third Olympic team in Paris last summer, she joins us from her new training base in Edinburgh, Scotland on the heels of a scorching fast 14:47 clocking in the 5000m that has earned her a qualifying mark for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Gabriela takes us through the process of coming back from injury and how she's rediscovered her knack for racing under the guidance of husband and newly-appointed coach Rowan DeBues-Stafford. Tune in this week to hear more about her decision to move to Europe, the potential for a 1500m-5000m double, and what it means to be eyeing a return to Tokyo and the Olympic Stadium after years spent battling injury. Follow Gabriela @GabrielaStafford

With the long-time challenges faced by the queer community being amplified by increasingly hostile rhetoric at home and globally, and the shocks of lost funding as many long-time Pride sponsors dial back or withdraw corporate donations, the Toronto run club community has taken a stand, serving as a driving force in the fundraising efforts long at the heart of Toronto’s Pride & Remembrance Run. This week on The Shakeout Podcast we sit down with Siphelele Danisa and Jocelyn Riet, two local organizers in Toronto's queer running community. They share from their unique experience with organizations like Frontrunners and Queer Run Club, and how the movement that is still very much in its infancy has embraced a central role in bringing awareness, a sense of belonging, and crucial financial support to Toronto’s Pride movement.

With hotter temperatures arriving across Canada, runners from Coast to Coast are being reminded of the added toll heat takes on their bodies. From easy jogs to all out races, the summer sun can prove to be the greatest competition many athletes will face, but might it also hold the potential to be their biggest ally? This week on the Shakeout Podcast we welcome back Dr. Trent Stellingwerff, renowned sport scientist, coach, and chief performance officer for the Canadian Sport Institute. Having spear-headed athlete heat adaptation programs for many of Canada’s Olympic and World Championship teams, Trent brings his knowledge of heat training to the masses. Whether you’re looking to beat the heat at your next summer road race, or use the hot summer months as your secret weapon in the buildup to a fall marathon, Trent shares the real-world applications of heat training gained from a career working with the world’s best athletes, helping you use embrace the heat like a pro.

Last year at the Paris Olympics, just 7 of the 17 distance runners on Canada’s Olympic team were training at home. Faced with limited opportunities in their home country, many of Canada’s best and brightest track stars have made the decision to move elsewhere in search of better competition, warmer weather, and the chance to make a viable career out of running fast. Yet while athletes from the rest of the country have flocked elsewhere in their quest for success, one small program has bucked the trend. Under the guidance of Athletics Québec’s young provincial team head coach, Félix-Antoine Lapointe, a small but mighty group in Québec City has ushered in a renaissance for Canadian-based distance running excellence. While Quebec placed just one athlete on the Olympic team in Tokyo in 2021, that number sky-rocketed to 7 last summer in Paris. Leading the charge were Coach Félix and the trio of Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (1500m), Jean-Simon Desgagnes (3000m SC) & Thomas Fafard (5000m), Quebec provincial record holders who not only made it to Paris, but advanced out of the qualifying rounds in their respective events. Today on The Shakeout Podcast we sit down with Coach Félix and the athlete whose career started it all, Charles Philibert Thiboutot, to discuss the rapid rise of the Quebec program, the unique relationship between the two, and how the model they helped build together has now extended to the next generation of Canadian-based distance running stars. Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple , Spotify  , YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Follow us @ShakeoutPodcast Charles Philibert-Thiboutot @CharlesPT Félix-Antoine Lapointe @CoachLapointe