{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Marathon Podcast","title":"#182 Ryan Smith: How he ran a 2:15 Marathon Debut & OTQ","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/b9527a44\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4692,"description":"Insta360 Deal: WarwickRuns/ https://store.insta360.com/product/go-ultra?utm_term=WarwickRuns&utm_source=AffiliateCenter\n\n20% off STRAVA annual subscription with code \"KRISTIAN\"\nGet Athyx and 10% off with the code MARATHON10: https://athyx.com/\nGet a discount on FlexBeam by using the link below or use discount code \"WARWICKRUNS\": https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb\nWelcome back to The Marathon Podcast. On this episode we have Ryan Smith on.\n \nRyan is a 25-year-old based in Boston who ran a stunning 2:15:52 marathon debut at the Vermont City Marathon, winning the race and, almost as a surprise to himself, securing the Olympic Trials Qualifier (OTQ) standard. A Division 3 college runner who had been steadily chipping away at his PRs in the years since graduation, Ryan's breakthrough came after bouncing back from a stress fracture and committing to a short but smart \"mini marathon block.\"\nIn this conversation, host Kristian digs into what made Ryan's debut so remarkable: lower-than-expected mileage (~75–80 miles/week plus cross-training), a double threshold training approach, intensity controlled by feel rather than heart rate or lactate testing, and the philosophy of always erring on the slower side of effort. Ryan is candid about his injury history, the mental side of racing alone, and what it felt like to cross the finish line not quite believing the clock.\n\n\n⏱️ Timestamps\n\n1:00:08 | Intro — Episode 182 welcome\n1:00:23 | Guest introduction: Ryan Smith\n1:02:10 | Conversation begins\n1:02:54 | Ryan's background — age 25, Div. III college runner, how he got into running\n1:05:58 | What it felt like crossing the finish line with an OTQ in his debut\n1:08:20 | How the running world and internet reacted (5–6 million Instagram views)\n1:09:00 | Life in Boston as a post-collegiate runner\n1:20:00 (approx.) | Stress fracture — coming back from injury\n1:30:00 | Decision to move up to the marathon distance\n1:31:00 | His first half marathon debut — 65:43 on a hilly course...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/qTvs4guYkofQN62LKXBtbARQG_WMNOoypuQJinJIWTI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85ZWQ0/ZmY5ZjRkYjhkZDI1/YTk5NWI5OWFhMWRi/NDYxZC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}