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In 2019, it felt like women in sport had forced a turning point.

When Alysia Montaño, Kara Goucher, and Allyson Felix spoke publicly about pregnancy-related sponsorship penalties, major brands promised change.

Contracts changed. Protections were added. The sport moved forward… or did it?

In this episode, we unpack the “Pregnancy Penalty,” the recent controversy involving Emma Bates and UCAN, and a bigger question:

Did this problem go away… or did it just move into the fine print?

This isn’t just a conversation about one athlete or one brand.

It’s about what the sport values, what contracts protect, and whether pregnancy is still treated as a risk in professional running.

👇 What do you think?
Should sponsors be required to protect athletes through pregnancy, no matter the circumstances? Let us know in the comments.

#RunningPodcast #EmmaBates #AllysonFelix #KaraGoucher #AlysiaMontano #WomenInSport #RunningNews #Marathon #TrackAndField #PregnancyPenalty

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Sometimes the hardest part of a marathon…
isn’t the running.

It’s everything that happens around it.

After hearing about a bizarre finish at a marathon earlier this year—where the race leader was literally sent the wrong way just meters before the finish—we started digging into how often things like this actually happen.

And it turns out… it’s not rare.

In this episode, we talk through some of the strangest and most unexpected moments in marathon history—from officials interfering at the worst possible time, to historic controversies, to moments where the line between competition and compassion gets blurred.

Some of these are frustrating.
Some are unbelievable.
And some are just… weird.

But they all raise the same question:

👉 How much of a race is actually in your control?

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🎙️ Topics we cover:

The 2026 marathon finish controversy
Katherine Switzer and the 1967 Boston Marathon
The 1908 Olympic marathon chaos
When helping a runner becomes disqualification
Marathon cheating and bizarre race behavior
The strange role of spectators, officials, and outside interference

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If you’ve ever run a race—or even just watched one—this episode might change how you see the finish line.

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👇 We’d love to hear from you:
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen during a race?

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🎧 Thanks for listening to the I Don’t Know Running Podcast
We’ll see you next time.


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Why would an everyday runner cheat in a race?

Not elites.
Not professionals.

Just… normal people.

In this episode, we take a look at the strange and surprisingly relatable psychology behind cheating in running—from cutting courses and bib swapping to chasing Strava validation and Boston qualifiers.

This isn’t just about the stories.

It’s about the why.

Because at some level, most runners have faced the same question:

What matters more… finishing fast, or finishing honestly?

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We also talk through:

• The infamous Rosie Ruiz Boston Marathon scandal
• The “porta potty time machine” ultra cheat
• Why social media may be fueling bad decisions
• How runners actually get caught today
• And what cheating really takes away from others

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At the end of the day, the real finish line might not be the tape…

It might be who you choose to be when no one’s watching.

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💬 Let us know:

Have you ever been tempted to cut a corner?

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🎙️ The I Don’t Know Running Podcast
Real conversations about running—what works, what doesn’t, and everything in between.

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#RunningPodcast #Marathon #RunningCommunity #Strava #BostonMarathon #RunningMotivation
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