Podcast: Episode 148 with Colin Bennie

Mario Fraioli | February 15, 2021

“There were definitely a number of times where I found myself just trying to analyze every single aspect of what I was doing different from the year before, or what I wasn’t doing different from the year before, and why there were any of these discrepancies in how I was running and I think that was the only stretch of time where I let myself get to that point because I realized that it definitely was an unfortunate sort of spiral to find yourself in because the more you think about, ‘Oh man, what am I doing wrong?’ or ‘What do I need to be doing better? Maybe that’s why I’m not running so fast.’ There’s no shortage and no way to stop yourself from finding more and more things that you can fix—or convince yourself need fixing—even when maybe all it’s coming down to is you’re spending way too much time in your own head and not just letting the training do what it’s supposed to do and go along for the ride because sometimes it’s really all you need to do.”

Colin Bennie is the sub-2:10 American marathoner that no one seems to be talking much about, which is one of the reasons I’m super excited to share this episode with all of you. He also happens to be a fellow Central Massachusetts native and we had some fun geeking out about the unique area where we both grew up.

Colin, who is 25 years old, finished third at The Marathon Project in Arizona last December, running 2:09:38 in just his second marathon. He made his marathon debut at last year’s Olympic Trials, finishing an impressive ninth in 2:12:14. Colin is a member of the Reebok Boston Track Club, which is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and he’s coached by Chris Fox, who guided him throughout his All-American collegiate career at Syracuse University.

In this conversation, Colin told me about his childhood, looking up to his two older brothers, and playing a bunch of different sports before settling on hockey and running in high school. We talked about his collegiate years at Syracuse, his relationship with Coach Fox, and how he and his teammates help make one another better athletes and people. We also discussed the importance of being a team player, what the transition to professional running was like for him, moving up to the marathon, and a lot more.

Colin Bennie: Instagram | Strava

the morning shakeout: Instagram | Twitter

Mario Fraioli: Website | Strava

This episode is brought to you by:

— New Balance. I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation.

Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.