The Runna Podcast

How to Train for Ultra Marathons with a Full-Time Job | Mike Wardian

June 19, 2026ยท35 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Mike Wardian's ultra marathon training schedule is unlike anything you've heard.Full-time job. Two kids. 4:45am starts. And at 52 years old, he recently won the World Marathon Challenge for the third time - breaking the world record for seven 50Ks on seven continents in seven days by almost four hours!This week Kayla sits down with Mike to find out exactly how he does it. From early morning alarms to his positive mindset and focus on fun, this is a masterclass from a man who's stayed at the top of ultra marathon running for nearly 30 years.Whether you're training for your first ultramarathon or trying to fit marathon training around a full-time job and family, Mike's approach to consistency, recovery, and longevity will change how you think about the sport.In this episode: ๐ŸŒ The 7-7-7 challenge: What it takes to run 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days ๐Ÿ’ผ Training around a full-time job: His daily routine from 4:45am ๐Ÿƒ The depletion mile: His unconventional recovery method after 100-milers ๐Ÿง  "Just be water": The mindset behind 30 years of consistent ultra racing ๐ŸŽฏ Longevity at 52: How Mike stays competitive, injury-free and motivatedFor anyone who wants to run further, last longer, and never stop enjoying it.๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Share your thoughts on The Runna Podcast in our new audience survey here: https://runna.typeform.com/to/QaEpqhlk ๐ŸŽง New episodes every Friday with Olympians, World Record Holders, and inspiring voices from the running community.๐ŸŽ Try Runna FREE for 2 weeks with code PODCAST26: https://web.runna.com/redeem?code=PODCAST26 And if you're just getting started, our New to Running and Return to Running plans are totally free ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ“บ Watch the full episode โ†’ youtube.com/@therunnapodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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