The Run Around Iowa

Jack comes on the podcast to tell the story of how he returned to the Wartburg program as a full-time assistant coach. He looks back at the 2025 cross country season and if the Knights had a realistic shot at winning the national title after taking third overall in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Jack talks about the difficulty of sitting out the 2024 season with an injury. He looks back at his two best races as a Knights runner and why one of the races was frowned upon by the Wartburg coaches. Jack gives the outlook for the 2026 Wartburg men's and women's cross country teams. He gives an update on what his girlfriend, ex-Wartburg standout Ellie Meyer, is up to now. The former Liberty High standout gives details into the state title-winning 4x800 relay team his senior season. Jack tells of the turning point in the Wartburg men's program that led to runner-up national finishes in 2022 and 2024. He gives a strength of the Wartburg program beyond the large roster numbers and offers a couple of his interests outside of running.

Kyle, the head cross country coach at Bondurant-Farrar, comes on the podcast to talk about where the top seniors in the Class of 2026 will be running at this fall. Kyle, a regular on the IATC Exchange Zone podcast on Sunday nights, and Lance take a deeper dive into where those athletes have signed. The list of prestigious universities include Oregon, Arkansas, Iowa State, Texas and Tulsa. The conversation shifts to the top runners, including seniors, to watch for the 2026 high school cross country season. Kyle also gives his view on the teams to beat in the four Iowa classes for boys and girls cross country.

Erin comes on the podcast just days after her daughter, Evelyn, committed to run for Iowa State in the fall of 2027. Erin remembers the time when Evelyn, her middle child, had to choose between volleyball and cross country and a breakout race to remember her sophomore season. Erin talks about the motivation that drives Evelyn and why she stopped her from competing in her first half marathon. The three-time Iowa Conference champion for Wartburg tells of the great support from the Mount Vernon community. She remembers a memorable visit with Iowa State's coaches and why the Cyclones won out in a fierce recruiting battle. Erin chats about the difficult path for her youngest son, Kellyn, after he was born with spina bifida and his new athletic pursuit. She also tells of oldest son Ryne's influence on his siblings and what could be next for the Iowa State senior. Erin goes back to remember training with fellow Wartburg Robyn Friedman for the first time in Oregon and before the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. She recounts that memorable race and how it wasn't going well ... until it did. Erin tells of a surprise guest waiting for her in the finish chute at those trials in Boston. She reluctantly talks about an injury that derailed her 2012 Trials marathon when she was in the best shape of her life. Erin also looks back at the "rock star" Wartburg teammate who has been honored with her name on a facility for the college's cross country teams in Waverly. She also talks about Evelyn's epic finish in the Class 3A 800 final when she ran down a Mount Pleasant runner to claim the title by .01 of a second and help hand Mount Vernon a state team championship.

Lance opens this mish-mash podcast by featuring two interviews from the 52nd annual Bix 7 road race in Davenport on July 25. He interviewed former Iowa State NCAA champion Wesley Kiptoo of the HOKA NAZ ELITE squad based in Flagstaff, Arizona, and seven-time Loras College NCAA champion Kassie Parker of the Crown Running squads and finds out what will be their fall plans. Then, he talks about track and field coaching changes involving Iowans and former Iowa collegians before bringing NJCAA national champion coach Brent Ewing on for an interview. Ewing talks about why he felt it was the right time to leave Indian Hills Community College after 10 years to join Kansas State as the program's mid-distance coach. He mentions what sold him on making the move and why he believes the Wildcats program isn't far from being elite. The podcast concludes with an update on the 515 Run Club in Des Moines.

Chase comes on the podcast just days after a very memorable Midnight Madness 5K in Ames. He tells why it was special. He talks about health issues that prompted his return to Iowa. Chase set a new best for the marathon of 2:26:40 at the IMT Des Moines Marathon in October, but he mentions why that race was a bit disappointing. The former Manson Northwest Webster prep gives his next goal and why he believes a change in diet has improved his times greatly. The Northwestern College grad describes his journey into coaching and why his first coaching job was terrible. Chase talks about landing at NAIA Campbellsville University in Kentucky and the challenges that came with the job. He details a challenging Boston Marathon experience in April that gave him more than he expected and how an Uber Eats saved the day during his stay in Boston. Chase tells about the good and bad during his prep wrestling days and why he went with running in college instead of wrestling. He is asked about his many tattoos and he talks about what some of them mean to him. Lance is asked a question for once and Chase briefly stumps him about the topic.

Adam and Flannery, both former Luther College standouts, come on the podcast to talk about their recent races as part of the Grandma's Marathon weekend in Duluth, Minnesota. Adam dropped 10 more seconds off of his Iowa masters record for the marathon and talks about his pursuit of other Iowa records. Flannery, a top Iowa distance runner for many years, is asked the same question about her goals as she approaches age 40 in December. The Runablaze Iowa team members talk about how business at their farm in rural Cresco impacts their racing calendar and how many events they hold each year at Tailwind Acres, which includes the upcoming Runners' Retreat. They speak about the big change they made several years ago and enjoying a farm-to-table food lifestyle. Adam talks about leaving the teaching profession a year ago and his special conversations he has now with runners on his team and assisting seniors with massages at a hospice center. They tell of the frequent challenge to find time to squeeze in workouts between their work schedules and parenting. They talk about their kids taking up organized sports. They give their views on Luther College's move away from the American Rivers Conference starting in August. They tell the story of how they met and describe their why in running as middle-age runners.

Max comes on the podcast to tell why he is back in the Quad-Cities after graduating with a masters from the University of North Carolina. Max talks about injuries he had at Chapel Hill that derailed the final two years of his college career, but also special relationships he formed with coaches and teammates. The 2019 Iowa state cross country champion for Pleasant Valley High School goes into detail about bond he has with a current Hawkeye. Max talks about his childhood growing up with two brothers and the sports he played before settling on cross country and track. Max tells of a growth spurt that took him from 4-foot-11 as a freshman in high school to 6 feet. He looks back at the transfer portal process and talks about Iowa's prospects for winning the Big Ten title and building a college roster. Max explains where he ideally would like to live and looks back at his thrilling 2019 state cross country title. Max is also given a quiz on big people on the eve of the NBA Finals.

Lance goes solo on this podcast and opens with the controversial 515 Run Club's feud with the city of Des Moines. Lance gives his viewpoint on the dispute. He talks about some of the freshmen in college who have impressed him during this track and field season. He also looks ahead briefly at the NCAA Division III meet where disgraced former Iowa State runner Seth Clevenger of Rowan could spoil the fun again for several top Iowans. Lance gives praise to an Iowa last chance meet that brought top talent to their city. He finishes the show to talk about two big changes in his life and a new running challenge for him in the fall.

Lance interviewed several athletes at the Drake Relays as part of his coverage for the Des Moines Register. Featured in this episode are Loras College redshirt freshman Keelee Leitzen and Northern Iowa redshirt senior Millie Hill. Six-time Iowa Central Community College NJCAA champion Adva Cohen of the UA Mission Run Dark Sky Distance team and Drake University NCAA runner-up Isaac Basten of the BAA team in Boston talk about their return to the Blue Oval. Oklahoma State freshman and former Nashua-Plainfield star Kadence Huck, Iowa State junior Devan Kipyego and St. Ambrose junior and former Johnston prep Dylan Grandon chat about relay victories. And Cedar Falls senior and Iowa State signee Jaden Merrick speaks about jumping up to the 10,000, where he took a white Relays flag for the win.

This groundbreaking episode of the Run Around Iowa with Addi Dorenkamp features a video interview for the first time. Addi is the Iowa girls all-time leader for the 1,500 meters and 3,000. Addi describes the physical ailments that have kept her out of competition for the past 12 months and how she is coping with being on the sidelines. She tells how close she is to returning to racing. Addi also discloses the reasons she left Alabama and transferred to Colorado after the 2025 indoor season. She tells why she knows the Colorado program is the right one for her. She provides the story of how she started in the sport and her most memorable moment in running. Addi talks about the influences that helped to make her a three-time state champion in cross country and track and field between the fall of 2021 through the spring of 2024. Addi is asked about NIL and its effect on her and some of her fellow Buffaloes runners. She is also quizzed about Iowa and Valley track and field history.

Courtney comes on the podcast less than three weeks after earning NAIA All-American honors for the 4x800 indoors. She talks about how special it was to achieve the honor with her sister, freshman Madison. Courtney, who is going into the nursing profession, tells how the family pipeline to Morningside started. Courtney tells why she wasn't sure she wanted to run in college after winning two state cross country teams titles at Logan-Magnolia. She describes the special relationship she has with assistant coach Garret Ehlers and how he has pushed her outside of her comfort zone. Courtney looks back at her most memorable race. She is asked about the NAIA rule of holding prelims with relay events and some distance events. Courtney looks back at challenges competing for a high school without an all-weather track and how she and Madison cope with celiac disease. She describes what steps she takes to eat the right foods when she's traveling with the Morningside teams. Courtney takes a quiz on the Morningside track and field and tells what she wants her legacy to be when she leaves the program in May.

Shaelyn comes on the podcast to talk about the wild Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference indoor meet that included a 5,000 title, her third NSIC title, and much more than she bargained for. The Dubuque Hempstead grad describes what her strategy was coming into the meet and her approach to races. The Wartburg College and Minnesota-Duluth 10,000 record holder tells how an injury changed the trajectory of her college career in Waverly and how time away from running has been beneficial. Shaelyn gives her biggest win that came out of her last meet as a collegian and how long she thinks her Wartburg record might stand. She talks about the thinking that went into choosing Minnesota-Duluth. Shaelyn also tries to take a guess at what Duluth is famous for. Shaelyn and Lance also play a fun game. Listen to see who won!

Lance continues the interviews from the Friday, Jan. 23 indoor meet at Iowa State. But first, he updates listeners on some news, including where a former Iowa State runner has landed. Then, the interviews start with Wartburg College senior and former Washington High prep Lance Sobaski, who chats about the Knights' team culture and where he envisions himself after graduation. Central College senior Payton Steffen is next. The former Marion runner discusses her role on the Dutch team and the goals they have for indoor nationals. Mount Mercy junior Abby Knepper, a former Dyersville of Beckman athlete, talks about goals for the rest of this season and why she's locked in on remaining at the college. Iowa Western sophomore Landon Hartley, who attended Urbandale in high school, discusses remaining tasks he wants to achieve during the final year he has left at the Council Bluffs school. And DMACC sophomore Zack Stoermer, who ran for Des Moines Lincoln, tells about the rise of the Bears' program and how cross country nationals in November could have been even better.

Lance recorded an unprecedented number of interviews - 11 - from the Friday, Jan. 23 indoor meet at Iowa State. He starts the podcast with news on Cedar Falls senior and Iowa State commit Jaden Merrick, who gave up his final season of eligibility to compete in - and win - the 3,000. Merrick tells his reasons for making the move. Former Drake standout Emilie Meyer talks about joining Minnesota Distance Elite and what's on the horizon. He talks to Air Force officer Jason Renze, a former Madrid prep who set a new mile personal record and is now based in Omaha. Lance corrals Drake assistant track coach Hannah Weiss, who provides her views on the program and if she wants to lead a program again. Nikki Borner of Indianola finished second overall in the 3,000 in 9:59 and Lance finds out what is ahead for the 40-year-old mother of four who topped almost all of the collegians. The podcast ends with former Simpson College and Ames High runner Ean Warrick telling how he is juggling a new job with competing at a high level.

Craig comes on the podcast to talk about his journey that took him from Northern Iowa his freshman season to Tennessee his sophomore season to Dordt University in his junior and senior seasons and now Arkansas State as a graduate student. He describes how the path he has taken has made him stronger. The Atlantic High grad tells about foot issues that sidelined him his final season at Dordt and now at Arkansas State and how he has kept positive through it all. Craig talks about his new paperback book, "In the Throne Room," that provides unconventional poems regarding Christian life and how the idea for a book came to fruition. He looks back at the Dordt program's success and how that program continues to thrive. Craig looks back at a prep career that included participation in four spots before he locked in on distance running. He tells how a fortunate scheduling situation at the Drake Relays allowed him to slip into the boys' 800 field and allowed him the chance to claim second place. He talks about having his mother as a coach his senior season and how they continue to talk about coaching. Craig, who was raised on a farm, mentions a gift that farmers have, but why he feels certain he won't be returning to live in Iowa again.

Angie comes on the show to talk about competing in two marathons in a span of eight days in November. In the first, the resident of rural Drakesville set a new personal best time of 2:43:53 at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on Nov. 8. Angie then finished third overall at the Every Woman's Marathon in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Nov. 16. The longtime Runablaze Iowa athlete chats about choosing running over basketball after seeing success at both sports in high school. She talks about dealing with adversity while having her best finish at cross country nationals for Central College. Angie, who teaches and coaches at Davis County in Bloomfield, talks about the tall task of juggling motherhood, teaching and coaching the school's cross country and youth running teams, all while trying to fit in her own running routine. Angie talks about the biggest challenge she has working with kids. She tells how a new coach has opened her eyes to new training plans and workouts that were scary at first. Angie also describes why she couldn't enjoy her first marathon win, at the IMT Des Moines race in October of 2024. She also recounts her conversation meeting with running legends Kathrine Switzer, Deena Kastor and Des Linden after the marathon in Arizona. Angie also talks about the joy of lacing up the shoes for a fun run with her sons in Bloomfield earlier this month.

Parker joins the program to talk about the origins of the professional running team that he and Riley Coulter co-founded about a year ago. The Driftless Distance Project team, primarily based in northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin, includes former Central College All-American Caroline McMartin. Parker, who earned all-WIAC and all-region honors competing for Wisconsin-La Crosse, talks about the dominant Eagles program and what has helped them stand out nationally. Parker details his busy schedule, which includes pursuing a masters degree and serving as an assistant coach for Wisconsin-Stout. He talks about his running goals and why the Quad-City Times Bix 7 has played a big part in his running life. Parker also tells the story of how he knows Olympic marathon medalist Deena Kastor.

Lance starts the show by putting the finishing touches on the college cross country season. He mentions three Iowa colleges who picked up team trophies during NCAA and NAIA championships over the weekend. He then gives his viewpoint on the controversy surrounding BYU coach Ed Eyestone's criticism of college cross country programs that rely on international runners to fuel their success. Two of the top men's teams, Oklahoma State and Iowa State, have defended the practice of using recruiting services in the new age of NIL. The show finishes with Andrew Snyder, director of "Track Guy Movie" that focuses on announcing legend Mike Jay, talking about his top highlights from the documentary that debuted in September. Andrew, a native Iowan, tells the work that went into making his first full-length film and what he hopes to accomplish next in his career.

Bryant comes on the program to talk about his recent performance at the Central Region meet in Joplin, Missouri, when he and his Vikings team qualified for the NCAA Division II nationals in Wisconsin next week. Bryant tells about how this season has exceeded his expectations. The redshirt freshman gives the story of how he became motivated to become an exercise science major with an eye toward become a chiropractor. Bryant, a five-time state medalist at Glenwood, details some struggles during his first cross country season at Sioux Falls in 2024 and how he has been nursing an injury the past month of this season. He looks back at his early running career and the success that Glenwood has had in producing college runners. Bryant also chats about his interests outside of this sport and why distance running doesn't define him.

Lance gives his thoughts on the Cyclones men's program after the suspension of multiple athletes the previous weekend. He also provides comments on the challenges that lie ahead for the team in its final two races and if the loss of depth will be too much to overcome. He also remarks on the integrity of the program and coach Jeremy Sudbury.