Explore every episode of the podcast Crew Cast, a Running Podcast

Enrique on building a run club from three people, raising a kid in the social media era, and why weekly kilometres beat every training hack

This episode follows Enrique and Stoddy through a wide-ranging conversation about running, community, and what it takes to keep showing up — with a strong focus on club building, training volume, and the cost of doing it all in public.

Enrique moved from Chile to Potsdam for a one-year MBA and never left. He started running at 30 after years of openly not understanding why anyone would, founded Potsdam Runners in 2016, watched COVID kill it, and rebuilt it in 2022 from two or three people — coming home to tell his wife the news that six had shown up. Today it’s 200+ in the WhatsApp group, three pace groups designed so nobody finishes alone, and coffee after every Saturday run.

He’s also, at 46, running his marathon PBs — the second one 22 minutes faster than the first. His explanation is refreshingly unglamorous: it’s weekly kilometres, it’s zone 2, it isn’t sexy, and it isn’t the Norwegian method. “That’s the most important KPI that you have to look.”

They get into the harder stuff too: why the club is free forever and every sponsor pays in product rather than money, why he’d rather convene his rival clubs than compete with them, what Strava’s vanity metrics do to beginners who quit inside 18 months, and what his 11-year-old thinks he does all day (answer: he’s a YouTuber). Plus the two races that went south — including the Santiago half where he untied his hydration belt, strapped it around his failing leg, and limped the last four kilometres.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:45 Cold open
1:18 Meet Enrique + Potsdam Runners
3:01 Starting to run at 30, in Chile
4:25 Potsdam, an MBA, and 42K without a red light
5:52 Learning German with a bag of Post-its
7:25 Meeting his wife in Buenos Aires
9:06 The hard years and the Munich detour
10:38 Rebuilding the club: “six people today”
11:40 The Berlin and Potsdam run club scene
13:46 The rival clubs of Potsdam
15:19 Tuesdays, Saturdays and medal Mondays
17:19 Three pace groups, one finish line
18:44 His own running, and a stress fracture
19:41 A marathon PB 22 minutes faster at 45
21:45 How many kilometres: the only KPI
23:57 Zone 2 isn’t sexy, Strava is vanity
27:30 His 11-year-old: “my dad’s a YouTuber”
33:06 F1, tobacco and AI without seatbelts
37:04 Why the club is free, forever
38:19 Rival clubs and the September plan
41:50 Besties, couples and volunteering
45:16 Rapid fire

Find Potsdam Runners: @potsdam.runners on Instagram — WhatsApp group linked in the bio, plus the Potsdam Runners club on Strava.
Tuesdays 19:00 from the Brandenburger Tor in Potsdam, Saturdays 09:30 from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof. Free, always.

Hosted by Stoddy (@elastictime) · Crew Cast (@crewcast030)

Josh on running, training load, and why the marathon rewards honesty

This episode follows Josh, Avery, and Stoddy through a wide-ranging conversation about endurance sport, with a strong focus on running, triathlon, fueling, and how training actually translates into race-day performance. It matters because the discussion gets into the practical stuff most runners wrestle with: what makes you faster, why injuries happen, when cross-training helps, and how to think about pacing with less guesswork.

Key topics

• In this episode: Josh tells the story of how he moved from childhood triathlon and a range of sports into serious marathon running
• The direct feedback loop of running: Josh explains why he loves running because training and performance have such a clear cause-and-effect relationship
• Why overuse injuries happen: the conversation centers on training load, gradual progression, and how injury risk rises when the body gets more load than it is ready for
• Why not all volume is equal: Josh distinguishes between distance, intensity, and training response, and explains why elite athletes often get more from the same workload
• Tapering and race-day psychology: the group discusses how runners can be physically fit but still underperform because of pacing errors, motivation dips, or poor taper management
• Berlin’s impact on training: Josh says Berlin changed his running by giving him more access to track work and more social running, which improved his shorter-distance speed
• Cross-training gets debated: Josh argues that if your only goal is faster running, more running usually beats cycling, swimming, or lifting, though he acknowledges cross-training can help in specific cases and for specific athletes
• Fueling becomes a mini conversion story: Josh says he used to race without fuel but now takes fueling seriously, including making his own gels and experimenting with practical options
• Race stories go off the rails: Josh shares marathon blowups, including vomiting on Berlin Marathon day and at the finish of a fast race where he paced a friend
• Kaizen in one sentence: the app connects to training data, predicts race performance, and adapts training plans dynamically based on load and recent work

Lauren & Dennis: Type A vs Type B, 70K Nights & Becoming Each Other's Family

Lauren came from North Carolina for one study-abroad semester and stayed ten years. Dennis came from the Netherlands by way of a corporate science job he burned out of. Neither of them has family in Berlin, and that turns out to be the whole episode:

Lauren, Dennis and Stoddy sit on a rooftop after work to talk about movement — and mostly end up talking about everything around it. They get into whether Harriers is actually a run club or just a friend group, the European image of Americans, "calendar hedonism" and why Berlin makes everyone flaky, and the Type A / Type B question that neither of them answers the way you'd expect.

They dig into the harder stuff too: burning out of a job you were good at, what fasted running actually costs women, Dennis realising mid-trail that the sound he heard three times wasn't a branch, and Lauren deciding at 145K that the ambulance would take longer to reach her than the finish line would.

Chapters

• 0:00 — Intro: why we're talking about movement, not running
• 0:48 — Lauren: North Carolina to Berlin
• 9:09 — Why Lauren came back to Germany
• 12:06 — Dennis: how he ended up in Berlin
• 14:39 — Work hard, play hard — and burning out
• 20:41 — Calendar hedonism and Berlin flakiness
• 22:30 — Run club or friend group?
• 28:42 — Type A vs Type B runners
• 29:46 — Lauren's running history
• 40:36 — Running 30K after a 10K race
• 44:00 — "This is a privilege"
• 49:07 — Running back from Poland overnight
• 50:33 — Dennis's injury on the trail
• 1:00:46 — Lauren's worst race
• 1:01:54 — The most Berlin thing
• 1:06:42 — Rapid fire

Ben grew up in a tropical compound in Nigeria, moved to the U.S. at 10, and after a decade he landed in Berlin with no plan beyond a friend's couch and a love for the city.

Today he runs Run and Rave, a 7am running community that's become far more than a run club.

In this episode, Ben and Stoddy get into his origin story, why he traded Berlin's party scene for early-morning runs along the canals, and the philosophy that drives everything he builds: if it's not a full "yes," don't do it — and always ask whether it's going to be fun before you ask whether it makes sense. They dig into the hard stuff too: how to hold a community together, navigating conflict with nonviolent communication, and why people get almost addicted to running long distances.

Find Ben: @beninlivingcolor and Run and Rave (@run_and_rave)

Hosted by Stoddy (@elastictime) · Crew Cast (@crewcast030)

The Späti Half blends Berlin's Spätkauf culture with a half marathon, turning city corners into party stops. No medals, no pressure, just community, creativity, and beer along the way.

In this episode, Kristina shares how three friends turned a wine-fueled idea into a beloved event that draws first-timers and seasoned runners alike. We get into the surprising logistics of routing a race through a quirky city, how they fold local businesses in as partners, and why they keep the whole thing deliberately relaxed.

You'll hear:
– How a casual meetup became an organized community event
– Insider tips for city logistics and managing stop points
– The secret to making running genuinely inclusive
– Stories from first-timers who finished a half marathon, beer in hand

In a world obsessed with marathon distances and ultra challenges, this episode is a reminder that the real point of movement is enjoyment, connection, and local culture. Whether you're a runner craving less pressure, an organizer dreaming up your own event, or just curious how Berlin's love for Späti culture can spark something, there's plenty here to steal.

Follow along:
Crew Cast → https://www.instagram.com/crewcast030/
Späti Half → https://www.instagram.com/spaetihalf/

From Marathon to Triathlon: Geno's Race Day and Training Insights

Join us for a deep dive into the journey of transitioning from marathon running to triathlon with Geno, an athlete deeply embedded in New York's running scene. This episode covers race day stories, training philosophies, and practical tips for endurance athletes.In this episode:

• Geno's experience navigating unexpected race day cancellations and managing race anxiety
• The mental and physical adaptations required for switching from marathon to triathlon training
• How cross-training has improved Geno's running performance and race times
• Detailed race day anecdotes, including unique strategies such as running with ice and handling bike mechanicals
• Insights on balancing city life with endurance training, including city cycling safety and urban running tips
• The importance of beginner mindset and staying motivated as a seasoned athlete exploring new sports
• Tips for fueling, hydration, and injury prevention during long-distance races
• How community, social media, and peer interactions influence athletic growth and motivation

• (00:00) - Introduction to Geno and his transition from marathon to triathlon
• (03:17) - The chaos of race day weather and the impact of last-minute cancellations
• (08:07) - Race day stories: ice in the race, navigating transitions, and course challenges
• (17:24) - Geno’s strategic approach to pacing, energy management, and race analysis
• (25:36) - Lessons learned from race day mistakes, including slow transitions and hydration tips
• (33:47) - Fueling strategies: managing carbs, avoiding underfueling, and race nutrition hacks
• (44:00) - Safety tips for city biking, urban running, and handling falls and mechanicals
• (51:40) - Rapid fire Q&A on disciplines, race pain points, and advice for aspiring triathletes
• (55:18) - How community and social media foster endurance sports enthusiasm

• ⁠Endorphins Running Club⁠
• ⁠Valencia Marathon

Becca is a Berlin-based runner, ex-800m track kid, and one of the co-founders behind Common Pace, the run store and community hub she's building near Tempelhofer Feld. In this episode she traces the whole arc: from chasing Olympic dreams as a twelve-year-old, to over-optimizing every variable as an adult, to a stress fracture that forced her to stop building her entire life around running and start running on feel instead.

We get into:

• The injury that hit a week before her first marathon, and why it rewired how she trains
  
• Why she deleted Strava for good, and the year she wrote a poem for every single run
  
• Running on feel vs running by pace, and learning to leave the watch alone on easy days
  
• The fueling lessons every injured runner learns the hard way (no fasted runs, eat after the late session, stop overthinking it)
  
• Why Tempelhofer Feld is Berlin's great equalizer, and how the winter crowd is nothing like the marathon-training crowd
  
• Common Pace: the community-first run store she's building, and why a running city like Berlin doesn't have one yet
  
• Her unfiltered takes on running culture, kudos, and why no one actually cares about your pace
  

Whether you're coming back from injury, deep in marathon block, or just tired of letting your watch run the show, this one's a reset. It's for anyone who's ever cared a little too much, and is learning to care about the right things instead.

Common Pace @commonpace.store on Insta and www.commonpace.de 

Becca on Insta @becca.staccata 

Most runners hit a wall, mentally and physically. What if the pain was the point?

Katarina is a Berlin-based artist, coach, and community builder who stopped chasing numbers and started treating running like a game. In this episode she breaks down the mindset shifts that took her from overtraining as a college athlete to running on feel, and why that switch made her training more sustainable, more joyful, and a lot harder to get injured doing.

We get into:

• Vibe-based training, and what it actually means to run on feel instead of metrics
• How to read your own body well enough to trust it
• Simple at-home work (lunges, stride drills) that cleans up your form
• How to spot overstriding using video of your own run
• Real stories from the Euro Trip relay: the near-misses, the mishaps, the unglamorous reality of ultra-distance teamwork
• Her unconventional race strategy and how she runs long with joy
• Why community, not stats, is what keeps her going

Whether you're chasing a faster 5K, training for your first marathon, or just tired of quantifying every mile, this one's a reset. It's for anyone who wants to run on their own terms and actually enjoy it.

Press play and run your own way.

Insta Links:

Katarina

Run Smart Not Hard

About the guest: Katarina is a Berlin-based artist, coach, and veteran of the Euro Trip relay. Over fifteen-plus years across college athletics, coaching, and ultra-distance running, she's built a reputation for intuitive training, community leadership, and redefining what it means to be a long-distance runner.

Rob Eves and I discuss the new Parkrun on Berlin's Tempelhofer Feld

Chapters

00:00Introduction to Rareform and Parkrun

00:38Rob's Journey into Running and Diabetes

06:55Understanding Parkrun: A Community Event

12:50Volunteering and Community Involvement in Parkrun

15:52Establishing a New Parkrun in Tempelhofer Feld

21:56How to Get Involved with Parkrun

Don't miss it this Saturday April 18th!

What does it take to lead a crew of hundreds? In this episode, we go inside Adidas Runners Berlin (@runnersberlin) with captains Fer and Lynn—two of the most recognizable faces in the city’s running scene.

They talk leadership, burnout, brand politics, and rebuilding community after the pandemic. We dive into what it truly means to create a safe space when everyone’s watching—and how to hold that line when it counts.

Plus: comebacks, race-day pressure, the problem with chasing PBs, and why the track is the most democratic place in Berlin.

This is leadership with spikes on. No fluff. All heart.

Follow the crew:

• Adidas Runners Berlin: @runnersberlin

• Fer: @mandarina.caiman

• Lynn: @maleenlynn

Kaizen is an adaptive running app built for runners who value progress over perfection. Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of kaizen—continuous, incremental improvement—the app helps you train smarter by focusing on weekly training load, not rigid schedules. Go check them out at links below.

🌐 runkaizen.com📸 Instagram: @runkaizen🐦 X (Twitter): @runkaizen
📱 Available on iOS and Android

Bryce didn’t come to build a run club. He just wanted to meet a few people.
But what started as a weekly jog with strangers has grown into Optimistic Runners Run Club—a community where the loop matters more than the finish line, and where showing up—on time, in the cold, with a smile—is an act of care.

Give us a follow on Instagram

@OptimisticRunners

@CrewCrew030

In this episode of Crew Cast, Bryce talks about:

• Growing up on Réunion Island and finding rhythm in movement
• His journey into triathlon and endurance sports
• Building a welcoming space for runners of all levels in Berlin
• Why running loops can feel like meditation
• How Optimistic Runners became a soft landing spot for people new to the city
• And the quiet beauty of simply being recognized by name

It’s not just a story about running. It’s about belonging.

This week on Crewcast, we sit down with Tim, founder of Founders Running Club, to talk about building community through running. Tim shares how a high-pressure startup life and marathon training in San Francisco led to the birth of a global run club with over 30 chapters. We explore how FRC blends entrepreneurship and fitness, why it's more about conversation than pace, and what it takes to scale a community across continents. If you're curious about launching a chapter—or just love a good runner's origin story—this one's for you.

FRC on Instagram

Tim on Instagram

🚀 New Episode Alert! 🎙️🏃‍♂️

This week on the FOMO Running Team podcast, we sit down with Mariona and Ruslan of @runningfomo to dive into Berlin’s thriving running scene! 🌍🏃‍♀️

We talk about:
✨ The rise of community running in Berlin
🔍 How Running FOMO helps runners discover the best clubs & events
📅 Balancing full-time jobs with running passion projects
🎉 Their plans for exciting new events in 2025

Whether you're new to Berlin’s running culture or a seasoned club runner, this episode is packed with insights, laughs, and motivation. Don't miss it! 🎧🔥

Ramona Tyler is the founder of Pace Berlin and a Lululemon ambassador in Berlin.

In this episode, we discuss Ramona’s upbringing and their early relationship with running, how biking took center stage when they moved to Berlin, and finally how all of that came together in the creation of their running club. Ramona’s story is one of growth, care, and building community, and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

You can find PACE on your choice platform:

• Strava
• Telegram
• Insta

Organizations Mentioned:

division:bpm

Isla Coffee Berlin

Crews & Brews

Valencia Flood Relief donations are being collected: here and the Red Cross.

For more information about Peter, find him on ⁠⁠Instagram, and to follow along with us Crew Cast, we are ⁠⁠@crewcast030⁠⁠. ⁠

For more information about Mikkeller Run Club Berlin reach out to them on Instagram @mrc_berlin .

To follow along with Crew Cast find us @crewcast030.