Brenda Martinez is a young woman on a roll. She won the BAA Mile a few weeks back, then followed that up with a track record 1500 at Mt. Sac – 4:04.86 – the following week, and then ran 2:00.6 for her leg of the record setting U.S. team’s 4 x 800 at the Penn Relays. Now healthy and training under the legendary Joe Vigil, the sky is the limit for Brenda.

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Shannon Rowbury was on the U.S. track and field team at 1,500 meters in both 2008 and 2012, making it to the finals both times and finishing higher – seventh in 2008 and then sixth in 2012 – than any American woman in history. She grew up in the Bay Area and her first international competitions were in Irish Dancing, not in cross country or track.

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Lauren Fleshman ran sub 15:00 for 5,000 meters (14:58:58) and was a favorite to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. Dealing with a foot injury that would lead to surgery, she took fifth in the trials and didn’t get to go to Beijing. Now she is a few weeks from the 2012 trials and this time it is an IT Band injury that has kept her running to a minimum. But her attitude is awesome and this interview is absolutely one of our all-time favorites.

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Galen Rupp made the finals at 10,000 meters in his first Olympics in Beijing in 2008, and London is definitely in his sights for next summer. Earlier this year he ran his first half marathon in New York City and went 1:00:30, the third fastest half marathon for an American. In mid September he stepped it up a notch when he ran an amazing 26:48.00, the fastest ever 10,000 for a non-African.

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Earlier this summer the folks at ASICS snuck 2:04:58 marathoner Ryan Hall into a hotel in Orlando to surprise their major retailers. I was honored to emcee a classic Q&A with America’s fastest ever marathoner. As Ryan gets ready for the Chicago Marathon, it’s a great time to check out this interview.

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After just one chat, Shannon Rowbury has quickly become one of our all-time favorite interviews. What a great personality! Besides being really, really talented – 2008 Olympic finalist at 1500 meters for the U.S.,  really bright – she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Duke and completed her Masters Degree there as well, we love the fact that she grew up Irish dancing, is a really good steeplechaser, actually has done some bench pressing, and came all the way back from a stress fracture in her hip joint only one year before the Olympics.

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On April 18th, Ryan Hall ran 2:04:58 in Boston, the fastest time ever for an American. He talks about how much he loves high fiving the other runners on his way to the start and shares his thoughts on being part of one of the greatest races in marathon history.

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 Let’s start with the fact that no one considered him to be a medal contender at the 1964 Olympic 10,000. Toss in the fact that he broke the world record in the 10,000 meter finals, won the Gold Medal and shocked the world. Then mix in the fact that he is a Native American, that he is still the only American to win a 10,000 meter Olympic Gold Medal and that a movie of his life called Running Brave was made and you’ve got one helluva interview. It was totally appropriate that Billy Mills came on with us right after the NBA All-Star Game ended: Billy Mills is the ultimate All- Star.

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