3 Running Newsletters To Subscribe To In 2017

Maybe it’s because my very first “real world” job was with an email newsletter, but I have a soft spot in my heart for newsy deliverables that arrive in my inbox every week. Now that email newsletters that specifically focus on running exist, I wanted to highlight and share a few of my favorites that I now consider “must-reads.”

The Morning Shakeout

Mario Fraioli’s The Morning Shakeout has apparently been around since 2015, but I’ve only recently discovered it. Rarely do I find myself absorbing the entire text of a newsletter, but I’ve never failed to read a shakeout email from top to bottom — even if it takes me all day. Within the newsletter, Fraioli discusses his own views on what’s going on in the running world (like his perspective on Nike’s sub 2-hour marathon project) along with links and roundups from others throughout the running community on important issues relevant to runners. He also sprinkles in personal recommendations, like what podcasts he’s listening to. It’s a great way not to just keep up with what’s going on in the world of running, but to gain insights and read opposing opinions that I might not see otherwise.

One of the most interesting posts I read this year actually came from it being highlighted in The Morning Shakeout email. Called ‘Running in Trumpland,’ Fraioli called it a, “powerful piece that provides some first-person perspective on the awakening of Trump’s America through the eyes as a distance runner.” As a New Yorker and a woman, it’s hard to understand why so many people resonate with Trump, but this first-person perspective was eye-opening and provided some insight into the minds of his supporters — while still remaining defiantly anti-Trump.

You can subscribe to The Morning Shakeout here.

Finishers Club

Starting off with a personalized greeting and note from Finishers Club Chief Running Evangelist, Paula, the Finishers Club newsletter shares four to five new and noteworthy articles, features and interviews from outlets like The New York Times, Wareable, Medical Daily, and more (as well as their own blog) concerning the ever-evolving running industry. They recently included this article from The New York Times about ‘Running As The Thinking Person’s Sport” which I found pretty interesting.

Rather than branding running a ‘mindless’ activity, author Gretchen Reynolds writes:

Instead, running seems to be a kind of mobile math puzzle. “It requires complex navigational skills,” Dr. Alexander says, “plus an ability to plan, monitor and respond to the environment, juggle memories of past runs and current conditions, and also continue with all of the sequential motor activities of running, which are, themselves, very complicated.” 

As a writer and an endurance athlete, sometimes I have my best thoughts while out on a run. Certain mornings, I feel like I can’t get inspired without lacing up. The impact running has on our brains may have something to do with all of that.

You can subscribe to Finishers Club newsletters here.

Triathlete Magazine

Okay, this isn’t technically a running newsletter, but there’s plenty of information related to runners inside. And while you can find their articles directly on their website, it’s nice to have them delivered to your inbox so you can easily scan headlines and pick out what you actually want to read. I recommend Triathlete.com’s newsletters to all runners because while there’s plenty of running-specific information, I also think that in general, most runners should be cross training more. These newsletters deliver plenty of swim, bike and running workouts to your inbox in addition to behind-the-scenes looks at what elites are doing, recovery advice, and more.

You can subscribe to Triathlete.com here.

Do you have any favorite running-related newsletters, websites, or even podcasts? Let me know in the comments.