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A half marathon through Hobbiton sounds like pure fantasy until you hear what it’s really like underfoot. We’re joined by Kerry Flynn, a lifelong Lord of the Rings fan and seasoned half marathoner, to break down the Middle Earth Halfling Half Marathon in New Zealand: the small-field logistics, the afternoon start, the trail terrain on a working farm, and the very real elevation that turns “cute themed race” into an earned finish. She also shares what surprised her most, how photo ops and characters work outside the Run Disney machine, and why the post-race celebration feels like a perfectly on-brand reward.
Before we head to Middle Earth, we do a Springtime Surprise training check-in and cover community announcements, including Jeff Galloway memorial run details and our plans for a special tribute show. Then we tackle fresh Run Disney news with reactions to the Summer Virtual Series themes, the medals, the extras in the box, and the big question of virtual races versus saving for a live weekend at Walt Disney World.
We wrap it all up with our Disney Movie March Madness finale and a stacked race report from the Rise and Run community, plus a spotlight chat with Tom Stokes on what most runners miss when they hit a plateau: underfueling, skipping strength work, and training without a year-round plan that matches your race calendar. If you’re into Disney running, destination races, run-walk-run strategy, and real-world training talk, this one has it all. Subscribe, share with a run buddy, and leave a review, then tell us: what’s the most “impossible” race you’d actually train for?
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"236: One Runner to Rule Them All" is an episode of Rise and Run. Runtime 2 hr 16 min. Published April 2, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.
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Quick FAQ
- When was this episode published?
- April 2, 2026.
- How long is this episode?
- 2 hr 16 min.
- What podcast is this from?
- Rise and Run. Browse the full back catalog on the show page.
- What does this episode cover?
- Rise and Run covers running. This episode runs on the show's regular cadence.
