Good music can often make the difference between a rave run and a blown goal. That’s why we’re putting together 90-minute playlists each month chock-full of songs with enough of a beat to keep you moving. For even more tunes, check out our list of The Best Running Playlists to Power Every Pace and Distance.
How did Matt James get into marathon running? The more I was able to train, the more I was able to explore the culinary scene without a guilty conscience. It’s part of the job.” This makes sense to anyone who follows James on Instagram, where he’s shared videos eating a $225 bagel, housing a five-pound hot dog, and spending a month eating nothing but pasta and gelato.
While James is perhaps best known for appearing on reality TV shows like The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars, he’s now built a social media following of like-minded runners/eaters. James’s marathon and carb-loading journeys actually predate his time as a celebrity. He raced his first marathon in Chicago in 2019, and has run a dozen since.
On November 1, he’ll line up for his sixth consecutive New York City Marathon, but this time, he’s more focused on eating than on his time. It’s probably my favorite restaurant in the city. I eat there all the time.
Then, I’ll go to Lavagna and have pasta Friday.” In fact, James takes his marathon-week dining so seriously, he’s partnered with Yelp to create a marathon weekend dining guide for out-of-towners. The list, which includes Melba’s Restaurant, Chrissy’s Pizza, and Winson Bakery, looks beyond the typical tourist fare in Manhattan to give marathon runners a true tour of New York’s best food. James’s fueling expertise is hard-won.
He ran his second NYC Marathon in 2022 alongside former NYC Marathon winner Shalane Flanagan. On race day, he ambitiously told her he was trying to run a sub-three-hour marathon, despite not training properly for the task. Then when it comes to race day, it’s a celebration and not a death march.” When the two reunited at the same race in 2023, he finished in 3:04:50.
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