STP 135 Nick Thompson

Listen to the episode below.

Download a transcript of the episode here (PDF · 83 KB).

Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, joins Rob and Becs for an engaging conversation about his newly published book “The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports,” which explores how running shaped his relationship with his father, helped him navigate ambition and aging, and instilled lifelong discipline. He shares insights on the parallels between writing and running, and the lessons he learned from the sport, including training for his first marathon in 2005 and earning the American age-group record in the 50K in 2021. He opens up about how his father’s lack of discipline, which led him to die “a bankrupt tax fugitive running a brothel in Southeast Asia,” motivated him to take the opposite path by finding purpose through structure and focus. This Sunday, Thompson will toe the line for his 12th New York City Marathon and is hopeful that his son will join him at the start line for some healthy father-son competition in the future.

Check out more episodes here.