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    THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

    THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

    About

    The Running Effect tells the best stories in running—and turns them into insight, inspiration, and tools to help competitive runners become greater. Every week, host Dominic Schlueter sits down with the fastest, smartest, and most inspiring people in the sport—from Olympic medalists to breakthrough athletes—to unpack the stories, lessons, and mindset behind elite performance. Whether you’re chasing a personal best or looking to understand how greatness is built, The Running Effect will make you a deeper fan of the sport—and a better runner.

    Hosted By

    Dominic Schlueter

    Inside the Rise of Trenton Sandler: How a Lifelong Soccer Player Ran 1:55, Got Recruited to the SEC, and Coached Himself to a 3:42 1500

    Inside the Rise of Trenton Sandler: How a Lifelong Soccer Player Ran 1:55, Got Recruited to the SEC, and Coached Himself to a 3:42 1500

    August 14, 2026
    39m

    Trenton Sandler didn't care about running until his senior year of high school. Now, he's a 3:42 1500m man with 130,000 followers watching every step.

     

    The Arkansas transfer joins Dominic the day before his move to Fayetteville for a conversation about one of the strangest paths in the NCAA. A lifelong soccer player who only ran track to stay in shape, Trenton parlayed a 1:55 time in the 800m into an SEC roster spot, spent two years buried in injuries, then watched his LSU distance group collapse from 12 guys to three. 


    He left the team in February, coached himself through the spring, and ran his 3:42 PR—at Arkansas, of all places.


    They get into the recruiting visit that sold him on the spot, the ACC program that essentially would have banned him from posting, and his brutally honest answer to "Olympic medal or a million followers?" 


    Plus, pressure as a trainable skill, why "it's cringe until it works," the reason he doesn't answer the "is my mile time good?" DMs, his 2028 Olympic Trials math, and the plan to pivot hard into entertainment once the spikes hang up.


    Also discussed: the Ryan Trahan era he completely missed, his running-creator Mount Rushmore, Erin Brown's rage-bait genius, the jorts discourse, and the Mexican breakfast restaurant where a soccer kid learned Spanish and raked in $35 an hour.


    Whether you're a modest recruit with big goals or building something people call cringe, Trenton's story is proof that consistency (and betting on yourself) compounds.


    Tap into the Trenton Sandler Special. 


    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.


    S H O W  N O T E S   


    -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs


    -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run


    -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: 

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ


    -My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz


    Behind the scenes of The Running Effect: https://youtube.com/@dominicschlueter?si=PM9FjPc92eFUFEZ


    LuminaryThreads: luminarythreads.shop


    $20 off your next Attuned scan: https://attuned.health/discount/TRE20?ref=TRE20


    YouTube: trenton Sandler YouTube Channel.


    Instagram: TrentonSandler


    TikTok: Trenton Sandler

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