Drew Hunter: From High School Phenom To Seasoned Pro Runner

Drew Hunter: From High School Phenom to Seasoned Pro Runner | Episode 12

6d ago 38:02

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Drew Hunter was 18 when he signed his first pro running contract, and now, at 27, he's already a seasoned veteran. He talked to Sarah Lorge Butler about what his parents did right in supporting him as a young runner, being coached by his mom as a pro, NIL and the business side of the sport, switching from Adidas to Asics, becoming a parent, and his stroller sponsorship.

After thinking it might be his final year as a professional runner, Drew had a breakthrough year in 2024, running personal bests in the 1500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m, and finishing fourth in the latter at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials.

This episode was recorded on May 21. The following day, Drew published a newsletter about his departure from Tinman Elite: https://drews-newsletter-3d1534.beehiiv.com/p/not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper

Watch Drew's stroller running tips video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHTr2VaO6m3/

Drew Hunter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewhunter00/

Sarah Lorge Butler on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/slorgebutler.bsky.social

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Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Drew's recent racing and who he's training with (00:01:22)

3. His start as a runner and what his parents did right (00:06:37)

4. Deciding to go pro straight out of high school (00:12:13)

5. With NIL, would he go pro out of high school today? (00:14:38)

6. Pro running's lack of a middle class (00:16:25)

7. His early pro years, and forming Tinman Elite (00:18:41)

8. Tinman's split with Tom Schwartz (00:20:51)

9. The backlash when Joan Hunter, Drew's mom, took over as coach (00:22:43)

10. What went into his success in 2024 (00:24:49)

11. His reaction to watching the 2024 Olympic mid-distance/distance events (00:27:36)

12. On being a pro runner with young kids (00:29:23)

13. Did he think Adidas would re-sign him, and was it hard to say goodbye? (00:31:41)

14. On Thule, his stroller sponsor (00:33:30)

15. On chasing world records* (00:35:06)

16. What he's looking forward to in 2025 (00:36:35)

17. Outro (00:37:40)

12 episodes