3:58 Mile. 8:31 3200m National Record. Two Cross Country National Titles. Jackson Spencer on the Senior Year That Made Him the Fastest Distance Runner In Recent History & The Training Behind It
THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST
Dominic Schlueter
4.9 • 822 Ratings
🗓️ 3 May 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
He ran 3:58 off early-season training, and he's not done yet.
Jackson Spencer sat down with Dominic just days after becoming one of roughly 32 high schoolers in American history to break four minutes in the mile, and the conversation is exactly what you'd hope from a kid with this kind of season: honest, grounded, and full of detail that never shows up in a results column.
He walks through Arcadia blow by blow—targeting sub-8:30, counting splits through the mile, then letting the race take over—only to flash back to Brooks XC in the final 100 meters when Marcelo Mantecon nearly caught him again.
He talks about what running a national-record 8:31 off early-season fitness means for the eight weeks still ahead, and why Coach Soles has to hype him up before races because Jackson keeps trying to stay humble.
The upcoming HOKA Festival of Miles gets its own chapter: Jackson and Quentin Nauman are both confirmed, and Jackson has one request going in: a 1:57 first 800m. He thinks sub-3:54 and a shot at Alan Webb's high school record are possible if the pacing is honest, and he's willing to commit to that on record.
He also gets into the daily doubles, the beet root powder ritual on race day, averaging 60 miles per week through track season, and what staying consistent has done for him beyond the times—including what he actually wants to be remembered for when this is all over.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | If you want to hear a crazy statistic, Jackson Spencer has lost less than a handful of races |
| 0:06.1 | since he ran the Hook of Festival miles last June in St. Louis, Missouri. |
| 0:10.7 | And this year, he's coming for it all. |
| 0:12.2 | He's coming for the crown. |
| 0:13.4 | He reminds me in this conversation that last year, before he knew me, he said, and I quote, |
| 0:18.4 | don't underestimate me. |
| 0:20.0 | And this year, I certainly will not underestimate him |
| 0:22.7 | Jackson has run 358 in the mile as of recording this he's run 831 a national record and the |
| 0:29.3 | 3200 meters at the arcadia invitational he's run 1354 in the 5k he's a two-time national champion |
| 0:36.1 | in cross country the guy's a, and he's hard to beat. |
| 0:39.6 | Even at the mile distance, he beat Kim Leonard running 358, as I just mentioned, in Oregon. |
| 0:45.0 | And he trains with a work ethic and a dedication to the sport that is very rare. I compare him to someone like Drew Griffith from two years ago. |
| 0:53.4 | His versatility from the 800 through two mile is out of this world. We're talking about it in this conversation. He's run 47 seconds in the 400 all the way up to 1354 in the 5K. He's coming for it all. I love this. I love this series. Profiling the best athletes in the country leading into the greatest mile race all year at the Hope Festival Miles. June 4th, St. Louis, I hope to see you there. I hope you watch it. We got Quentin Nauman, Caden Leonard. Now, Jackson, Marcelo Montecan, I'm hoping he joins the field. I want this field to be built out as the greatest mile race field in all time history. Jackson says in this conversation, he wants to see five guys go under four, |
| 1:28.4 | and he himself asked him to over-under, 354.5. He said he's taken the under, and he's betting on |
| 1:33.6 | himself. So the matchup right now between Quentin Jackson, probably the two front runners, is |
| 1:38.2 | absolutely electric and also on social media on our Instagram at the running effect. We've |
| 1:42.3 | been releasing the fastest mile times, boys, girls, and then Missouri mile every single week. So, follow us on Instagram if you aren't already. Enjoy this conversation. Follow along Festival Miles. If you want to buy a ticket, if you want to show up, if you want to learn more about the races, go to STLFestrelmiles.com to learn more. And thank you to Hokka for bringing this series to life. And all the ways you guys invest in youth prep and sport, |
| 2:04.2 | looking for a new pair of shoes. |
| 2:05.4 | Definitely check out Hoka and support all that they're doing in the ways they give |
| 2:08.9 | back to the sport. |
| 2:09.9 | Also, if you enjoy it, help me out. |
| 2:11.2 | Give me a five-store review. |
... |
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