Brian Burns on Chasing 3:57 at Festival of Miles: the Training Behind the Breakthrough, the Nerves of One Final High School Mile, and a Shot at History

THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Dominic Schlueter

Sports, Running

4.9 • 822 Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2026

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The clock has beaten Brian Burns twice. June 4th at the HOKA Festival of Miles, he plans to return the favor.

Burns, a senior at Bentonville High School and committed to UNC Chapel Hill, joins the show eight days out from Festival of Miles—fresh off a ladder workout that confirmed what his coaches have been telling him all spring: he is in 3:57 shape. The gap between where he is and where he needs to be is not fitness, it's a finish line.

The episode traces the full arc of how Burns got here. Growing up in Missouri, watching his older brother Connor run 3:50 at Festival of Miles as a junior. A DNF at the Midwest XC regionals that humbled him and quietly redirected him.

The mid-year transfer to Bentonville and what it meant to walk into a program run by Coach Mike Power, a former Olympian who has since become one of his most important influences alongside his father, Marc, who coaches the University of Arkansas women's cross country program.

Underneath all of it runs one goal: becoming the first pair of brothers in high school history to both break four minutes in the mile. Connor did it in 2023 at this exact meet. Brian was there. He watched their dad sprint toward the finish line and followed without really knowing why. This time, he knows exactly why.

Last year at the Festival, Burns finished last in 4:10. This year, things feel different.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm sure you recognize the last name, Burns. You know Connor Burns from a few years ago when he was tearing it up on the high school scene, setting the 5K national record, his senior year of high school, now crushing it at the University of Oregon. Would you be surprised to know that he may have a younger brother who's faster than him? Sorry, Connor, if you're listening to this, I love you dearly, but it could all be on the line. June 4th at the Festival of Miles Me, where Brian Burns, who's run 4 flat.02, is lining up against a star-studded field and could be coming for his brother, Connor's high school time of, I think he ran 358 and changed his junior year of high school. Brian is an absolute stud. He's climbed throughout the ranks within his high school
0:38.3	career, gotten better and better year over year, and he's run some remarkable times. I want to say he's gone 149 in the 800, as I just said, four flat in the mile, a bunch of different times and won a couple of state championships in the process. As I just said a minute ago, he'll be lining up at the Festival Miles, June 4th.
0:53.9	He thinks he's in 357 shape.
0:55.7	So in this conversation, we break down some of the crazy... As I just said a minute ago, he'll be lining up at the festival miles June 4th. He thinks he's in 357 shape.
0:55.7	So in this conversation, we break down some of the crazy training, workouts, mindset, belief, being the same family as Connor, having a dad who's a prestigious, successful coach, having a high school coach, Coach Powers in Bentonville, Arkansas, if I'm not mistaken, who's legendary, tenured, knows his
1:12.5	stuff, knows how to coach 357 guys. And we break it all down in this conversation. I hope you
1:17.2	enjoy this, and I hope you've enjoyed this series. Leaning into the 2026 Hoka Festival Miles
1:21.4	meet, this series is presented and brought to you by Hoka. I appreciate them.
1:25.1	For bringing this to life all the ways they invest in the youth prep consumer and all of
1:29.7	you out there creating high quality footwear and more specifically putting on incredible
1:34.3	meets and helping to put on incredible meets like the Festival of Miles.
1:38.1	If you're curious to learn more about the Festival Miles, whether you want to be there,
1:42.6	watch the races, or know who's running or give to the athlete need, you can go to STL Festival Miles.com. If you want to be there watch the races or know who's running or a gift to the athlete need you can go to stl festival miles.com if you want to support the podcast give us a five-star review share the podcast with a friend and make sure you are following so you never miss another conversation without further ado enjoy this conversation with an absolute stud brian burns also side note i will be at the festival mouse. So if you were there,
2:04.3	come find me. We'd love to meet you. Take a picture. Whatever you need. Talk it up,
2:09.9	chat it up. If you see me in public, I don't bite. Don't be shy. Come up to me. Would love to meet you.
2:15.8	And meet me and watch Brian Burns, potentially run 357 or faster. Enjoy this one.
2:20.5	Brian Burns.
2:25.8	I think you are maybe officially the first brother combo to be on the podcast.
2:27.1	First Connor many, many times.
2:27.6	Now you.
2:31.0	Third Burns brother, maybe coming on in the future.
2:35.8	So actually I texted Connor not to add him. But I said, what question should I ask Brian to open up. I'm sure getting nervous as I'm queuing this up. So we'll start out with a
	...

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