From a 3:48 Mile to the Mud of Nationals — Gary Martin’s Full Plan to Win NCAA XC (Training, Tactics, Mindset)

THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Dominic Schlueter

Sports, Running

4.9 • 821 Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Few athletes have risen as fast—or raced as fearlessly—as Gary Martin.

Now a senior at the University of Virginia, he has evolved into a consistent national contender with personal bests that rank among the fastest in collegiate history. His 3:32.03 1500m at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships placed him sixth against the nation’s best, while his 3:48.82 indoor mile at the Millrose Games stunned the sport and highlighted his breakthrough season.

He also anchored UVA to its first NCAA indoor distance medley relay title with a 3:48.12 split indoors; he is a runner with impressive range, holding PRs of 13:16.82 for 5000m and 1:47.46 for 800m.

Affiliated with UVA and Brooks Running through an NIL partnership, Martin credits strength-based training and heavy threshold work as the engine behind his speed.

With the cross country season underway, he opened with a 22:51 8k at the Gans Creek Classic and was named ACC Performer of the Week, underscoring his momentum heading into the championship season.

At just 21 years old, his trajectory reflects both resilience and the promise of a future star well beyond Charlottesville.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The biggest virtue you can have is patience and just trusting in the process because there's general principles about running and training that we know to be true.
0:08.0	And your gut usually knows what you're supposed to do for training and recovery and all that.
0:12.1	Just because you're not getting the results that you want to have right away doesn't mean you should panic and switch it up.
0:16.2	You know, if your training is going well and, you know, if you're feeling like you're getting better in practice,
0:22.2	then the results will come eventually.
0:32.7	That was the man of the hour. Gary Martin back today on the running effect podcast. Gary,
0:37.2	we're talking to him at the beginning of October, just roughly a month out from his final NCAA cross-country
0:38.3	championships. Gary is a stud on the track. He's made not just NCAA finals where he shaked it up
0:43.7	with some of the best of the best and become an NCAA champion himself, but he's also made
0:47.9	U.S. championships. He's made the U.S. Olympic trials last year. He made the U.S. championships
0:52.3	this year, which was the qualification for the 2025 world championships in Tokyo, Japan that just happened. And now Gary is ready to leave his heart and his soul on the grass next month in Missouri. As he talks about in today's conversation, he wants to win the chip. He wants to win the whole thing. Despite being a track guy, he's challenging the narrative that you can get it done both on the track and on the grass. And so we dive into a lot of the mindsets, the training, the behaviors of what it takes to be one of the best athletes, not just in track, but also in cross country. And to do both excellently at the same time. If you enjoy this one, share it with a friend. The easiest way in which we can grow is where the mouth marketing. So the more people you spread the podcast with, the more you help me out. I greatly appreciate that. Give us a five-star review.
1:31.2	It takes like five seconds to do so, if that. And make sure you are following or subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen so you never miss another episode like this one. With all those notes aside, enjoy this conversation with the one and only Mr. Gary Martin.
1:47.8	Ladies and gentlemen, he's not back.
1:48.3	He's better.
1:50.3	Gary Martin, back on the podcast today.
1:51.1	Gary, how you doing, man?
1:52.2	I'm doing good.
1:53.3	It's good to be back on.
1:55.8	October cross-country season.
1:59.0	You're a PA guy and PA was big and cross.
2:02.8	I feel like like the Northeast Midwest loves fall weather,
2:07.8	loves cross country season. How do you feel? I'm doing pretty good. I'm excited for cross country season and I know I just mentioned this to you, but the weather is finally starting to break in
	...

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