JUCO Champion to NCAA Contender: The Michael Maiorano Mindset & and Why Greatness Starts When No One’s Watching
THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST
Dominic Schlueter
4.9 • 822 Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2025
⏱️ 59 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Michael Maiorano stormed through his first cross-country season at Utah State with fearless racing and an appetite for altitude.
After debuting at the Utah State Alumni Challenge in August, he clocked 23:58 for 8,000m at the Paul Short Run and followed with a gritty Nuttycombe finish.
Maiorano’s route to this moment has been anything but linear. A star at South Medford High School (OR), he rose to national attention after placing 12th at Eastbay Nationals (2021) and taking runner-up at the Brooks PR 2-mile (8:52.85) in 2022.
That same year he represented Team USA at the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships, finishing 7th; he repeated as top American the next season in Austria. He began college at Gonzaga, transferred to Salt Lake CC to reset his trajectory, and promptly won the 2025 NJCAA 3,000m steeplechase title in 8:56.70, earning his return to Division I with Utah State.
With personal bests of 8:36 (3,000m indoor), 8:56 (steeple), and 23:58 (8,000m XC), Maiorano blends mountain grit, track speed, and mental composure rarely seen at the collegiate level.
Michael has been down an unorthodox path–from Medford to mountain worlds, from JUCO champion to Aggie front-runner–and how his mindset of patience, faith, and self-belief fuels a breakout 2025 cross-country campaign that’s just getting started.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It was necessary for me to have this big ego and think I was that guy because it's like you can't move forward unless you acknowledge that and overcome it. But now, you know, I'm coming from a place of, yeah, I'm beloved and chosen and so are you. I think we can learn the most from the poor and afflicted. But my belief is that I'm chosen here partially and I've been given this gift to run and to compete. And so, you know, that's one of the facets that I'm chosen in. And so I'm going to, I'm convicted of that. And I'm going to put all my energy and all my effort into that and be a hell of a runner. But I think it's necessary. I don't, I don't want to tell younger people like totally avoid the arrogance entirely because I think it's almost |
| 0:38.2 | like a canon event like you got to you can't go around it you can't go above it you got to go |
| 0:42.2 | through it and then and then you know god willing you come out better on the other side that was |
| 0:51.6 | michael mariano today back on the running podcast, I'll keep this intro short. |
| 0:55.9 | My conversations with Michael are always some of my absolute favorite because we're |
| 1:00.5 | able to go deep on a variety of subjects while also keeping things light and fun as we are |
| 1:05.7 | boys. |
| 1:06.1 | We're friends supporting our very best best today unintentionally, great minds think alike. |
| 1:10.7 | And today's conversation |
| 1:11.6 | was just a really fun one really deep one talking about greatness within the sport of running |
| 1:16.9 | and some of the different subjects as it relates to excellence in sport and in life as well as some |
| 1:22.8 | hot topics like international transfers and age limits in the NCAA in the state of the NCAA |
| 1:27.4 | if you guys enjoy this one give us a five-star review takes five seconds share it with a friend as that like international transfers and age limits in the NCAA and the state of the NCAA. |
| 1:29.4 | If you guys enjoy this one, give us a five-star view. |
| 1:30.2 | It takes five seconds. |
| 1:34.2 | Share it with a friend as that is the easiest way in which we can grow and make sure you are following the podcast. |
| 1:35.2 | So you never miss another one. |
| 1:37.0 | And without further ado, enjoy this conversation with the ever so thoughtful, the man |
| 1:41.0 | in the myth, the legend, Michael Mariano. |
| 1:45.7 | Ladies and gentlemen, he's not back. He's better. He's done a bunch of things since he was |
| 1:49.9 | last on the podcast. And I'm not speaking with the fake Michael Mariano. Speaking with the real one |
| 1:55.4 | across from me. Michael, how you doing, man? I'm good, man. It's, uh, it's beautiful here in utah and i hope all is well with you it's |
... |
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