What It Takes to Build a Dynasty: Mike Smith on Systems, Identity, and Relentless Growth in Elite Running | Exclusive Lessons From Coaching NAU, Galen Rupp, Nico Young, Donavan Brazier + More
THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST
Dominic Schlueter
4.9 • 821 Ratings
🗓️ 25 October 2025
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Final Surge: https://www.finalsurge.com (RUNNINGEFFECT20)
He built a dynasty in Flagstaff, and now, Mike Smith is bringing that same fire to Nike’s Swoosh Track Club.
After nearly a decade at the helm of Northern Arizona University, where he built a dynasty that captured five NCAA men’s cross country titles and earned him 41 Big Sky Coach of the Year honors, Smith made headlines in 2025 when he left collegiate coaching to join Nike’s professional network.
From his Flagstaff base, he’s now guiding elite athletes through the same philosophy that made NAU unstoppable: a culture of belonging, relentless consistency, and daily excellence.
A Georgetown University All-American and 2007 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon qualifier, Smith’s journey from athlete to coach has always revolved around purpose over prestige. He founded Team Run Flagstaff, studied under the legendary Dr. Jack Daniels, and molded athletes like Nico Young and Luis Grijalva into global talents.
Now, with the Swoosh Track Club, Smith’s vision extends beyond collegiate borders: building systems that connect performance, identity, and community on a global stage. He currently coaches talents of Galen Rupp all the way down to Donvoan Brazier and many inbetween.
From the mountains of Flagstaff to the global stage, Mike Smith continues to redefine what it means to lead, reminding us that true excellence starts with purpose, not medals.
Tap into the Coach Mike Smith Special.
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S H O W N O T E S
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Before we hop into today's conversation with one of the best coaches in the sport of running, |
| 0:05.0 | I want to tell you a quick note that today's podcast is brought to you by Final Surge. |
| 0:09.6 | And over the next couple of weeks, we will be documenting and chronicling some of the top |
| 0:13.5 | coaches in the country across professional, collegiate, and high school sports teams. |
| 0:18.1 | And we're calling this Final Surge sessions, because whether you're a coach, |
| 0:21.6 | athlete, or entire team, Final Surge is the one platform built specifically for runners. |
| 0:27.2 | It lets coaches easily deliver workouts, track results, and analyze progress, all in one clean |
| 0:32.0 | dashboard. It syncs seamlessly with your GPS watch, Garmin, Coros, Apple Watch, Strava, |
| 0:39.2 | you name it. No more juggling apps to stay organized. Final Surge brings training plans, messaging, and attendance tracking. |
| 0:44.0 | Super cool into one simple place, perfect for any high school, college, or professional team. |
| 0:50.1 | If you're a high school or college coach listening, head to final surge.com slash schools for |
| 0:54.5 | discounted pricing, up to 35% off. |
| 0:57.4 | And then for anyone else listening to this, you can get 20% off your first coaching package |
| 1:02.3 | with code running effect 20, all capital running effect 20 at checkout. |
| 1:06.9 | Smarter training starts with smarter tools and final search is where that begins. |
| 1:10.5 | I hope you guys enjoy this conversation with one of the top coaches in the country. |
| 1:18.8 | I would give that advice to any young athletes that are listening to your podcast to just in all the feelings of pressure or expectation. |
| 1:26.0 | Just to remember this doesn't last forever |
| 1:27.8 | and to just pause and look around and take those times in. |
| 1:30.5 | And I was trying to take my own medicine with that and, you know, not be so worried about |
| 1:35.7 | the results, but just to really enjoy the bus ride over and the warm-up and the huddle |
| 1:42.1 | and the gun going off. |
... |
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