From 2024 Olympic Trials to BMW Dallas Half Three Peat Champion: A Conversation with Mimi Smith
In this engaging podcast episode, host Chris Detzel interviews elite runner Mimi Smith, who shares her journey through competitive running and recent accomplishments. The episode covers her experience at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Orlando, Florida, where she finished 65th overall despite challenging hot conditions. Smith discusses her qualifying time of 2:34 at the Chicago Marathon that earned her spot at the trials.
A significant focus is placed on Smith's dominance in the BMW Dallas Half Marathon, where she's won three consecutive years. She details her training approach for the most recent victory, maintaining 60-mile weeks while scaling back from her usual 80-mile marathon training weeks. Smith shares her race strategy, including how she mentally prepared for competition from other Olympic Trial qualifiers.
The conversation explores Smith's involvement in the Dallas running community, highlighting her participation in groups like Train Pegasus and Oak Cliff Run Crew. She emphasizes the importance of community in maintaining consistency with early morning workouts and training partnerships.
Looking ahead, Smith outlines her plans for 2024-2025, including the Boston Marathon and a half marathon in Miami. She discusses her long-term goals, particularly focusing on qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Trials, with plans to attempt the qualifying time in early 2026, possibly at the Houston Marathon.
The episode also includes a memorable anecdote about stealing track signs during her college racing days, adding a personal and humorous element to the conversation. Smith concludes with valuable advice for runners at all levels, emphasizing the importance of patience in training progression and building proper foundations before focusing on speed.
Throughout the interview, Smith demonstrates her expertise as both an elite athlete and a physical therapist, offering insights into proper training progression and the importance of building volume before intensity.
A significant focus is placed on Smith's dominance in the BMW Dallas Half Marathon, where she's won three consecutive years. She details her training approach for the most recent victory, maintaining 60-mile weeks while scaling back from her usual 80-mile marathon training weeks. Smith shares her race strategy, including how she mentally prepared for competition from other Olympic Trial qualifiers.
The conversation explores Smith's involvement in the Dallas running community, highlighting her participation in groups like Train Pegasus and Oak Cliff Run Crew. She emphasizes the importance of community in maintaining consistency with early morning workouts and training partnerships.
Looking ahead, Smith outlines her plans for 2024-2025, including the Boston Marathon and a half marathon in Miami. She discusses her long-term goals, particularly focusing on qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Trials, with plans to attempt the qualifying time in early 2026, possibly at the Houston Marathon.
The episode also includes a memorable anecdote about stealing track signs during her college racing days, adding a personal and humorous element to the conversation. Smith concludes with valuable advice for runners at all levels, emphasizing the importance of patience in training progression and building proper foundations before focusing on speed.
Throughout the interview, Smith demonstrates her expertise as both an elite athlete and a physical therapist, offering insights into proper training progression and the importance of building volume before intensity.
Creators and Guests
Host
Chris Detzel
Chris Detzel is the passionate host and creator of "DFW Running Talk," the premier podcast dedicated to showcasing the vibrant running community across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Since launching the show in October 2024, Chris has established himself as a central voice in North Texas running culture, conducting in-depth conversations with elite athletes, coaches, race directors, and inspiring everyday runners who define the region's diverse running scene. As both interviewer and active participant in the DFW running community, Chris brings an authentic perspective shaped by years of personal running experience. While he describes himself as primarily a half marathon runner rather than a marathoner - citing the extensive training commitment and unpredictability of marathon race day - his deep knowledge of running culture spans the full spectrum from 5Ks to ultramarathons. His preference for half marathons stems from their balance of challenge and accessibility, allowing him to race monthly without the intensive training demands of longer distances. Chris's connection to elite running runs through his family - his wife Lea Ivy is an accomplished marathoner who has completed the Boston Marathon 12 times consecutively, achieving a personal best of 3:14 at age 45. This personal connection to high-level competition, combined with his own running journey, gives Chris unique insight into both the elite and recreational sides of the sport. He often travels to Boston to support Lea's racing and has become part of the broader running community that gathers around major events like the Boston Marathon. Through DFW Running Talk, Chris has created more than just a podcast - he's built a platform that celebrates the depth and diversity of North Texas running talent. His interviews reveal the stories behind local legends, from sub-3:00 marathoners to innovative coaches, from race directors creating memorable experiences to everyday runners achieving extraordinary personal transformations. The show has featured conversations with accomplished athletes like Shantel Cloud (sub-3:00 marathoner), Travis Dowd (Dallas Marathon winner), and Mimi Smith (Olympic Trials competitor), alongside community builders and running industry professionals. What sets Chris apart as a host is his ability to connect with guests on multiple levels - as a fellow runner who understands training cycles and race strategy, as a community member invested in the local running scene, and as a skilled interviewer who draws out both technical insights and personal stories. His approach prioritizes authentic conversation over surface-level inspiration, resulting in episodes that offer genuine value to runners of all levels. Based in the Dallas area, Chris continues to grow DFW Running Talk's reach across multiple platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube, while maintaining strong connections to local running organizations like Dallas Running Club and participating in the broader Texas running community. His work documents and celebrates a running culture that he believes is "way more badass than it has any right to be."
Guest
Mimi Smith
From graduating undergrad at Wake Forest University in 2019 to moving to Dallas in 2022, I moved a total of eight times because of school/clinical rotations. It's lonely, constantly uprooting, and this was also the case moving to Dallas as I didn't know a soul in the city. I went to a local running store and asked about local running teams, desperate to meet people right away. I found a group of runners who adopted me immediately, even convincing me to sign up for Boston 2023 the first week I started running with them. What I like about this group is we are all very passionate about running, but we are also all very passionate about our professional careers. It was the perfect mix for me as I was completing a physical therapy residency. If it wasn't for having a network of runners who taught me the importance of consistency, teamwork and community, I would not even imagine running in the 2024 Trials.