McKale Montgomery: From TCU Track Star to Runner's Dystonia to Cowtown 50K Champion

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."

McKale Montgomery is a Fort Worth-based runner, nutrition professor, and researcher at Texas Christian University (TCU). Originally from a small town in Oklahoma, McKale began running in high school, earning All-State cross country honors and winning the mile and two-mile at the state level in track her sophomore, junior, and senior years. She went on to run collegiately at TCU on a full scholarship from 2003 to 2007, where she became the first runner in program history to win a conference championship at the 10K. She later earned a master's degree and PhD from Oklahoma State University, where she also competed in indoor track. She returned to TCU in December 2024 as a nutrition professor, where her appointment is split between teaching advanced metabolism and running an active research lab focused on nutrient-gene interactions and chronic disease development. As a road runner, McKale ran a 2:48 in her debut at the Chicago Marathon, finished third overall and first American at the White Rock Marathon in 2011, and set the Oklahoma state marathon record in 2022 at the Oklahoma City Marathon. Her official marathon PR is 2:34, set at the Marathon Project in 2020. She won the Cowtown Marathon in 2018 and in 2025 won the Cowtown 50K outright — the first time a woman had won the race overall. In September 2022, McKale lost control of her right leg while running. After three and a half years and numerous medical consultations, she was diagnosed with runner's dystonia, one of only 48 confirmed cases in the United States. She has been managing the condition with experimental medication and continues to train and compete.