Dr. Mani Alavi

Bio

Dr. Mani Alavi is a faculty physician at UT Southwestern Medical Center and an accomplished marathon runner in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His running journey began in high school, where he competed in track events, particularly excelling in the two-mile distance. He was also a football player who, in his own words, "wanted to be Dion Sanders" and even wore gold chains to prove it. During his time in law school, Dr. Alavi trained with a group preparing to become JAG officers, which helped develop his middle-distance running abilities. He could run a sub-35 minute 10K and sub-17 minute 5K during this period. His first marathon experience came at the Austin Marathon, where, despite being undertrained and running too fast at the start, he finished in 5:23. This race, while humbling, led to meeting his future wife, with whom he now has two children. About eleven years ago, following the birth of his daughter, Dr. Alavi experienced a significant setback when he developed a serious knee injury from improper treadmill training. Despite being a medical professional, his attempt to self-treat extended his recovery from what should have been three weeks to nearly two years. During this period, he gained 30 pounds and struggled with the loss of his running identity. However, Dr. Alavi made a remarkable comeback over seven years, returning to competitive running and achieving impressive marathon times, including a personal best of 2:55. He regularly participates in the Boston Marathon and is preparing for the Tokyo Marathon, which will be his fifth World Marathon Major. His current goal is to achieve a sub-2:50 marathon. Beyond his personal running achievements, Dr. Alavi is deeply embedded in the Dallas-Fort Worth running community, training with various groups including the "Slots" and maintaining close connections with local runners and coaches. He combines his medical expertise with his running experience to advocate for proper training approaches and dispel common running myths, particularly about joint health and heat adaptation. Dr. Alavi's story exemplifies the intersection of medical knowledge, athletic perseverance, and community engagement in the running world. His journey from injury to achievement serves as an inspiration while his medical background provides valuable insights for runners at all levels.