Episode 166: Peter Merante - Gritty, Not Pretty

Episode 166: Peter Merante - Gritty, Not Pretty

From Finish Lines and Milestones by SandyBoy Productions

June 26, 2026 · 1h 11m

About this episode

In this episode, Peter Merante shares his journey of discovering running, his experiences with marathons, and his volunteer work with Back on My Feet.

Peter Merante ⁠and I first officially met in person at the 2025 Carmel Marathon Expo. Since then, I've run into him on the Monon Trail, at local races, and at ⁠Athletic Annex⁠ , where he's worked for three-plus years. During this episode, sponsored by ⁠Goodr⁠ and ⁠HUUG⁠ , we talk about: Growing up in Cold Spring, New York — a Hudson Valley town of 3,500 people right across the Hudson River from West Point Being born in Japan and how his Japanese mother made every effort to acclimate to American life — and why he took Japanese in college as a way of honoring her How he discovered running about 20 years ago, dropped 40-plus pounds doing it, and eventually worked his way through Couch to 5K on an original iPod His one and only marathon — Monumental 2013, just under five hours ⁠Back on My Feet⁠ — a national nonprofit that uses movement to help people experiencing homelessness become independent and self-sufficient — and his years volunteering with the Indianapolis chapter at Wheeler Mission and Progress House The equalizing power of running side by side — and the heartbreak of losing members along the way Running the Selma to Montgomery route (~40 miles from the Edmund Pettus Bridge…

People in this episode

Guest: Peter Merante

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

Goodr, HUUG

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Back on My Feet

Places: Cold Spring, New York, Hudson Valley, West Point, Indianapolis, Wheeler Mission, Progress House, Selma to Montgomery, Alabama

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