Episode 553: Ken Rideout: How The World's Fastest 50-Year-Old Marathoner Traded His Darkest Habits for Incredible Strength

Episode 553: Ken Rideout: How The World's Fastest 50-Year-Old Marathoner Traded His Darkest Habits for Incredible Strength

From Habits and Hustle by Jen Cohen

May 12, 2026 · 1h 48m

About this episode

Ken Rideout shares his journey from addiction to becoming the world's fastest marathoner over 50.

The same intensity that can destroy your life is the same intensity that can rebuild it. The difference isn't the person, it's the direction. Ken Rideout is the world's fastest marathoner over 50, a former prison guard, a former addict, and someone who has never once in his life waited to feel ready before making a move. He spent 10 years taking 50 Percocets a day while making millions on Wall Street and hiding it from everyone around him, including his wife. Today he runs 10 miles every single day, has won age groups at every world marathon major, and won a 155-mile desert ultra he signed up for with four weeks' notice and zero experience. In this episode, Ken gets into the real story behind what it took to trade his darkest habits for the discipline that made him a world champion. He also shares the one race he quit that rewired how he approaches everything, what he tells his kids about fear, and why having no process is the reason he keeps winning. If you have ever felt like your past, your struggles, or your lack of a plan disqualifies you from doing something extraordinary, this conversation will change how you see yourself. What's Discussed: (00:00) Who Ken Rideout is and…

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