ARE YOU'VE ALREADY SPOTTED SEVERAL OF THESE TODAY.

NO, NOT OKAY.

RUNNERS THE POPULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY APP?

STRAVA SAYS RUNNING WAS ITS MOST UPLOADED SPORT OF 2023.

AND ORGANIZERS WITH THE LONDON MARATHON SAY THEY RECEIVED A WORLD RECORD AMOUNT OF APPLICATIONS FOR ITS 2025.

RACE.

BUT WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF RECREATIONAL RUNNERS, QUESTIONS ABOUT INCLUSIVITY HAVE ALSO RISEN.

OUR NEXT GUEST SAYS HE DIDN'T ALWAYS FEEL WELCOMED IN THE SPORT.

NOW HE'S GOT A BOOK TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE CAN GET IN ON THE RUN.

IT'S CALLED SLOW A S RUN CLUB.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO RUN.

AND JOINING US NOW IS AUTHOR AND A TIME MARATHONER, MARTINEZ EVANS, WHO ALSO STARTED THE ONLINE COMMUNITY.

THE EFRON CLUB.

AND I'M SURE F STANDS FOR ALWAYS OR SLOW.

THAT THANKS FOR JOINING US.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU HAVING YOU OFTEN TELL THE STORY OF HOW YOU GOT STARTED WITH RUNNING.

OUR DOCTOR TOLD YOU THAT YOU NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT OR YOU WOULD DIE.

YOU RESPONDED WITH I'M GOING TO RUN A MARATHON.

HE LAUGHED WIRE RUNNING.

WELL, HOW DID IT HAVE YOU CONSIDERED RUNNING BEFORE THAT?

ABSOLUTELY SO I WAS BEING FACETIOUS.

WHAT I'M TOLD IS DOCTOR, I WAS GOING TO RUN AMERICA BECAUSE HE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO START WALKING ON THE TRACK AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.

I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE SO, YOU KNOW, I AM.

SO IT'S LIKE I WANT TO RUN A MARATHON.

HE LEFT THAT AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, GOING ROLL.

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID.

DID YOU PULL MARATHON OUT OF THE AIR LIKE THAT?

VERSUS, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE STARTED SWIMMING OR BUT IT WAS MARATHON.

YEAH, IT CAME OUT YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY IS GOING AFFECT YOU, TRY THINK ABOUT ANYTHING NOT PUT HANDS ON THEM.

SO I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, THE BEST THING I CAN SAY IS, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO RUN AMERICA.

RUN 8 OF THEM SINCE HE SAID THOSE IT WAS DURING ONE OF THOSE RACES, THOUGH SOMEONE YELLED SOMETHING UNKIND BUT YOU ARE INSPIRED BY IT.

AND BY THOSE WORDS, WHAT ARE AND THEN WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?

SO I WAS RUNNING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON AND OTHERS GUYS TOLD ME, HEY, BUDDY, YOU'RE I WILL SAY THE SAY YOUR SLOWLY OF.

HE TOLD ALL.

SO IMAGINE BEING 15 MILES INTO YOUR MARATHON.

YOU'RE ALREADY SOMEWHAT DELUSIONAL.

I TO THOSE ARE DEALING WITH THIS GUY AND WANT TO SOMETHING A STORY.

SO YOU I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'M GOING SOMETHING TO PROVE WRONG AS WELL AND TRY TO SLOW YOU FRONT ABOUT WAS THIS A FELLOW RUNNER WHO SAID THIS TO YOU?

BRAND IS I DON'T KNOW.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

I DON'T KNOW.

TOO, WAS ON THE SIDE, COURSE, WITH A BEER IN HAND.

SO NOT LIKE WE'RE RUNNER WITH A BEER NOT RUNNING IN THE RACE WITH YOU, THOUGH, IS ACTUALLY NOT RUN THE RACE WITH OKAY.

SINCE STARTING THIS LAWYER FROM CLUB.

AND OF COURSE, WRITTEN YOUR BOOK WITH YOU BROUGHT BROUGHT TO SHOW US YOUR STORIES, OF COURSE, BEEN WIDELY SHARED.

YOU HAVE EVEN THE COVER STORY FOR RUNNERS.

WORLD MAGAZINE, A NUDE PHOTO SHOOT WITH MEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HAVE YOUR STORY AND YOUR IMAGE, YOU KNOW, SHARE ON THESE PLATFORMS IN ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPORT, I THINK FOR THIS IS A DEFINITELY A BIG MOVE BECAUSE WHEN I STARTED RUNNING 10 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS THAT THE OUT THAT LOOK LIKE ME.

SO NOW THAT I'M OUT HERE AND BE ABLE TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN BE ACTIVE IN THE BODY THAT THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CHANGING BODY IS REALLY IS THIS SO MUCH FOR ME TO JUST BE THAT BEACON OF HOPE FOR PEOPLE OUT THERE.

WHAT WHAT IS IT THAT YOU GET OUT OUT OF RUNNING BESIDES, YOU KNOW, GIVING TO THE MEMBERS OF YOUR CLUB AND GIVING TO OTHERS.

WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT?

SO LET ME TAKE MY LIFE RUNNING.

GAVE ME LIFE RUNNING.

GAVE ME SOMETHING WHERE I DIDN'T NECESSARILY.

THINK I WAS GOING TO BE HERE ON THIS ARE RUNNING HAS GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD.

ONE HAS GIVEN OPPORTUNITY TO TEST WHICH ALSO RUNNING HAS GIVEN ME EVERYTHING GOING, OK?

YEAH.

HAHA ALSO RUNNING.

HAS ALSO BEEN SORT OF A MOSTLY WHITE DOMINATED SPORT, RIGHT, DESPITE, YOU KNOW, SOME VERY FAMOUS BLACK PEOPLE WHO WE CAN ALL NAME WHO ARE RUNNERS CARRY RICHARDSON, ALLYSON FELIX HUSSEIN BOLT.

THEY'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, OLYMPIANS, BUT THERE, FASTER RUNNER, SHORTER DISTANCES IN TRACK AND FIELD.

WHY DO YOU THINK MORE BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T INTO RUNNING AND ESPECIALLY LONG DISTANCE I THINK THAT'S A GREAT NOTION.

IS THAT IT REALLY COMES BACK TO DIVERSITY.

I KNOW GROWING UP AS A LITTLE MORE DETROIT.

NOBODY THAT I EVER RAN LONG DISTANCE.

EVERYTHING WAS CRACKED 100 METERS HURDLES.

THINGS OF THAT SORT.

I'M EVEN KNOW WHAT LONG DISTANCE RUNNING LIGHTNING GOT INTO THIS THING.

SO I THINK IS ONE IS AWARENESS.

LANE BUT ALSO PING, BAD.

IT GOES DEEPER THAN THAT, RIGHT?

IT GOES DEEPER.

2, HOW?

IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE JUST DON'T.

WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT.

BUT ENCOURAGE WENT TO BED.

YEAH.

IT'S A MATTER OF OF OF DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT GETTING MORE BLACK PEOPLE INTO THE SPORT?

HOPE THE SAME.

SO I'D HAVE.

YEAH.

LIKE IT.

ALL OF YOUR TRAVELS LIKE KEVIN, WHAT IF YOU NOTICE AND PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE IN THAT YOU GET TO MEET?

OH, YEAH.

I THINK THAT WAY.

YOU THINK ABOUT ME TRAVELING.

I'VE BEEN ON THE 15 DAY, BUT OUR SAYING VARIOUS GROUPS AND VARIOUS RUN ACROSS SCHOOL WHO HAVE POPPED UP MAJORITY PEOPLE OF COLOR.

SO I THINK A BALL HERE CHICAGO SET UP THE PEACE RUNNERS ALSO THINK ABOUT THAT ARE TOO GOOD SEE.

YOU AND WE THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT WE WANT TO 3, 1, 3, SO THERE ARE DEFINITELY VARIOUS BLACK MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ALSO STARTING ARRIVE.

AND I THINK THESE NEIGHBORHOOD CLOSE A CRUISER CALLED THE IS GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GET MORE OF A LITTLE BLACK FOLK OUT THERE.

SOME PEOPLE GET INTO RUNNING AS A MATTER OF WEIGHT LOSS WEIGHT MANAGEMENT.

AND YOU'VE SAID IT'S NEVER BEEN ABOUT.

WE LOSS FOR YOU YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WHEN YOU'RE OUT RUNNING?

YOU KNOW, WHAT IS WHAT IS IT?

WHAT DOES IT DO FOR YOU?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?

WHAT ARE WHY A MARATHON?

HAHA ALWAYS JOKE THAT A MARATHON.

YOU RUN.

26.2 MILES TO FINISH ABOUT 3 BLOCKS FROM WHERE YOU STARTED.

DIDN'T GET VERY I DIDN'T WANT THINGS.

I THINK FIRST THINGS FIRST IS THE SATISFACTION OF PEOPLE.

IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT SHOWING UP TO THE FINISH LINE AND SOME MIGHT LOOK AT ME.

LOOK AT MY SIDE.

JUST LIKE, OH, THIS YOUR FIRST TIME.

THOSE LIKE NOPE, THIS IS NUMBER 9 NUMBER THE OTHER THING IS THAT.

THE PRICE THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FORM AT RIGHT.

YOU CAN'T BE S AMERICA.

YOU KNOW, THE GUY WHO STARTED WHO AND THE FIRST MARITIME RIGHT.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO GO WITH THAT.

AND I THINK THAT MINDSET THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE THE REPETITION AND TRAINING OF MARATHON TRAINING MAKES ME A BETTER PERSON.

YOUR BOOK IS IT'S PART MEMOIR, PART GUIDE FOR RUNNERS.

WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WISH THAT YOU KNEW WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED OUT?

SO FROM STORE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WISH I WOULDN'T KNOW WHEN I FIRST STARTED OFF.

THIS IS PRODUCT CALLED BY THE THING RIGHT DOWN.

PUT IT DOWN BY YOU PUT IT ALL.

YOU MOVING PARTS ALL YOUR BITS BYTES THAT ROAD TOGETHER AND WILL PREVENT WHAT I CALL THAT CHANGED LAST YEAR.

SO YOU GO OUT THERE YOU WANT AND YOU THINK TOM GOOD AND YOU GO TAKE A HOT SHOWER.

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE BEEN CUT ALWAYS SOMEBODY WOULD TELL ME ABOUT GOT A LONG TIME AGO.

DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DISPELLING ANY METS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE NAME OF THE CLUB, SLOW A F TRAIN, IT KIND OF LIKE MEAN, EVEN FROM ME INSPIRATION IS IT'S OK TO BE SLOW.

IT IS OKAY TO BE AT THE BACK OF THE PACK.

YEAH.

SO WE MAYBE SOME DAY.

MOST RACES ARE PERMITTED AT PARADE.

LET THAT SINK IN.

SO THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A RACE PERMIT.

THERE'S ONLY A PARADE PARADE PERMIT.

SO ONCE YOU GET THERE EARLY SAW THE WAY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY COMPETING FOR MONEY, ALL OF US ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PARADE.

SO THERE'S THE LAST TIME I CHECKED.

I REMEMBER SEEING A SANTA CLAUS FLOW.

TRY TO BEAT ON THE HUMUS FLOAT IN THE PARADE LIKE EVERYBODY'S DOING THEIR THING AND ENJOYING THE JOURNEY ALONG TO THE FINISH LINE.

AND THAT WAS THE RUNNING RACES.

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE AN EXCUSE TO GET DRESSED FUN.

WHEN YOU GO FOR THAT RUN LAST QUESTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BEFORE WE LET YOU GO.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR BOOK AND FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE?

WHAT ARE THE THINGS I HOPE THAT PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS BOOK IS THAT THEY CAN DO IT.

THEY CAN RUN.

THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT WRITE MY STORIES ABOUT RUNNING.

BUT THIS BOOK AND MY STORY IS REALLY ABOUT PROVING LONG AND LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOUR BODY.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO WAS GET UP AND START.

OKAY.

MARTINA 7, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU.

VET.

AGAIN.

THE BOOK IS CALLED