“The only magic thing about running is consistency. Consistent competence equals eventual excellence. That's kind of my mantra. So we try to stay healthy so that we can be consistent. We just keep on getting the miles in, getting the workouts in, and over time, good things happen. What was special about 2024? Who knows other than having the right athletes in the right position, the right belief and faith in their parts and goals, and going, ‘Hey, maybe we can do this.’”

My guest for today’s episode is BYU director of track and field and cross country Ed Eyestone, the architect of one of the greatest years ever for American distance running.

From Olympic medals and top-10 marathon finishes to NCAA titles, 2024 was nothing short of historic for Coach Eyestone and his athletes. Just this weekend, Ed capped it all off by leading the BYU men to their second NCAA cross country title in six years, holding off a stacked field at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course. It’s been a dream season for Eyestone, whose year began with Conner Mantz and Clayton Young finishing 1-2 at the Olympic Marathon Trials and ended with BYU completing a historic NCAA sweep—both the men’s and women’s teams claiming national titles for the first time since 2004.

We dive into Ed’s coaching strategies, his reflections on this monumental season and how he’s built a culture of resilience and excellence at BYU. From the roads to the track to the grass, no one’s had a better 2024 than Ed Eyestone, and we can’t wait to hear his take on how it all came together.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Ed Eyestone | @edeyestone on Instagram

Time stamps:

3:30 - Returning to campus after BYU won the NCAA XC Championship team title

5:13 - Feelings and emotions after winning the NCAA team title

7:16 - Strategy + plan for the men heading into the race

10:54 - Using a whiteboard during the race to communicate with the team

12:29 - Using olive oil to stay warm during the race

14:18 - Backstory on the affirmations notecard on his arm during the race

19:25 - Similarities between the men’s and women’s programs at BYU

23:23 - Why everything clicked for the team in 2024

27:53 - How the 2024 season was a dream come true

30:44 - His process-oriented coaching philosophy

33:19 - What the team got up to in the final days before the race

36:48 - Casey Clinger’s impact on the team + how going on missions affects training

42:42 - How his coaching style has changed + how he structures workouts

45:56 - Thoughts on upcoming changes to the NCAA

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