Thor Springman: From the Sidelines to Chasing All-State
Thor Springman didn’t start out as one of the fastest runners. In fact, when he first joined middle-school track, he struggled to find an event where he could even compete.
Now, the Southwestern High School senior is chasing All-State honors in Illinois 1A cross country and hoping to break 15 minutes at state.
Thor joins Ándale Run to talk about how he discovered distance running, what changed when he started taking the sport seriously, and the challenges of getting noticed while competing for a smaller school.
We also get into how social media helped him connect with other runners, the pressure of chasing certain times, and why the second mile of a cross-country race can be just as challenging mentally as it is physically.
Thor shares what he’s learned from disappointing races, how he’s helping younger teammates develop confidence, and why running has become such an important part of who he is.
And, of course, we get into his love for J. Cole, his favorite post-run foods, and his bold claim that he might be the best cross-country pickleball player in Illinois.
From barely getting into meets to chasing some of the biggest goals of his high-school career, Thor’s story shows just how much can change when you find something you love and keep working at it.
🎙️ Thor Springman joins Ándale Run.
Ándale!
14 Oct 2026
Karlin Janowski: Winning State, Handling Pressure & Racing Her Own Race
Karlin Janowski joins Ándale Run after winning the Illinois 3A cross-country state championship as a sophomore.
In this conversation, Karlin talks about what changed after becoming a state champion, why defending a title can feel harder than chasing one, and how she tries to keep outside expectations from changing the way she races.
She also opens up about the work behind the results, why people sometimes mistake years of effort for “natural talent,” and why a good race isn’t always defined by time or place.
We also talk about:
Finishing second at state as a freshman and coming back to win
The final moments of her state championship race
Staying mentally strong after a bad race
Racing smart instead of chasing the clock
York’s team culture
Balancing running, school, sleep, and everything else
What she still wants to prove to herself
Karlin has already shown she can win. Now she’s learning how to keep growing without letting one result define who she is as a runner.
🎙️ Karlin Janowski on Ándale Run.
12 Oct 2026
Simon Thorpe: What Winning a State Championship Actually Changes
What changes after you finally win the state championship you spent years chasing?
Dixon Dukes head coach Simon Thorpe returns to Ándale Run after leading his team to the Illinois 2A cross-country state title.
This time, the conversation is less about how Dixon got there—and more about what happened after.
Simon talks about the difference between confidence and entitlement, what it’s like coaching a defending state champion, why winning brought relief but didn’t necessarily feel the way he expected, and how fatherhood has changed the way he approaches coaching.
He also shares how his training philosophy has evolved, why Dixon has moved away from some of the harder race-pace workouts they used to rely on, what this year’s team does better than last year’s championship group—and what last year’s team still did better.
We also get into team culture, leadership, developing young men beyond running, and why Simon says winning isn’t worth much if the people doing the winning don’t grow along the way.
🎙️ Defending a title. Coaching with perspective. Training smarter. And figuring out what success actually means after you’ve already reached the top.
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
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