Take Off Your Shoes

About Take Off Your Shoes

Welcome to Take Off Your Shoes! My podcast where I sit across people that inspire me from the sport of running, and get to know who they are once they take off their proverbial running shoes. These conversations are heartfelt, friendly and real, hoping to give you the feeling that you’re just tuning into people having a nice chat to catch up.

Publisher

Bora Ergör

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Sept 2024

Latest episode

9 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Aug 2026

   Take Off Your Shoes: Nick Thompson

   Welcome to a brand new episode of Take Off Your Shoes with my guest Nick Thompson. This was not the most typical episode, but it was one I’ve been looking forward to recording for a long time. To some of you, this Nick may be a new name because while he’s an incredibly accomplished runner, he’s better known as the CEO of The Atlantic. If you’re wondering how he could have had the time to come onto my show, listen until the end of the episode, where I actually ask him this exact question. The thing that stuck with me most after our conversation was what he said about the importance of truly caring about the thing that you’re doing in the moment, but once it’s done, moving on. He quoted, “On to Cincinnati.” A truly important skill to learn, and one of those things that is much easier said than done. We talked about how, in life, it’s hard to get neat answers to things, and how some questions will remain unanswered. This is true for the questions he’d like answered about his father’s life. The same is also true of his own motivations at times, and how complicated they can be to articulate. While this may be a step outside of the ultra runners I’ve been having as guests, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this conversation, Nick’s self-reflection, and the way he conveys his emotions and thoughts in and around running and, of course, life. Thank you, Nick, for your time and for our conversation. It's been a very hectic, but beautiful summer, which is why I put the podcast on hiatus for a bit. I'm hoping to be back with a more regular program soon enoug h and I genuinely appreciate each and every one of you for listening. Send me a DM for your thoughts and next guest ideas on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/takeoffyourshoes.pod/) Follow Nick on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nxthompson/) Nick's memoir: The Running Ground (https://www.nickthompson.com/) Check the show's budding Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@takeoffyourshoes.pod1)!

2. 

   25 Jun 2026

   Take Off Your Shoes: Toni McCann

   Welcome to a brand new episode of Take Off Your Shoes. My guest today is Toni McCann! After all my conversations, I jot down a few words to remind me of the feeling I had during and after the conversation, which usually allows me to reflect back on it more easily. After this one, I wrote "heartwarming." I am really grateful to Toni for her openness, humbleness, and willingness to share her thoughts and experiences around finding a new home in France, finding the right reasons, her "why" around running and chasing goals, and how she has dealt with and is still dealing with external pressures. We talked about letting go of perfection while still striving for excellence, finding joy and excitement in the sport, and what it means to feel at home somewhere you chose to grow roots. This was the type of conversation that made me feel so incredibly grateful that I get to do this. I was smiling and laughing throughout, and later on just kept feeling this warmth, for which I am truly thankful. Toni, thank you so much for your openness and for sharing this conversation with me. I hope you all enjoy listening. You can now watch the episode on YouTube (https://youtu.be/or9I_u23hII?si=DChD433gbANveR3Q) Follow Toni on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tonimccann/) Send me your thoughts on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/takeoffyourshoes.pod/) Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being here and listening.

3. 

   27 Apr 2026

   28 - Rachel Entrekin

   Welcome to a brand new episode of Take Off Your Shoes! My guest today is the one and only Rachel Entrekin! I’ve been told before that my conversations feel like therapy sessions for my guests. To be clear, I am not a therapist, but I always feel happy to hear that I allow them to share and perhaps work through things in the meantime. More than anything, I appreciate their candor, vulnerability, and openness. This conversation with Rachel felt like a therapy session for me. Getting to know her and seeing how she has shifted her mindset to embracing hard things, in and outside of running, and how she started seeing them as moments of practice, hit home in a way that’s hard to put into words, especially how I’ve been reacting to some recent events. One thing that I don’t think I’ll forget easily was her description of how we can choose who we are in the face of a challenge, and how we can take ownership of our responses. I think, and hope you all agree, that the challenges we take on in the realm of (ultra)endurance go beyond the physical. I truly believe the mental side we hear about can be beautifully exemplified by Rachel’s words and actions. It’s not necessarily about pushing through and never giving up, but about who we choose to be and how we choose to show up when things get inevitably hard, whether in a race or, hopefully, when we’re able to translate our learnings into our real life. Thank you, Rachel, for this wonderful conversation, and I hope it also speaks to you while listening. Must read: Rachel's Substack (https://rachelentrekin.substack.com/) Follow Rachel on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rachel__entrekin/) Follow and DM me your thoughts on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/takeoffyourshoes.pod/) Other incredible interviews Rachel's been on, which have inspired me: Choose Strong #126 (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/choose-strong/id1591743310?i=1000741748674) Rachel Entrekin | Two-Time Cocodona 250 Champion (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-freetrail-podcast-with-dylan-bowman/id1492327668?i=1000719491946) Rest Day | Rachel Entrekin Interview, Francois D'Haene's 2026 Season & Free Agency News (https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/rest-day-rachel-entrekin-interview-francois-dhaenes/id1492327668?i=1000758420101) I’ll Have Another Episode 624 (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/ill-have-another-with-lindsey-hein-podcast/id1100818156?i=1000714759111) The Trail Network Podcast Episode 78 (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-trail-network-podcast/id1738325869?i=1000730093679) The Trail Network Podcast Episode 69 (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-trail-network-podcast/id1738325869?i=1000721042811)

Who has been a guest on Take Off Your Shoes

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dani Moreno
• Tabor Hemming
• Eli Hemming
• Marianne Hogan
• Ryan Thrower

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

65

Social presence

91

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Take Off Your Shoes

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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