s5e20 How to Run Around the Whole World with Marie Leautey | The Running Explained Podcast
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
In this episode of The Running Explained Podcast, Marie "Lootie" Leautey, shares her extraordinary journey of becoming the second woman to run around the world. Marie opens up about the motivations behind this epic feat, the emotional and physical hurdles she overcame, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the deep personal transformation she experienced along the way. From meticulously planning 700 stages of her route to discovering new ways to stay safe on the road, Marie’s story is a powerful testament to the human spirit, resilience, and the joy of movement. Whether you're a runner or simply curious about what it takes to pursue a massive dream, this episode is a must-listen.
What You’ll Learn:
The criteria for an official run around the world
What motivated Marie to run around the world and how she planned it
How she navigated 700 stages and dealt with challenges like COVID-19
The role of mindfulness and body awareness in long-distance running
Strategies she used to stay safe while running solo across countries
The emotional and mental growth she experienced on the journey
How adaptability helped her persevere in unfamiliar environments
Why she believes big dreams require both passion and a solid plan
Sound Bites:
“I think that this unique continuous experience of the world, slowly moving from one country to one country, from one continent to another, from a season to another, all of these together was the experience I wanted to feel.”
“So these leaps of faith, they provide me so much satisfaction because you supposedly you risk a lot, but if you have a solid discipline...and if you plan it, then you will be successful.”
“I was very free in this period where everybody was locked in. I had this tremendous privilege through what I was doing to be able to experience this freedom.”
“The only numbers that mattered to me every day was just the number of kilometres run, not the speed, not the heart rate, not the cadence, not any of the numbers you can find on your fancy watch or anything. And disconnecting yourself from numbers sets you in a different mind frame, and that's super important.”
"I think the human body is made for running, know, the way our skeleton is made, the way our tendons and ligaments and muscles are made. We were runners at some point in our evolution path."
"To be fair, I didn't have anything else to go back to. I had ditched my career. I had no home. I had nothing. I had no belongings. I was living on the roads...doing my run every day was the only thing that was there in my life."
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to a World Runner
14:37 How to Run Around the World
21:42 Taking a Leap of Faith
28:04 Logistics of Running Around the World
32:41 Navigating COVID-19
39:54 The Freedom Found in Running Around the World
47:35 Dealing with Injury
53:30 Preparing for the Run
56:45 Navigating Challenges Around the World
01:03:46 What's Next for Marie?
01:12:45 Advice for Runners
Connect with Marie:
Website: https://lootie-run.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/lootierun/?hl=en
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About Your Host
Elisabeth Scott is a running coach, educator, and the founder of Running Explained, where she helps runners train smarter, run stronger, and enjoy the process. After getting sober at 29, she laced up her running shoes with the goal of finishing a 5K—and never looked back. Since then, she’s gone on to complete multiple races, including marathons with a Boston Qualifying time, all while deepening her expertise in endurance training.
With a science-based approach, Coach Elisabeth is passionate about making complex running concepts accessible and actionable for runners of all levels. Her coaching philosophy centers on building a strong aerobic base, improving running efficiency, and developing a whole-human approach to training that prioritizes consistency, injury prevention, and sustainable progress.
Through Running Explained, Elisabeth offers training plans, online courses, and 1:1 coaching designed to help runners achieve their goals while avoiding the common pitfalls of overtraining, under-fueling, and burnout. Whether you’re training for your first half marathon or chasing a new PR, her guidance will help you train smarter, race stronger, and love the journey.
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