{"podcast":{"title":"Back of the Pack Podcast","slug":"back-of-the-pack-podcast-5326207","podcast_index_feed_id":5326207,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/5474889/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.botppod.com","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/f9d8e4cc10cc014653b3595336db5c08.jpg","author":"The Back of the Pack Podcast LLC.","episode_count":292,"summary":"Lace up your sneakers, grab your favorite headband, and toe the starting line! The signal has fired and the “Back of the Pack Podcast” is up and running! Are you a fan of running 5k’s just because the finisher medal looks cool? You are not alone there! Join the show that is all about the race swag and running on a Saturday morning to get the most out of your race registration. We will talk about local races in the Kansas City area. We will give you a heads up if you’re wanting to go farther outside the area to run the big races. Host Kyle Walker has fourteen full marathons, over eighty half marathons, and hundreds of 5k’s and 10k's. Take it from us, you are among friends here if you’ve gotten to the finish line to find all the bananas gone!","last_synced_at":"2026-07-22T02:19:51.022157+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/back-of-the-pack-podcast-5326207"},"episode":{"title":"Destination Huntsville: The Rocket City Marathon Preview","slug":"destination-huntsville-the-rocket-city-marathon-preview","published_at":"2026-06-08T21:00:03+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/back-of-the-pack-podcast-5326207/destination-huntsville-the-rocket-city-marathon-preview","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/back-of-the-pack-podcast-5326207","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/destination-huntsville-the-rocket-city-marathon-preview--72420197","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72420197/06_08_2026_rc1_audio.mp3","summary":"This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we head south to learn all about the Rocket City Marathon Weekend coming up this December in Huntsville, Alabama. We are joined by Eric Fritz and Rhonda Hayden from the Rocket City Marathon team to talk about the history of the race, the growth of Huntsville, and why this 50th running is shaping up to be something special. We dig into what makes Rocket City such a strong destination race, from its mid-sized field and downtown host hotels to the rare indoor finish at the Von Braun Center, complete with food, family, music, and post-race celebration. Eric and Rhonda also walk us through the Hat Trick Challenge, where runners can take on the 5K, 10K, and either the half or full marathon across race weekend, earning individual medals plus a special finisher hat. We also talk about the expo experience, the new Podcast Alley concept, and how several running podcasts will help runners get ready for race weekend from training to nutrition to mental preparation. Beyond the miles, Rocket City is also running with purpose, supporting Huntsville Hospital’s pediatric work after raising more than $100,000 last year for an inclusive therapeutic playground and focusing this year on helping fund a pediatric air ambulance. And since the race lands right in the middle of December, we also get into the holiday magic of Huntsville, including the Tinsel Trail, downtown Christmas lights, family-friendly attractions, restaurants, and southern hospitality. Whether you are already signed up, thinking about joining us, or just looking for your next great race weekend adventure, this episode is your invitation to come run Rocket City with us.","meta_description":"This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we head south to learn all about the Rocket City Marathon Weekend coming up this December in Huntsville, Alabam…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2557,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/back-of-the-pack-podcast-5326207/episodes/destination-huntsville-the-rocket-city-marathon-preview/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/back-of-the-pack-podcast-5326207/destination-huntsville-the-rocket-city-marathon-preview.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}