From Prison Guard to Endurance Star: Ken Rideout on Mindset, Non-Negotiables & Self-Accountability

The heart and soul of this podcast is personal transformation—and today’s story of metamorphosis is one of the most compelling, improbable, and inspirational tales I have ever heard.

Narrating this epic saga is Ken Rideout, a guy who has transcended a litany of seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become one of the world’s pre-eminent master athletes.

Now 51, he smokes his running competitors like a bad habit—and is only beginning to hit his stride.

It’s a land mine littered path that didn’t come easy. A rough and chaotic childhood, a battle with addiction, learning harsh truths as a prison guard right out of high school, and later losing colleagues on 9/11 are just a few of the many obstacles he’s faced and overcome.

Nonetheless, and without any formal experience, he somehow made it to Wall Street and beyond—and has been stacking goals ever since.

Ken’s latest goal? To be crowned masters champion in all the world’s most prestigious marathons.

Crowned “World’s Best Marathoner Over 50” by the New York Times (in an article written by friend of the podcast Matt Futterman), it’s fair to say this former boxer is already well on his way to achieving that goal. For context, he ran an astounding 2:28 marathon PR last year at age 50. At last year’s New York City Marathon, he ran 2:33, winning the 50-54 age group category by a full 16 minutes and was the first person over 50 years of age to win the overall Masters division for athletes over 40. On the horizon? Berlin, London, and beyond.

When he’s not training like a professional athlete, Ken works full time, is a husband and dad to four kids, and on top of it all, somehow squeezes out time to co-host The Fight podcast with Teddy Atlas.

Today we walk through Ken’s journey, covering his early years reared in chaos, his time spent as a prison guard, and how he hustled his way against all odds to get to Wall Street.

We also dive into the opioid addiction that nearly cratered his life, his mid-life renaissance as an athlete, his inhuman drive, his unique professional approach to training, and the mindset tools he’s leveraged to create improbable success—all of which are layered with a rare and colorful humility.

The visually inclined can watch the magic transpire on YouTube. As always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Ken is truly one of a kind, and this one is packed with powerful lessons on discipline, self-accountability, and the importance of consistency.

Get on board the rollercoaster—and prepare for a thrill.

Peace + Plants,