How (runner) Martinus Evans found his pace at the back of the pack

How do you silence your inner critic??

“Slow AF” running influencer Martinus Evans doesn’t care about finishing last. He’s not chasing any records. And he’s not into swapping paces either. The Brooklyn-based self-described “300-pound runner” has emerged front and center as one of running’s biggest anti-heroes — and he’s done it all by owning the back of the pack.

Evans’ journey into long-distance running began in his mid-20s. At the time, Evans was a commission salesman and was spending a lot of time on his feet. Hip pain later landed him in the doctor’s office. A doctor told Evans he had two options:.?

“Lose weight or die,” the callous physician told him.

When Evans quipped he’d run a marathon instead, the doctor again insisted he had a death wish. The flippant diagnosis lit a fire in him, — and would transform the Detroit native into a ferocious marathon runner. Evans later started the running blog: “300 Pounds and Running” to document his long-distance running journey. To his surprise, he quickly amassed a loyal following.

“It made people understand that they're not alone and there was somebody else who was also experiencing the things that they're experiencing on their journey as well,” Evans said.

Three months later, Evans was stretching at the starting line of his first 5K race. Then he ran a half marathon. In 2013, he completed the Detroit Free Press Marathon, his first major 26-mile race.?

Evans kept running. But there were peaks and valleys. During the 2018 New York City Marathon, a sideline spectator called Evans “slow” in the 16th mile of the race. After eight grueling hours, Evans crossed the finish line. But the unnerving moment haunted him for days.

“I thought about that for the rest of the race,” Evans said. “Running slow and being in the back of the pack should be a badge of honor. Do you know how hard it is to be on your feet for six, seven and eight hours running a marathon? That’s something to be celebrated, not jeered, and teased about.”

Instead of allowing the obtuse comment corrode his confidence, Evans wasn’t deterred; he’d go on to found the Slow AF Run Club, which has since grown to more than 20,000 worldwide members.?

The toxic exchange not only taught Evans an important lesson not only about how to harness external criticism in order to achieve success, but how to repel destructive internal criticism, too.

“These critics are just putting their own limited beliefs on you,” he added. “And guess what? You don’t have to accept that. Those people don’t know your vision. Those people don’t know what success means to you.”

Today, Evans has eight marathons under his belt, nearly 97,000 followers on Instagram, and is now a running coach. He’s posed nude for Men’s Health, has been featured on the cover of Runner’s World magazine, and he appeared in an Adidas ad campaign. Evans also recently released his first book, “Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run.”?

“I learned how to use criticism to light the fire within and it changed everything,” Evans said.

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Written by Dorian Geiger