Haile Gebrselassie is one of the best long distance runners in history. But that doesn’t matter to him, he runs because he loves the feeling it achieves in his body and mind. He wants everyone to experience the elixir of running and the benefits it can bring to you.

Visually impaired runner Peter Gottwald shares the inspiring story about his journey to the silver medal at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

At age 16, Jothy Rosenberg lost a leg to cancer, and at 19, a lung. But with amazing courage and true grit he has become an accomplished athlete, and along the way has raised more than $100,000 for cancer research.

Deena Kastor, known for being one of the world’s fastest marathoners, is preparing to run this year’s Chicago Marathon after her broken foot in 2008 slowed down her career. She speaks with Take The Magic Step®.

More than 5,000 cyclists took part in the two-day 2009 Pan-Massachusetts Challenge— a charity Bike-a-Thon that’s become the biggest and most successful athletic fundraiser in America and has raised more than $275 million for cancer research and treatment.

It can be the most important move of the day—simply starting your workout! It’s comforting to know that even the best athletes in the world sometimes have trouble getting out the door. Some tips from Uta to help you take that magic step on days you don’t feel like working out.

The Philadelphia-based charity, Back on My Feet, uses running to get the homeless off the streets and back on the road to a new life. And their unusual approach works. Take The Magic Step visited this remarkable charity.

In 1997, Thomas Geierspichler was abusing drugs and alcohol to forget the wheelchair beneath him and the 1994 car crash that had put him there. But then he began an amazingly inspiring journey that brought him the title World Champion and a world record time in winning the Beijing 2008 Paralympic’s Marathon. He speaks with Take The Magic Step®.

Uta answers questions from young people about how to get started on a healthy lifestyle that will help you look and feel the way you would like to, and can help assure you of greater happiness and confidence.

You can miss so much if you don’t pack your running shoes for that out-of-town journey. Runner and author Scott Douglas shows how the most famous landscapes can take on a whole new meaning viewed from a runner’s-eye perspective.

One of the great things about aerobic exercise is how sharing a workout with a relative stranger can create an instant friendship.

Celebrated 1976 Boston Marathon champion Jack Fultz, who teaches sport psychology at Tufts University, shares his thoughts on how to measure your successes—and be truly happy with your accomplishments.

A workout at any time of the day is great. But those at the bookends of the day are special not only visually, but also in how they give meaning to the hours that lie before and after them.

How satisfying to get in a workout while helping to reduce greenhouse gases! Tips to help you help the environment—from making your own no-wrapper energy bars to saving shower water.

Experiencing all of what nature has to offer is one of running’s greatest treats. There can be rewards waiting when you make up your mind to hit the trail despite the elements, says Scott Douglas.

“Why don’t you do something useful with your running?” The author has spent two decades trying to come up with an answer to his brother’s question, and shares his solution.

When you think about something being fun, you usually picture yourself smiling and laughing. But there’s a whole other aspect of fun that gradually gets revealed to you when you’re fit, says the author.

Bill Rodgers won the Boston and New York City marathons four times each and was ranked #1 in the world three times. At 58, his competitive juices still flow. But more importantly, Bill has become an elder statesman and ambassador for the sport of running. (This interview was posted in October 2006.)

Scott Douglas answers the sedentary critics who insist that solitary running has to be joyless and masochistic. They can only guess, he says, at the release and relaxation that a good run can provide.

Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or run a marathon, setting realistic goals is the key to staying motivated and getting the most from yourself. In this interview Uta shares the mental and physical tools she uses to inspire her.

After an invigorating workout with Uta, Take The Magic Step’s Mike Reger gained a special insight into the mind of a champion, and he shares the lessons he learned during an (almost) 20-mile bike ride.

Remember, even champions were once beginners. Here Uta describes her days in an awesome sport that has the advantage of keeping you fit without requiring much more than a pair of running shoes and somewhere to run.

After running competitively around the world, Uta shares her love of the tranquil trails where she still finds the most peace and contentment. Discover her top four running favorites.

Uta describes how running captured her heart as a child—doing 100 meter laps in her parents’ back yard—and how that early experience blossomed into a life-long romance with the sport.