We recently connected with Kristin Levere and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I never considered myself a runner. I was never even interested in running, but I would consider every step of my running journey all about taking a risk. I was always a very active kid – I participated in gymnastics, dance, figure skating, cheerleading, and one season of high school track where I ran hurdles and the 4×400 meter relay. In my adult years I joined dance companies and loved group fitness classes like Orangetheory and Burn Bootcamp, but I didn’t really start running until the summer of 2021 after my son was born.

When I went back to Orangetheory postpartum it was like something in my body shifted, like I started fresh, and all of a sudden the endurance tread blocks were something I looked forward to. So, I took a risk, I signed up for a 5k. When I landed a sub 30 minute time, I took another risk, I signed up for a 10k, and then a 10 miler, and then all of a sudden I was registered for my first half marathon.

I found running to be such an escape for me in a world where everything that I did was for someone other than myself. It was a time to challenge myself, set goals and then accomplish them, and appreciate what my body could do.

Soon I found myself taking another risk – sharing my story on the internet. It’s daunting and overwhelming to start at zero followers and try to navigate showing up in a space that is already so saturated with runners, especially ones who run sub 7 minute miles and qualify for the Boston Marathon every year. It was also nerve-racking to post about myself on the internet in front of family, friends, acquaintances: what would they think of me? would they judge me?

And so, Kiki Runs was born. It was slow going for a while, but I just kept showing up for myself and figured it could be my own type of video diary if it didn’t go anywhere. In January 2023, my family took another huge risk – we moved from Maryland to Texas for my husband’s job. It was another one that paid off. It allowed me to join the San Antonio RoadRunners, sign up for my first marathon, and launch my own YouTube channel to document my running journey as I trained for the New York City Marathon this past November.

My running journey has always been about taking risks, some smaller than others, but the payoff has been indescribable. I’m interacting with people from all over the country, sharing my journey in the hopes that someone who is watching will be inspired to take a risk for themself. I never thought I would be a runner, but here I am, two time marathoner and not slowing down any time soon.

Kristin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Like I described above, I sort of fell into the running world when I least expected it. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be a marathoner I would have laughed at you. I have always loved being an active person but never saw myself as an endurance athlete.

I grew up in Wisconsin and went to college at Marquette University in Milwaukee, where I studied international affairs, and almost immediately upon graduating I moved to Washington, DC to pursue my career. Soon after, I met my now husband and found a job in the Museum education field in the city. I was a dancer growing up – jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop – and continued to dance all throughout college, joining a professional company in Milwaukee and then dancing in DC for 5 years with a company there.

A huge part of my life is that I’m a mom to an amazing 4 year old boy. He’s my entire world and I think while running gives me an escape from the every day duties of work and mom life, I also run and strive to be healthy for him. I want him to grow up in a household where his parents are active and work to better themselves.

I started my Instagram page in 2022, shortly after finishing my first half marathon, in the hopes that someone out there could relate to an average paced runner just starting out and learning the ins and outs of the running world. There is so much information out there about how to train, shoes, nutrition, gear, supplements, you name it. I wanted to show up authentically each and every day and share what worked for me so that the onramp to the running world could be easier for other beginner runners. It’s been amazing to interact with others in the running space and hear that they tried a gel that I recommended or liked a pair of shorts I reviewed (all of these things on my own dime). And it’s been even better to see their own running success and celebrate that with them along the way.

I think I still consider myself a beginner, but I’m gaining speed. I started my YouTube channel earlier this year and found great joy in creating weekly training videos as I got ready for the New York City Marathon. Those videos have served as my own virtual training diary but also show the very real highs and lows of training for a marathon and what worked for me (along with what didn’t), while also being a mom, and working a full time job, and trying to live a normal life. I’m hoping to continue to grow my channel in this “off” season and do some more shoe and gear reviews since those seem to be super popular.

As I learn and figure out the running world, I hope that my followers can learn along with me, see someone who looks like them, and cheer them on along the way.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think like many beginner runners I overdid it at the beginning. I was racing a lot, overtraining, running my training runs too fast, and it definitely caught up with me. I ended up with a nasty IT band injury after my first half marathon that left me sidelined for a few months while I rehabbed it.

So how do you post on a running page when you aren’t running…?

At first I didn’t. But then I realized that I wasn’t the first or only one to have an injury like that, and so posting my PT journey, the back and forth with thinking I could run again and failing, that was also worth sharing. And I found other people who had gone through the same exact issue or were actively working through an injury.

I just had to pivot and continue to do what I was doing – sharing the ins and outs of being a runner and being honest about how it was going.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I think being consistent and staying genuine has been so key. Showing up on the platforms, posting stories and reels, posting regularly on YouTube. It’s definitely overwhelming sometimes, but it has shown me the most growth.

Admittedly I have a pretty small following, but I do feel like I have great relationships with so many people who interact with my page because I also try to consistently follow their journeys, chat with them, and cheer them on.

I also try to show up on my page the way I show up in my every day life – I rarely wear makeup, my hair is mostly in a low bun, and I’m oftentimes still in the running clothes I was in that morning. My house isn’t perfect and my paces are average, but I find that is what resonates with people, and so I try to just share my life as is.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kiki_runs
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kiki_runs