Flourishing Is On The Other Side Of Enjoyment: How UNC's Makayla Paige Rediscovered Her Love For The Sport & Won Her First NCAA Title & Set A 3-Second School Record In The Process!

Rising middle-distance sensation and newly-crowned NCAA Indoor Champion Makayla Paige joins the show today to discuss her incredible journey, the 2025 season, and what’s next on her horizon. The senior University of North Carolina star won the 800m Indoor NCAA title in Virginia with a time of 2:00.39 in March, her new PR in the distance. It’s been a memorable start to the New Year for Makayla, as she shattered UNC’s women’s 800m record by three seconds with a 2:00.57 at the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic in January. Makayla has displayed uncanny range since her high school days, competing in events from the 200m all the way up to the 1,000m. This breadth and strength has helped propel her to the stage she’s on now. The Tewksbury, Massachusetts native was named 2019 high school Gatorade Player of the Year for Girls Track & Field in Massachusetts. While focusing on sprints, middle distance and hurdles during her high school days, she ran PRs of 26.21 in the 200m, 56.01 in the 400m, 1:29.71 in the 600m and 2:06.27 in the 800m. Makayla, who signed an NIL deal with On in the fall of 2024, has additional collegiate PRs of 52.70 in the 400m, 2:47.35 in the 1,000m and 4:38.51 in the mile. In today's conversation, Makalya walks me through winning her first NCAA title, what it means to her, her ambitions for the future and the UNC program, why keeping the sport light and fun is so important and how she does that, and so much more! This conversation was thoroughly enjoyable, and I hope you appreciate it as much as I did having it. Tap into the Makayla Paige Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend! S H O W N O T E S -BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ -My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz