The Varsity Sports slogan “Run Hard. Live Easy.” has been true to the business’s foundation since it opened in 2000. It all started with a T-shirt and beer, according to Varsity Sports founder Jenni Peters.

In the same fashion as the company’s startup, Peters recently stumbled upon another opportunity: a podcast. While it may not have started with a grand plan, It Runs Deep has become influential in the running community.

When local attorney Gordon McKernan first asked Peters about starting a podcast, she was flattered but hesitant about how interested listeners would be in her talking about running, she explains.

“I didn’t think I had anything special to say,” she says.

Instead of taking the lead role, she chose to make her guests the stars of each episode. While It Runs Deep hints that it has to do with running, it’s all about runners’ personal stories. For runners like Donny Boudreaux, Pat Fellows, Kim Charles and Gene Todaro, running played a vital role in overcoming hardships.

“To me, it’s been very gratifying that people are willing to share their stories so publicly,” Peters says.

While most listeners are part of the running and walking community, the target audience is anyone who enjoys hearing stories of trials and triumphs. Athletes have shared their personal stories of overcoming health complications, depression, fertility issues and indulgent social habits. Listeners don’t need to be avid runners to relate to the deeper messages.

“Everybody’s got another side to the story,” Peters says. “You never know what a person’s going through. Which is kind of cliché, but it’s true.”

Each episode closes out with “Running Shorts,” during which Peters shares lessons she’s learned throughout her own career. These short stories are about running, but the advice offers broader wisdom, like the message included at the end of an episode with Walker Higgins, an endurance athlete and owner of The Block Fit BR. “You never know what your limits are until you test them,” Peters reminds listeners. For runners and non-runners alike, her advice speaks to anyone struggling with self-doubt.

“Any connection can build community,” she says. “And that’s my part of the podcast. You don’t have to be a runner. I’m trying to encourage people to move and show them that any kind of activity, whether it’s dancing around, walking or cycling, can be a part of helping you get things back on track.”

For those tuning in for the first time, Peters suggests scrolling through the episodes and finding a description that resonates with you. The stories may not mirror your own, but the honest reflections from seemingly polished people are moving. “Hopefully, like a lot of people, you will find that it’s not the topic that interests you,” she says. “It’s the fact that people are being so forthright that is the appeal.”

For frequent listeners, Peters says there is no exact road map for the future. “We’ll see where it goes,” she notes. “I didn’t intend to be a podcaster, but I’m really enjoying the journey.”

To stay on top of new episode releases, check out It Runs Deep on Spotify and YouTube.