Anthony Ramos made long runs feel less isolating by calling friends and family. During training for his first marathon, he sometimes spent hours on the phone—or simply knew someone was there, even when they were not talking. His experience is a personal account of support, not a claim that phone calls suit every runner or replace a training plan.
How Ramos brought other people into his long runs
In an interview published by Men’s Health on June 17, 2026, Ramos described calling friends and family during long runs to pass the time and get encouragement. “You’re out there for a few hours,” he said, making it “a good excuse to call someone.” He joked that he might tell a friend, “I’m running, I’m dying out here, so you tell me, please, how you’re doing.” At times, they were not really talking; their presence was enough to help him feel supported.
That detail makes the community in Ramos’s story concrete: it was made up of people he already knew, alongside the coaches who guided his preparation and the spectators who cheered him on. It was not presented as a formal running club or as a universal training method. Men’s Health’s account of Ramos’s long-run calls followed his remarks at the June 2026 Men’s Health Lab.
How Anthony Ramos trained for the New York City Marathon
Ramos completed the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, his first marathon. His preparation included coaching from Des Linden and Garrett Heath, connected through Brooks. In his New York Road Runners interview, Ramos described receiving weekly guidance from Linden and adjusting when work and other demands made it difficult to complete the five runs she requested. His account points to a plan that had to fit his schedule, rather than a training routine he could follow unchanged every week.
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An earlier Men’s Journal profile, published June 17, 2025, covered his decision to take on his first marathon. It named the Brooks Glycerin Max among the shoes in his training setup. That profile was made in partnership with Brooks Running, so the shoe reference is context about Ramos’s reported gear—not an independent test or a recommendation for other runners. Read the Men’s Journal profile.
Why the story is about support, not just mileage
Ramos’s account puts the emotional texture of endurance training alongside its practical demands: a runner may spend hours moving alone, while still relying on other people. A call can be a way to share that stretch of time, even if conversation fades in and out. In 2026, Ramos put the broader point plainly: “It’s important to have people that support you, not just in the training and the running, but anything,” he said. “We need support. We need people.”
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That is a meaningful personal reflection, not evidence from a controlled study that calls improve performance, mental health, or marathon outcomes. The reporting establishes Ramos’s own use of calls and the coaching behind his preparation; it does not show that every runner should use a phone on long runs. His pre-race appearance on the Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara podcast was published October 7, 2025, while he was still preparing, so it is not the source to rely on for whether he finished. Listen to the episode listing.
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