Mindful Miles

2XU LONG BEACH MARATHON 2026
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Ryan Willms on Training the Mind for the 2XU Long Beach Marathon

With the 2XU Long Beach Marathon just one week away, the physical work is nearly done. The long runs have been logged, the final speed sessions are wrapping up and race day is coming into focus. But preparing to perform is about more than what happens physically. 2XU sat down with Ryan Willms, founder of Mindful Endurance Program (MEP), to talk about the role mindfulness plays in endurance sport, what runners can learn throughout a marathon training block and how to approach the final days before the 2XU Long Beach Marathon.

Where endurance meets mindfulness

Ryan founded Mindful Endurance Program to create space for something that can easily get lost in the pursuit of faster times and bigger goals: the experience of the athlete behind the performance. “I began the brand and program to bring endurance sport and spiritual development together,” Ryan says. “To dive into the human experience and pursuit of sport, with conscious awareness and conversation.” Rather than treating mindfulness as something separate from training, MEP encourages athletes to recognize how much of the mental work is already happening every time they lace up.

 

“Mindfulness plays a big role whether we are aware of it or not,” Ryan explains. “With MEP, the aim is to really engage with it. To uncover beliefs we may hold, how comparison and competition can inspire and fuel our drive, without judgment, but ultimately in the path towards self-realization.”

It’s not about how fast you run

For Ryan, engaging with MEP doesn’t require a certain pace, experience level or performance goal. It starts with a willingness to be curious about the process. “The only thing I ask is to be open to the exploration, the journey and self-discovery,” he says. “It really doesn’t matter how fast someone is going. It’s about learning, reflecting, connecting.” That applies across every part of training—from the hardest sessions to the quiet moments of recovery.

 

“Be as present with the journey as possible, whether in a training session, doing breathwork or during recovery.”

What marathon training can teach us

The consistency required to prepare for a half or full marathon makes these distances particularly suited to MEP’s philosophy. “These are great distances for exploration,” Ryan says. “They do require consistency, commitment, and the longer training block can be great for constant self-inquiry and also connection to a group of athletes that are going through a similar experience.”

 

And while marathon training can become serious quickly, Ryan believes there’s value in remembering why many of us started running in the first place. “It’s also meant to be fun,” he says. “When the ego drops away and we are present, we can fully enjoy the experience of running.”

 

With race day now just one week away, Ryan recommends runners use these final days to trust the work they’ve already put in and prepare for the moments when things inevitably get uncomfortable. “Getting practice being uncomfortable for longer periods of time, and letting go of what we think is possible.” One phrase in particular can help runners enter those moments with a different mindset: “I don’t know what’s possible.”

 

“Just the phrase, ‘I don’t know what’s possible,’ can really free us to explore our potential.” After months of training, there’s something powerful about arriving at the start line without putting a ceiling on what race day can become. Trust the work. Stay present. And give yourself the opportunity to find out.

Prepare to Perform with 2XU

Hear more from Ryan in person during Prepare to Perform, a free, public race-week event on Friday, October 9 from 5–7pm on the beach. Arrive at 5pm for a beachside sunset shakeout stretch led by trainer Sarah Harris, or settle into the 2XU Refuel Lounge to relax, refuel and enjoy live music as the sun goes down.

 

Then, at 6pm, join Ryan and fellow guests for the Prepare to Perform panel, a conversation designed to help runners head into race weekend feeling ready—physically and mentally. Whether you’re racing Sunday, supporting someone who is, or simply want to be part of the Long Beach running community, all are welcome.

 

JOIN THE EVENT >>>

Ryan Wilms

Founder of 

Mindful Endurance Program 

(MEP)