--- title: "About Wisdom Running" description: "Meet Alex Gorovenko, a marathoner with a 3:06:49 PB, and see how Wisdom Running checks facts, reviews shoes, discloses affiliate links and fixes errors." url: "https://wisdomrunning.com/about/" language: "en" author: ["Alex Gorovenko"] published: "2022-02-17T10:11:23.000-08:00" modified: "2026-10-07T07:52:05.000-07:00" --- # About Wisdom Running Wisdom Running is a free running site for everyday runners, founded and run by Alex Gorovenko, a non-professional marathoner. It covers training, marathon races, running shoes and the numbers behind running, with one goal: to show you the shortest path to your own running goals. **On this page** - [Why Wisdom Running exists](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#why-wisdom-running-exists) - [What we cover](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#what-we-cover) - [Meet the author](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#meet-the-author) - [Editorial standards](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#editorial-standards) - [How we review shoes](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#how-we-review-shoes) - [How we make money](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#how-we-make-money) - [Corrections and updates](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#corrections-and-updates) - [Contact](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#contact) ## Why Wisdom Running exists I believe that: - **Almost anyone** can work up to a marathon, keep improving their personal bests and reach health and well-being goals through running, at almost any age and fitness level, if they build up gradually. - A running coach, a treadmill or the latest carbon-plated shoes won't run a marathon for you. Your results depend mostly on **your own consistency and decisions**. That is why Wisdom Running exists: to show you the shortest path to your running goals **on your own**. I learned the hard way that "just do it" doesn't work. It can turn running into a grind that no longer brings joy, and it often leads to overtraining, injuries and quitting. Time, effort and patience still matter, but you can shorten the route and avoid mistakes by learning from people who have already done what you want to do. Elite athletes are rarely the best role models for everyday runners. Their training load and lifestyle are built for bodies that have trained for years, and many run under sponsorship contracts that shape the gear they use and endorse. The better role models are runners a few steps ahead of you who still remember their own early mistakes. That's the kind of advice you'll find here. ## What we cover Everything here is written for recreational runners in the United States, from first-time runners to people chasing a faster marathon. - **Training and beginner guides.** Start with [Couch to Half Marathon](https://wisdomrunning.com/couch-to-half-marathon/) or [Running Twice a Day](https://wisdomrunning.com/running-twice-a-day/), or browse [For Beginners](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/beginner/) and [Training](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/training/). - **Marathon races.** Race reports and planning guides from marathons I have run, including [my first marathon in Larnaca](https://wisdomrunning.com/larnaca-marathon-2021/) and [the 2023 Berlin Marathon](https://wisdomrunning.com/berlin-marathon-tips/). Browse [Marathon Races](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/marathon-races/). - **Running shoes.** First-hand [Shoe Reviews](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/running-shoe-reviews/) and [Best Shoes](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/best-of-lists/) roundups. See [how we review shoes](https://wisdomrunning.com/about/#how-we-review-shoes). - **Numbers and calculators.** Average times by distance, pace charts and free tools, such as the [Pace Calculator](https://wisdomrunning.com/pace-calculator/) and [average marathon times by fitness level](https://wisdomrunning.com/average-marathon-time/). Browse [Running Stats](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/running-statistics/) and [Running Calculators](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/running-calculators/). - **Injury prevention and everyday problems.** Common issues such as [chafing](https://wisdomrunning.com/chafing-from-running/) and [lower back pain](https://wisdomrunning.com/why-does-my-lower-back-hurt-when-i-run/) while running. Browse [Injury Prevention](https://wisdomrunning.com/tag/injury-prevention/). These guides give general information and do not replace a medical opinion. ## Meet the author ![Alex Gorovenko running the Larnaca Marathon in a white singlet and sunglasses on a wet street](https://wisdomrunning.com/cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/3s8dHtx_ZaVnR2_cvJCK0g/920ced62-8858-4d77-7a07-03206a416200/public) Founder and author Alex Gorovenko [Strava](https://www.strava.com/athletes/54410853) · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-gorovenko/) On the course at the Larnaca Marathon in Cyprus, my first marathon. I'm a non-professional long-distance runner who likes to set running goals and enjoys overachieving them. I completed my first 10K on a dare, ran a half marathon within a year, and finished my first marathon a year after that. I've trained consistently since 2018 and have run nine marathons. My first marathon, [Larnaca 2021 in Cyprus](https://wisdomrunning.com/larnaca-marathon-2021/), took 4:11:30, and my race report covers the mistakes: I started too fast and hit the wall at kilometer 31. My current marathon best is 3:06:49, more than an hour faster. I ran the 2023 Berlin Marathon after winning the entry lottery, improved my personal best by 26 minutes there, and wrote [a guide for future runners](https://wisdomrunning.com/berlin-marathon-tips/). Personal bests | Distance | Time | Pace (per mile / per km) | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Marathon | [3:06:49](https://resultscui.active.com/participants/45805309) | 7:08 / 4:26 | Official results | | Half marathon | [1:28:12](https://results.sporthive.com/events/7113512886511920128/races/487123/bib/8282) | 6:44 / 4:11 | Official results | | 10K | [38:38](https://xistarca.pt/certificado?cim=https%3A%2F%2Fxistarca.pt%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FDIPLOMA_GERAL-212.jpg&rid=2865996&evd=10) | 6:13 / 3:52 | Official certificate, São Silvestre de Lisboa, 17 Dec 2023 (chip time) | | 5K | [18:53](https://www.strava.com/activities/10396668881) | 6:05 / 3:47 | Strava: fastest 5K split of the 10K above | Pace is the average per mile and per kilometer over the official distance, rounded to the nearest second. Each time links to its original result. The 5K is the fastest 5K split inside the 10K race, not a separate 5K race. My experience is that of a recreational athlete training and racing for myself. I'm an athlete, not a doctor or physiotherapist, so nothing on this site replaces medical advice. ## Editorial standards New and refreshed articles follow these rules. - **Written for everyday runners.** Plain language, short paragraphs, and terms explained the first time they appear. - **Starts with a real question.** Each article answers something runners actually ask. We read what already ranks first, so ours covers what those pages leave out. - **Claims need sources.** Health, injury and training claims are checked against primary sources: original studies and current clinical or public-health guidance. Race rules come from the race organizer or governing body, and specifications from the manufacturer. Where it matters, the source is linked next to the claim. A manufacturer's marketing doesn't count as evidence of a health benefit. - **Evidence and opinion stay separate.** We say whether something comes from a study, official guidance, a common coaching rule of thumb or my own experience. When sources disagree, we use the narrower claim the evidence supports, or we leave it out. - **The math is checked.** Paces, race times, distances and unit conversions are recalculated, not copied from another site. - **Gear details are dated.** We check model versions, availability and prices when we write. Prices change, so treat them as a snapshot. - **Edited before it goes live.** Each new or refreshed article gets a separate editing pass for accuracy, clarity and consistency before publication. - **Older articles catch up.** Articles written before these standards are rechecked and refreshed against them over time, and any article changes when new guidance, a new shoe version or a correction makes it wrong. **Important:** Wisdom Running is general information, not medical advice. I'm an athlete, not a doctor or physiotherapist. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, are returning from an injury or illness, or are unsure whether a plan suits you, talk to a doctor first. Stop and get medical help for chest pain, fainting, or severe or worsening pain. Results vary, and no article can promise a finish time. ## How we review shoes I review shoes in two ways, and the difference matters. - **Single-shoe reviews are first-hand.** I bought the [Saucony Endorphin Shift 3](https://wisdomrunning.com/saucony-endorphin-shift-review/), [Saucony Endorphin Pro 3](https://wisdomrunning.com/saucony-endorphin-pro-review/), [Brooks Ghost 15](https://wisdomrunning.com/brooks-ghost-14-review/) and [Brooks Hyperion Tempo](https://wisdomrunning.com/brooks-hyperion-tempo-review/) myself and ran about 100 miles in each before writing. None was a free sample. - **Roundups start with a shortlist and end with testing.** For lists such as [The Best Running Shoes for Beginners](https://wisdomrunning.com/best-running-shoes-for-beginners/), I shortlist the models most widely available in US online stores and retail, test the selected ones for cushioning, comfort, price and durability, and check customer reviews before keeping or dropping a pick. - **One runner's view.** A review describes how a shoe performed for me. Fit, gait, body weight and running surfaces differ, so treat it as one data point and check the retailer's return policy. - **Independent picks.** Brands don't pay for reviews or for a place in a list, and affiliate commissions never decide what makes a list or how it ranks. ## How we make money Wisdom Running is free to read. Some product links in shoe and gear articles are affiliate links: if you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. For other retailers we use a link-monetization service, Skimlinks. Affiliate links are marked "sponsored" in the page code so search engines can tell them apart. Wisdom Running is owned and run by Alex Gorovenko. It isn't owned or funded by a shoe brand or retailer, and affiliate commissions help cover the cost of running the site. ## Corrections and updates Shoes get new versions, prices move and guidance changes, and even careful articles contain mistakes. If you find an error or something out of date, email [ask@wisdomrunning.com](mailto:ask@wisdomrunning.com) with the article link and what needs fixing. We'll check it against the source and update the article if you're right. When a correction affects advice, safety guidance, a number or a price, we fix it in the article itself instead of leaving the old version live. ## Contact Questions, corrections or a topic you'd like covered? Email [ask@wisdomrunning.com](mailto:ask@wisdomrunning.com). You can also find Wisdom Running on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/WisdomRunning) and [X](https://x.com/Wisdom_Running), and Alex on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-gorovenko/) and [Strava](https://www.strava.com/athletes/54410853). This page was last reviewed in October 2026.