Cameron Hanes - Keep Hammering Collective

KHC 191 - Tommie Runz

April 28, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Tommie Runz, whose real name is Tommy, describes a path that began with sobriety in early 2017 and shifted into running the following year. After years of daily drinking while rising to vice president at a vehicle shipping company, he entered AA rooms, made a firm decision to stop, and found movement as a way to fill the resulting time and energy. The conversation centers on how that single choice created clarity, allowed him to leave a successful but unfulfilling corporate role, and turned running into both a personal discipline and a public platform for sharing stories.

Sobriety as the foundation
Runz explains that exercise was not the mechanism that kept him sober. AA meetings and the daily commitment to one day at a time supplied the structure. Running later mirrored that structure because each workout required the same incremental choice. He notes that the physical version of sobriety—one run at a time—reinforced the mental habit without replacing the original support system. Before sobriety he maintained a high-level job and family responsibilities while drinking every day, a pattern he calls functional alcoholism. Once he stopped, the time and mental space that opened allowed him to question whether the career he had built was still the right fit.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:17) **Guest introduction** - Cameron welcomes Tommie Runz to Eugene and asks about the origin of his name
2 (01:51) **Transition from lifting to running** - Tommie describes trading heavy gym work for running after accepting a half marathon spot
3 (02:09) **Sobriety foundation** - Running is discussed as a mirror of sobriety rather than its cause
4 (03:32) **Functional alcoholism before sobriety** - Tommie recounts maintaining a successful corporate career while drinking daily
5 (05:27) **Decision to get sober** - The moment Tommie walked into AA after years of failed attempts
6 (09:38) **Life after sobriety** - Tommie explains how clarity revealed his corporate path was no longer fulfilling
7 (11:49) **Advice for others still struggling** - Tommie urges people to stop pretending they’re okay once they privately know they’re not

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Tommie Runz - endurance athlete, podcaster, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker known for his inspiring personal transformation story.

A recovering alcoholic, he has been sober since January 2017. He adopted a vegan lifestyle and began running around 2018. He quickly progressed to become a competitive marathoner, achieving a personal best of 2:48 and qualifying for the Boston Marathon. He has completed the World Marathon Majors Six Star challenge in a single season and participated in ultra-endurance events like a solo Speed Project.

Follow Tommie:

https://www.instagram.com/tommie_runz/

Follow along:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronrhanes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cameronhanes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camhanes/

Website: https://www.cameronhanes.com

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – “Tommie Gunz” to “Tommie Runz” & Alcoholism to Sobriety

00:08:39 – Working for a Vehicle Shipping Company

00:11:41 – Recognizing Alcoholism as a Problem

00:15:45 – Self Employment: Running Influencer Impact & Hosting 2 Podcasts