How The World’s Fastest Marathoner Over 50 Uses CURREX to Feel Better & Perform Better

Endurance runner and ultramarathon champion Ken Rideout conquers the world's toughest races with an all-or-nothing mindset, consistent training, and the support of CURREX® insoles.

Ken Rideout can’t help but to run faster. Why? Because his life depends on it.

The 53-year-old athlete is unlike most runners in his age group. He has a muscular build, derived from years of strength training as a boxer, and, for a long time, running was just a way to stay active. It wasn’t until 2010, after a decade long struggle with opioid addiction, that he started running with purpose.

“When I got sober, I started running as a form of self-torture, to punish myself for what I had put my body through,” he says. “The worse I felt, the harder I would run.”

Rideout reached a breaking point; he could no longer stand living the life he’d been living. Amidst the emotional pain of recovering from addiction, pushing himself past his limits became his way of taking responsibility and finding pride. It also quickly revealed his potential as a runner, outperforming his peers and younger competitors.

“I would rather die than be a loser, and I would rather die than give up,” Rideout says.

The first time he realized this was when he quit during the running portion of the 2012 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. He’d ran multiple races and worked hard to qualify only to feel like he’d fumbled the race. Stepping off that course, Rideout swore he’d never feel that kind of disgust in himself again.

Nobody cared whether he competed in that race except for him. It was his reality, and his number one responsibility to take care of himself. So, he vowed to give it his all and be the best he could be or die trying.

"CURREX Keeps Me Moving”

For Rideout, moving forward and staying motivated means prioritizing both his body and mind, fueled by a deep sense of pride in his consistent effort.

"The most important thing you can do to stay on track is take great, great pride in your ability to be consistent and your ability to keep showing up,” he says.

This can be made difficult, however, when you’re suffering from a debilitating injury including the most common running injury for high-performing athletes: plantar fasciitis.

In 2019, while training for the California International Marathon, Rideout was desperate to run a sub 2:30 race time – a goal he has since reached. He’d been logging almost 100 miles a week, overdoing it to the point his feet were in excruciating pain. Still, he refused to stop running.

“A normal person would never keep running,” he says, but by the time he was a few miles in, the tendons in his foot would loosen up and the pain would subside. “Then, inevitably, two hours after the run, I couldn’t walk.”

Rideout knew foot-strengthening exercises like calf raises and heel drops could help restore the strength and flexibility in his feet. He also needed better arch support, so he bought a pair of CURREX RUNPRO™ insoles for running shoes online.

“Prior to using CURREX, I couldn’t keep up doing what I was doing. My plantar fasciitis was tormenting me to death,” he says. “Since I started using CURREX, I’ve never had to take a single day off for a running related injury.”

Even when Rideout had reconstructive surgery on his shoulder, after just four days off, he secured his neck and shoulder with a belt, grabbed on, and hit the ground running. Despite his surgeon's disapproval, Rideout said, “Brother, this is how I stay alive. This is mental work. This isn’t about physical fitness.”

His commitment to running goes beyond just his own achievements. It points to a bigger goal that keeps him pushing forward:

"My biggest ambition is trying to perform at a high level consistently and setting a positive example for my children," the father of four explains. "To me, it's having goals, staying on the gas and having a level of accountability, even if it's just to myself, because at the end of the day, no one cares if I run or not. Only I do."

What It Means to Perform Your Best

For the last seven years, Rideout has ran and trained every single day no matter the conditions. He follows a healthy diet during the week, works out twice a day, and juggles his professional commitments, family life, and fitness all at the same time. While he doesn’t profess to get it all right, this extreme dedication is his way of showing up and maintaining that mindset that training like this is the only way he can win.

Rideout has competed all over the world and placed in some of the most grueling and difficult races including the Gobi March, a 155-mile footrace through the Mongolian desert, and the For Rangers Ultra Marathon in Kenya. Using CURREX insoles in his shoes, including the CURREX HIKEPRO™ insoles for trail running, helped him avoid the painful leg and foot injuries that other runners succumbed to.

“Everyone at some point asks me about the insoles because everyone has lower leg injuries," he says. “They're like, ‘Oh my God, I've gotta stop running!’ Any excuse to stop. I say the first thing you should do is put these insoles in and get some arch support.”

While CURREX insoles have helped Rideout feel better while training and racing, performing his best is about staying consistent, taking pride in what you do, and showing up for yourself every single day.

“When you can get through the days where you don't want to be there, those are the biggest wins,” he says. “You can't get caught up in the minutia, and the emotional highs and lows of day-to-day training, you're going to have bad days. It's just part of life. The thing is it never gets easier. You just get faster.”

What's Next for Ken Rideout?

After finishing first in his age group in the 2024 F45 HYROX endurance event in New York City, Rideout plans to return to the race and defend or even surpass his own title. He’s recently started Rideout Sports and Entertainment, a sports management agency representing some of the top athletes, entertainers, and thought leaders in sports, nutrition and fitness. Fans can look forward to his upcoming book detailing his journey set to be published in early 2026.

Explore more of Ken Rideout's journey at https://www.thekenrideout.com/ and listen to his insights as co-host of The Fight with Teddy Atlas podcast.

Follow him at @ken_rideout on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Endurance runner Ken Rideout relies on these CURREX insoles with high arch support for peak performance: