Running through Life: An Interview with Nicholas Thompson

Nicholas Thompson is a Stanford alum (’97), CEO of The Atlantic, and a record-setting runner. Those threads weave together in his new book, The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports. Thompson describes how running connected him with his father Scott Thompson (’63), with himself, and with lessons on how to navigate life. Jay Hamilton, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Director of the Stanford Journalism Program, will interview Thompson about his time on the Farm, relationship with his father, insights on how sports can help anchor a life, and his career in journalism.

Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic, a position he has held since 2021. He was previously the editor-in-chief of WIRED and the editor of NewYorker.com. Thompson is also a cofounder of The Atavist, a multimedia CMS that was sold to WordPress, and Speakeasy.ai, which was sold to Amplica Labs. He films a daily video on tech policy for Linkedin and has roughly two million followers across social media platforms. He has long been a competitive runner; in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race. His second book, The Running Ground, was published by Random House in October.

Jay Hamilton is the Freeman-Thornton Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Hearst Professor of Communication, and Director of the Stanford Journalism Program.