"Sometimes a short build up can do a miracle. So I’m hoping for the miracle in Chicago!" In a stacked field of elite runners, Betsy Saina is absolutely one to watch at this weekend's Chicago Marathon. Betsy is a 2:19 marathoner — a time that makes her the third-fastest American woman marathoner (behind Emily Sisson and Keira D'Amato). She's a 2016 Olympian who competed in the 10,000m, and she's the 2024 USATF 25K Champion and women-only American record holder in that distance. She's a three-time...
Oct 08, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 753
"I looked like a fainting goat at mile 20." Logan Aldridge just might be the real-life human version of a golden retriever. But as charming and funny and lovable as he may be, Logan isn't afraid to kick your butt and make you sweat. Logan is a Peloton instructor who is best known for his adaptive classes. When Logan was 13, he was wakeboarding with his family and the rope around his arm became entangled in the boat's propeller. It cut through all of Logan's arm muscles, down to the bone. His lef...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 752
Welcome to Ask Ali, LIVE at the 2024 Akron Marathon! I spent this past weekend in Akron, OH, as one of the start and finish line announcers at the Akron Marathon , Half Marathon, and Team Relay, and got to do a live show at the race expo — with a twist. This time, I was the one being interviewed! Join Jasen Sokol and me (and some wonderful question-asking audience members) for this fun getting-to-know-you-better conversation covering running, cancer, motherhood, and so much more. Follow Ali: Ins...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 751
"Remember the entire journey, because it’s very special." It’s almost time for the 46th running of the Chicago Marathon! The 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 13, and this episode is packed with all the information you need before you head to the start line. (And yes, you really should plan to get there two hours early. We’ll explain why!) The elite fields are stacked (Bates! D'Amato! Saina! Chepngetich! Hall! Rojas! Rooker! Frisbie!), and they’ll be follow...
Sep 26, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 750
"It felt like the riskiest choice I could make, but it changed the whole trajectory of my life and I feel so grateful." Lauren Peterson's list of professional contacts is wildly impressive. As a political speechwriter and strategist, she has worked for and with President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and President Biden. She's the New York Times best-selling co-author of Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead , with former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards,...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Season 1Ep. 749
"Sometimes you need to just shut your brain off and run." At this time last year, Karissa Schweizer was undergoing foot surgery. Then, as she mounted her comeback heading into an Olympic year, she faced another setback: a femoral stress fracture. But as we know, the comeback is always greater than the setback, and Karissa proved that by racing both the 5000m and the 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials on her home turf at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR, making the team in both ...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 748
"I was so afraid of being vulnerable, and afraid of having to look at other people and say what was going on. But when I did…it was the most incredible experience of my entire life." In December 2019, life was good for Kate Greene. She had a good job in Boston, she had just completed her first half marathon, and her New York-based family was planning a trip to visit for the holidays. Her younger brother, Ryan, who had struggled with drug addiction since they were young, was finally doing well. K...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 747
"I am a champion for love. I root for love. I am a delusionally optimistic lover of love stories and romantic comedies and love songs." Welcome to Ask Ali, where I answer all of your questions submitted on Instagram (I'm @aliontherun1 ). This time around, we're covering everything from business and life lately to Summer House , Sex and the City , and Emily in Paris Season 4. (OK, and some running talk mixed in.) SPONSORS: New Balance: Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the seas...
Sep 12, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 746
"I’m an Olympian, and will forever be an Olympian, no matter what I do in years to come. It’s a very fulfilling thing. To be able to achieve it this early — it takes a lot of pressure off for years to come." Two years ago, Juliette Whittaker became one of the fastest high school girls in American history , and only the second girl to break two minutes in the 800 meters. Now, in the summer between her sophomore and junior years at Stanford University, Juliette is an Olympian. (An Olympic finalist...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 745
"I have zero expectations. I'm ranked 60-plus. But I think I have a good shot at being top 10 in the world, and maybe even having a shot at a medal. Those were my own expectations and my own pressure. Good expectations, and good pressure. It started as, 'We made it, we checked the box, we got to the Olympics!' But it quickly transitioned to, ' Oh, let's see what we can do. Let's swing for the fences.' When Clayton Young lined up at the start of the Paris Olympic Marathon, he had thousands of fan...
Aug 29, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 744
"I wanted to change the world just like she had." Kate Gunderson — best known online as "The Plane Kate" — is living a real-life Top Gun ...kind of. (She'll explain!) Kate is a flight test engineer (a literal woman in STEM!), a former NASA engineer, and a nine-time marathoner with a 3:18 personal best. In this conversation, Kate explains what her role entails, what it's like being in flight test school, and how she handles being a woman in a very male-dominated industry (she's the only woman in ...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 743
"It’s like everything you’ve been working for coming true in one moment." Today in 2024 Paris Olympic Games recap episodes: marathoner Dakotah Lindwurm! Dakotah earned her spot on Team USA by finishing third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in February, and now, she finally got to run those 26.2 miles (or 42.1 kilometers, as she learned) through Paris, and can officially call herself an Olympian. Dakotah finished 12th at the Olympic Marathon, and was the top American woman in the race, r...
Aug 22, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 742
"I knew it was going to be incredible. I knew it was going to be such a fun and crazy experience. But it was an experience of a lifetime. There’s no other way to describe it. I just had so much fun. One of my goals was to soak it all in and have fun, and I really did that." Nikki Hiltz returns to the Ali on the Run Show for the tenth time — and this time, officially, as an Olympian. Nikki finished seventh in the 1500m Final at the Paris Olympic Games, and in this episode, they give us the full s...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 741
"Everyone’s doing their dream, you know? There are people who are winning, and that’s their dream. There are people who, just being there, that’s their dream. Hearts are being broken. It feels like you’re on that most emotional day of your period for two weeks." Michelle Wolf is best known for her work as a stand-up comic. (Earlier this year, she wrote Kim Kardashian's bit for Netflix's Tom Brady roast.) But runners know: She's one of us . Michelle is an ultramarathoner and track and field super...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 53 min•Season 1Ep. 740
"I remember watching the New York City Marathon on TV and just saying, 'One day, I want to do that.' I’m watching it, and I’m like, 'They’re superheroes! How do they do that?!'" Sam Ryan is WABC 7's Emmy Award-winning sports anchor and reporter. The New York City-based mom of two spends her days talking baseball, football, and hockey on live TV — but her favorite day on air is when she gets to co-anchor WABC's New York City Marathon coverage. Sam is an 11-time marathoner who has worked at ESPN, ...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 739
"The energy is just so palpable. Even though it’s the crack of dawn, we are all abuzz and going. You have to be able to get it going." The next time you're watching the Today Show and you see the anchors eating or drinking something delicious, that's the work of Katie Stilo. As Today's food stylist and culinary producer, it's Katie's job to prepare segments, write scripts based on guest-submitted recipes, cook those recipes (often from world-renowned chefs), and artfully arrange all the food and...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 738
"I live in constant duality now." We're taking a break from the Trials recaps and Olympics episodes to catch up. Welcome to Ask Ali, where I answer all of your questions submitted on Instagram (where I'm @aliontherun1 ). SPONSOR: goodr: Click here and use code ALI for free shipping on your entire order. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, plea...
Jul 30, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 737
"Of course making the Olympic team would be amazing, but it’s not going to define who I am. It’s not an end-all-be-all for me." When Jess McClain lined up at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials earlier this year, she did so as an under-the-radar, unsponsored, self-coached athlete — and she finished fourth , becoming the official Team USA Alternate in the marathon. Just a few weeks ago, Jess competed in the 10,000m at the U.S. Track & Field Trials, this time as a Brooks Running-sponsored (still ...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 736
"I went there to do a job, and that was to make the team." New Balance Boston's Elle Purrier St. Pierre lined up at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials a total of five times — each time as the fastest-seeded athlete in the field. In this episode, Elle talks about racing the impressive 5000m and 1500m double, and making Team USA in both. She talks about the last-minute decision to race the 5000m, and the decision not to compete in the 5000m at the Olympics. Plus, her musings on motherhood, ge...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 735
"That’s always my goal: to win. And I always think I can. I have the belief." Emily Mackay is a World Indoor Championships bronze medalist . She's a 3:55.90 1500m runner. And she's going to the Olympics! Emily just raced the 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials, where she finished second, ran a huge personal best, and earned her spot on Team USA for this summer's Olympic Games in Paris. In this episode, the New Balance Boston athlete returns to the Ali on the Run Show to talk ab...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 734
"When I crossed the line, I was in so much shock. I kept having to check the board to make sure I was reading it right!" Juliette Whittaker is a college student who just finished third in the Women's 800m race at the Olympic Track and Field Trials, and will be going to Paris later this summer to represent Team USA at the Olympics. A college student . Going to the Olympics. In this conversation, the Stanford University junior (who has an NIL deal with On) returns to the Ali on the Run Show to tal...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 733
"Oh my god, I’m going to the Olympics!" Weini Kelati came into the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials as the American Record Holder in the half marathon, and as the only athlete in the women's 10,000m field with the Olympic Standard. She was the one to watch — and for good reason. In a thrilling finish, the Flagstaff-based Under Armour athlete won the race and earned her spot on Team USA for this summer's Olympic Games in Paris. In this episode, Weini talks about her confidence going into ...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 732
"I don’t need to know I’m going to do it, but I need to be open to the idea that I can do it." Let the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials recaps continue! Today: Kate Grace , who just competed at her fourth Olympic Trials in the 800m. In this episode, Kate breaks down all the details from all three rounds of the 800, including her stressful-for-the-fans strategy for the first round, flying into the scoreboard at the line during the semi-finals, and what it was like being a part of that emo...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 731
"I like to go hard at these events, work myself to the bone, and bring people as much track and field content as they can take." Few people love track and field more than Chris Chavez . In this episode, Chris talks about his experience at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials with Citius Mag . Chris and his team produced three live shows every day of the Trials, conducted countless mixed zone interviews, and acted as a nonstop hype machine for the duration of the event. SPONSOR: New ...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 730
"When I crossed the finish line, it was definitely joy, but I think more than anything, it was relief." Right before the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials, we heard from fan favorite guests Nikki Hiltz and Emma Gee . Nikki and Emma were headed into their events at the Trials with big dreams and goals. Emma wanted to make it to the 3000m Steeplechase final. And Nikki wanted to make Team USA in the 1500m. Today, Nikki and Emma return to the show to talk about how it all played out in Eugene...
Jul 07, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 729
"It was a lot of firsts. I'll be 40 in a couple months, and it's not too often that you get firsts to that degree. It was a really cool experience to feel that." Let the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials recaps begin! First up: Keira D'Amato , who just competed at her first Track Trials and finished 10th in the 10,000m. In this episode, Keira tells all, including where her mind and body were at heading into the race, how it all played out, and the fun people she saw along the way. She tal...
Jul 04, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 728
"You get your medal outfit fitted for you, so when you are ideally on the stage, it looks perfect. And when I had it on and they were taking it in a little bit, I was like, 'I could do this. I could need this outfit.' And I really hope that I do." Dakotah Lindwurm and Annie Frisbie are training partners, teammates, and best friends . And so far, 2024 has been good to Dakotah and Annie on the run. The Puma-sponsored Minnesota Distance Elite athletes are fresh off personal bests in both the 10K (a...
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 727
"It was like, 'What if the worst thing happens and I don’t make the team?' And then it happened, and my life was fine. And then on the other end of it, last year I won the whole thing, which was really unexpected and cool…and my life also didn’t change. So I know that no matter what happens, I have a great life outside of this thing." Nikki Hiltz and Emma Gee return to the Ali on the Run Show as they both prepare to compete at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials in Eugene, OR. Nikk...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 726
"I’m used to having to claw my way to prove myself to the people I need to prove myself to. But now, it’s more of a mentality I have: Keep your head down. There’s nothing glamorous about this sport. For me, it’s all hard work, show up, showcase your fitness, and then go celebrate with the people who really care about you." Amanda Vestri was the talk of the running scene last weekend, after her breakout road race at the New York Mini 10K. She finished fourth overall (Senbere Teferi won the race f...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 725
"I’m trying to appreciate the peaks and the valleys — but there’s a lot of beauty in the hillside, too." Last year, Krissy Gear stormed on the steeplechase scene by taking the win at the 2023 USATF National Championships, earning her first national title and a spot on Team USA for the World Championships in Budapest. Now, Krissy is gearing up for this summer's U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials, and is officially one to watch in the 3000m steeplechase. In this conversation, Krissy talks ab...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 724
