836. Everything You Need to Know About the 2025 Chicago Marathon
"Remember the entire journey, because it’s very special." It’s almost time for the 47th running of the Chicago Marathon! The 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 12, 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 followed by tens of thousands of runners en route to 26.2-mile glory. Get ready. Get psyched. And get that Goose Island at the finish! SPONSOR: New Balance: Searching for your dream Race Day Shoe? Check out the New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v5 — my favorite! In this episode: Chicago Marathon executive race director Carey Pinkowski talks about what to expect at this year’s race (2:15) All things pre-race: How to get in for next year's Chicago Marathon, how Chicago is committed to sustainability, and whether or not you can still change your starting corral assignment (21:35) Who to watch in this year's professional fields (32:10) What to know about getting to the start and navigating the athlete village (34:00) Chris "Coach Worm" Wehrman and Robyn LaLonde talk Chicago Marathon course strategy (44:40) All about the finish line experience and tips for spectating (1:12:20) 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, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
25 Syys 1h 18min
835. The Support Squad Series: Round 5 with Cousin Jackie
"I haven’t spent a lot of time breaking down and crying. Every time I’ve started to have a breakdown, I look at myself in the mirror and say, 'Stop, go about your day.' I know at some point I need to let those tears out, but I don’t really have time, so I’m stuffing it all down." I'm fresh off my fifth round of chemotherapy, and am back on the couch recording with friends. This time for chemo (and scan day!), I was again joined by Cousin Jackie, and this is our recap from the day at the infusion center and the few days we spent together. SPONSOR: Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. Oofos: The best in recovery footwear! Check out Oofos's 2025 Project Pink collection, where 10% of every purchase is donated to cancer research. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
16 Syys 1h 24min
834. Josette Andrews, 5000m Runner for Team USA at the 2025 Outdoor World Championships
"Every starting line is a chance for a breakthrough." Josette Andrews is heading to Tokyo! This summer, the On-sponsored athlete went into the 5000m race at U.S. Outdoor National Championships as the top-seeded athlete — and it was the calmest she's ever been in a championship race. In this conversation, Josette talks about racing with a target on her back at USAs, and about making her first outdoor world championship team (she finished third in the 5000m Final at USAs, behind Shelby Houlihan and Elise Cranny). Josette, whose personal best is 14:25 from Rome earlier this summer, will represent Team USA in the women's 5000m race on September 18. Josette and her husband, Olympian Robby Andrews, live in Boulder, CO, where Josette trains with the On Athletics Club. FOLLOW JOSETTE @josettenorris SPONSORS: New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5! Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next headphone purchase. In this episode: Where in the world is Josette Andrews? (2:30) On Josette’s decision to race on the Diamond League circuit between USAs and World Championships (4:30) How pro athletes get experience with tactical races (12:00) What’s making Josette happy today? (14:15) What it’s like being a top seed at U.S. Outdoor National Championships (20:00) Making the team vs. being on the team, and how Josette hurt her foot before USAs (24:30) On being asked about Shelby Houlihan’s return (31:50) Why Josette feels so calm this summer (34:15) Josette’s key takeaways from the 2025 outdoor season (39:00) How Josette ran an 18-second personal best in the 5000m this year, and how she reflects on this “dream season” (46:45) Josette's message to everyone going through a tough time right now (51:00) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
11 Syys 1h 4min
833. Catching Up with Heather MacLean, New Balance Professional Athlete
"I’m entering a new era where I’m prioritizing myself and my happiness, and also looking for more ways to do what the goal is at the end of the day, which is to make myself the best athlete I can be in this small amount of time that I get to do this in my life." Heather MacLean has had a big summer. In this conversation, she talks about the decision to leave Team New Balance Boston and coach Mark Coogan, and to be trained by Juli Benson. Heather spent much of the summer in Flagstaff, AZ, training alongside fellow Juli Benson-coached athletes Nikki Hiltz and Helen Schlachtenhaufen, and she explains the importance of finding like-minded training partners. Plus, Heather shares her reflections on her 2025 outdoor season, including finishing fourth in the 1500m final at U.S. Outdoor National Championships, and capping off the season in Europe with three Diamond League races (including a personal best in the 1500m in Silesia!). (Heather ended up scratching from the Fifth Avenue Mile due to illness.) SPONSOR: New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v5! In this episode: How Heather is feeling about turning 30 (4:55) What’s making Heather happy today? (11:00) Before scratching, how Heather was feeling about running the Fifth Avenue Mile (14:15) All about Heather’s big life changes, including leaving Team New Balance Boston to be coached by Juli Benson (18:15) On training with fellow 1500m runner Nikki Hiltz (29:00) Heather’s takeaways from U.S. Outdoor National Championships, where she finished fourth in the 1500m final (35:05) Heather’s reflections on the rest of her outdoor racing season, racing the Diamond League circuit in Silesia, Brussels, and Zurich (39:25) Heather's take on The State of Race Bibs (53:55) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
9 Syys 58min
832. Olivia Enright, Creator of the "12 Olivias" Hood to Coast Team
"I am shocked at the amount of Olivias that responded to a random message on Instagram." Olivia Enright is so fun. She's a sports marketing manager of global running for adidas, she ran at NC State (her BFF is pro runner Erika Kemp!), she's currently training for the Chicago Marathon, and she's a former competitive jump roper. (Olivia's sister and fellow former competitive jump roper, Cara, has been on the Ali on the Run Show before!) But most relevant to this conversation: Olivia is the brains behind the 12 Olivias Hood to Coast relay team. In this episode, she talks about how she came up with the idea to put together a group of same-named strangers to run nearly 200 miles across Oregon, and how she has actually brought this to life over the past four years. FOLLOW OLIVIA @olivenright SPONSORS: goodr: Click here and use code ALI for $5 off your next order. Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. In this episode: All about Olivia, former competitive jump roper (2:30) Olivia talks about training for this year’s Chicago Marathon (7:50) When, how, and why Olivia became a runner (10:00) How Olivia got her job at adidas, and what her job entails (15:40) Why Olivia is running the Chicago Marathon (31:45) All about the 12 Olivias Hood to Coast team (33:00) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
4 Syys 1h 9min
831. Catching Up with Janae Baron, "Hungry Runner Girl"
"The sun always comes up. No matter what, no matter how dark it was, no matter how grim everything seemed, no matter how alone I felt… The sun is always my beacon of hope." Janae Baron is one of the OG running bloggers, and she's still going strong. In this conversation, we're catching up with the Utah-based "Hungry Runner Girl," covering everything from her newfound love for trail running and racing (this summer, she ran and won El Vaquero Loco 31K!) to regrets and reflections on the blogging days of the early aughts. FOLLOW JANAE @hungryrunnergirl SPONSOR: New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5! Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
2 Syys 1h 9min
830. Emily Venters, Training for her 26.2-Mile Debut at the 2025 Chicago Marathon
"Everything I'm doing is new. It feels like I'm going into the unknown, which is scary." Emily Venters is officially one to watch on the U.S. women's distance running scene. The Nike-sponsored pro trains with Ed Eyestone's group in Utah, and this fall, she'll make her 26.2-mile debut at the Chicago Marathon. In this conversation, the five-time NCAA All-American talks about the road to the marathon, which hasn't always been easy. She talks about struggling in college, and debating leaving the sport altogether. She talks about dealing with injuries and disordered eating, and about having OCD. Plus, what it's like training alongside Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, and Keira D'Amato; how it's felt hitting 100-mile weeks; and whether Emily is has her sights set on taking down Fiona O'Keeffe's American debut record in the marathon. This Monday, Emily will race the USATF 20K Championships in New Haven. FOLLOW EMILY @ventersemily SPONSOR: New Balance: Click here to get your hands on the just-released Rebel v5! In this episode: All about Emily’s run today, and how she’s feeling heading into USATF 20K Championships this weekend (3:40) How Emily is feeling about her first marathon build (5:45) Why the marathon, why now, and why Chicago? (12:55) Emily’s recap from the 2025 U.S. Track & Field Outdoor National Championships 5K (22:15) What Emily was like as a kid, and how she became a runner (25:00) From Boise State to CU Boulder to the University of Utah: inside Emily's injury-riddled collegiate running experience, and what helped her finish her collegiate career on a high, healthy note (32:00) Emily's experience with OCD, and how it shows up on the run (41:25) How Emily became a professional athlete (48:25) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
28 Elo 1h
829. The Support Squad Series: Round 4 with Emily Halnon
I'm fresh off my fourth round of chemotherapy, and am back on the couch recording with friends. This time for chemo, I was joined by my OG running blog friend Emily Halnon, and this is our recap from the day at the infusion center and the few days we spent together. SPONSOR: Lagoon: Click here to take Lagoon’s 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you. (I'm an Otter!) Use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order. Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
21 Elo 1h 36min
