Ali on the Run Show10 Jun 2020

247. Mary Kate Shea, John Hancock Senior Director of Endurance Marketing & 23-Time Boston Marathon Finisher

"There is nothing we will not do for this team."

Mary Kate Shea — or "MK," as she's known to the fastest marathoners in the world — is the senior director of endurance marketing for John Hancock, the title sponsor of the Boston Marathon. Every year, it's Mary Kate's job to woo, recruit, and get the best distance runners to come run the historic Boston Marathon. On this episode — which we recorded at the beginning of May, before the 2020 race had been officially canceled — Mary Kate talks about how, exactly, she puts together the 50-person pro field every year. She talks about the first thing she said to Desiree Linden after Des won the 2018 race, explains what she says is the most stressful part of her job and her entire year, and shares lots of stories about everyone's favorite elites. But don't think Mary Kate is just watching this race from the media center: She says the fastest way from Hopkinton back to Boston is by foot, which is why, after she checks the elites in and gets them on their way, she joins the second wave of runners and runs the marathon herself. MK is a 23-time Boston Marathon finisher, she's run ultramarathons including 100-milers, and she's a mom of four. Superwoman, indeed.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for 15% off all wireless headphones.

What you'll get on this episode:

What Marathon Monday is like every year for Mary Kate (8:00)
MK's "Day in the Life" on Marathon Monday (15:40)
What makes Marathon Monday a success? (31:10)
How the recruiting process works (37:00)
Which runners are on MK's "Boston wish list?" (44:40)
What it means to be a "technical expert" at major marathons (49:55)
How MK got her job (51:40)

Follow Mary Kate:

Twitter @jhboston26

Follow Ali:

Listen & Subscribe:

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!

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(911)

908. Karla Bruning, New York City Marathon Finish Line Announcer

"I don't want to just read names and countries the whole time. That gets boring. I like to talk to runners, too. 'If this is your first New York City Marathon, throw your hands in the air!' And then h...

1 Okt 1h 19min

907. Alana Levy, 2:34 Marathoner

"I think one of my biggest problems is I finish every race and think, 'I think I can go faster!'" If you follow the sport, you probably recognize Alana Levy. The New York City-based runner and member ...

29 Sep 1h 27min

906. Marathon Talk, Best Running Friends Edition

"Don't let anyone or anything make you feel like less of a runner." There's a chill in the air. It's officially fall. And that means it's officially fall marathon season. Whether you're gearing up for...

24 Sep 1h 20min

905. Arielle Chernin, Brookline Food Pantry Operations Manager & 3:02 Marathoner

"It's running friendship in true form. We would not otherwise be friends. We're different ages, our kids are different ages, we live completely different lifestyles. She's as organized and type A as i...

22 Sep 1h 9min

904. Cody Rigsby, Peloton Instructor

"But I'm really grateful. I had so much time to make mistakes, look stupid, look cringe, not know what I'm doing — so that when the opportunity arose, I was ready to go. I knew who I was, and I was re...

17 Sep 1h 13min

903. Caroline Moss Wants to Run a Marathon (?), Episode 4

"Sometimes you've gotta just get a little messy." Caroline Moss has long had a dream: to run the New York City Marathon. As a New Yorker, it's her favorite day of the year. The catch: Caroline has nev...

3 Sep 1h 36min

902. Tara Rincón, News 12 Long Island Senior Content Producer

"It's such a rewarding job because you're working on things that affect your actual community. Some of the big stories are down the road from my house." When Tara Rincón was in college, she needed an ...

27 Aug 1h 19min

901. No Stupid Questions: The TMI Episode, with Ashley Desanno

"Don't let bodily things make you not show up." Welcome to the fourth episode in a new series on the Ali on the Run Show called "No Stupid Questions." This is where experts come in to answer everythin...

20 Aug 1h 5min