Ali on the Run Show25 Jan 2022

471. Sara Vaughn, 2021 CIM Winner & Puma-Sponsored Athlete

"Celebrating victories big or small — that's definitely how I choose to live life now."

The "great time to be a 30-something mom on the run" celebrations continue today on the Ali on the Run Show. Sara Vaughn is a full-time realtor and mom of four who just made — and won — her marathon debut at CIM and, within hours of crossing the finish line, was on the phone about to sign her first professional running contract with Puma. Sara has been competitive on the track for a long time, having great success particularly in the 1500m and the steeplechase. But last year, she got the itch to go long, and decided to give the marathon a try. Now, at 35, she's a fully-sponsored professional runner for the first time. On this episode, Sara talks about what life is like now with her new Puma deal, and explains how that deal came together. She talks about motherhood, identity, and whether always being pegged as a mom-on-the-run has helped or hurt her career. Plus, her spring 2022 racing plans, her decision to prioritize her mental health, and so much more.

SPONSOR: The 2022 Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend — Go to atlantatrackclub.org and use code ONTHERUN to get 10% off your registration for the 5K, half marathon, marathon, or kids' races, taking place February 26–27.

What you'll get on this episode:

On being a mom on the run right now, and Sara's take on being defined as a mom (4:00)
On celebrating the big and little wins, and how Sara does that (13:00)
What a day in the life is like for Sara (15:50)
Reflecting on the fires in the Boulder area, and what things are like there now (18:45)
All about that post-CIM phone call with Puma (21:45)
The pre-marathon questions that Sara asked friend Amy Cragg (26:30)
On signing with Puma! (30:00)
Sara's expectations for her debut marathon, and how the reality compared (39:00)
Sara's approach to training for the 2022 Boston Marathon (48:00)
What's next for Sara? (52:45)

Follow Sara:

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(900)

897. Jay Holder, USATF Chief Content & Communications Officer

"I'm starstruck every time I'm at a track meet and I get to be side by side with some of these incredible athletes. That has not worn off and I don't think it ever will. And I hope it never does." It...

30 Jul 1h 43min

896. Ask Ali!

"I am pro people and I am pro human rights." It's surgery week! I had a prophylactic laparoscopic bilateral salpingo oophorectomy on Monday (I had my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed), and I'm tryi...

23 Jul 1h 43min

895. Molly Seidel's 2026 Western States Recap (With Special Guest Molly Reidy)

"Being able to go into a race where you are a rookie, it opened me up to take chances I wouldn't necessarily take. In the marathon, I felt like I got so scared of failing that I was really hesitant to...

16 Jul 1h 41min

894. Alyssa McElheny, Hyrox World Champion & OTQ Marathoner

"A lot of these things that seem like world-enders at the time can lead to bigger, better, happier things." Alyssa McElheny had a dream: to qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon. When the qualifying...

9 Jul 1h 23min

893. Rachel Entrekin, 2026 Cocodona 250 Champion

"If the winner thinks that everyone's important, then goddamnit I must be right." Rachel Entrekin arrived at the start line of the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon in May having already won the women's race...

2 Jul 1h 22min

892. Emma Coburn & Parker Valby, Training Partners

"We're basically the same person, just 12 years apart." Emma Coburn and Parker Valby are professional runners, Olympians, New Balance athletes — and now, they're training partners. In this conversatio...

25 Jun 1h 11min

891. Laura Thweatt, On Athletics Club Assistant Road Team Coach

"When she said those words to me on that run, I was like, 'It's the same thing, Laura. You're gonna do the same thing that you've done. You were OK after every decision, after every scary thing you di...

23 Jun 1h 27min

890. Lee Glandorf, Creator of The Sweat Lookbook

"I don't think that the run girlies are respected within the sport the way they should be!" As a longtime marketer and creator of The Sweat Lookbook, Lee Glandorf truly has her pulse on industry trend...

18 Jun 1h 10min