786. Sinclaire Johnson, Professional Middle-Distance Runner

"I needed to have the year I had to really give me the push to make the changes I made."

In 2022, Sinclaire Johnson cemented her spot as a middle-distance rising star when she broke the women's 1500m tape at the U.S. National Championships. Since then, the Nike-sponsored athlete has made a lot of changes on the run. She transitioned from Jerry Schumacher's Bowerman Track Club to Union Athletics Club, where she was coached by Pete Julian. Last year — a year when she finished fourth in the 1500m at the Olympic Track & Field Trials — Sinclaire knew it was time to change it up again, this time opting to forgo a team environment and be coached by her fiancé, Craig Nowak. Now, with a fresh 3:56 1500m PR from the 2024 Trials, Sinclaire is in the middle of her indoor season. She ran a personal best in the mile (4:23.58) at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, where she finished third, and then finished sixth in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York City. This weekend, Sinclaire will race at U.S. Indoor Nationals.

FOLLOW SINCLAIRE @sinclairejohnson

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In this episode:

• Where in the world is Sinclaire Johnson? (2:10)
• How Sinclaire and her Nike-sponsored friends have navigated change over the past few years — and what it's meant for their relationships (6:00)
• Sinclaire reflects on her third-place finish and personal best at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix (8:00)
• How Sinclaire was feeling heading into the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York City (12:35)
• Sinclaire looks back on her pro racing debut (15:20)
• How Sinclaire processed last year's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials, where she finished fourth in the 1500m (20:40)
• How Sinclaire has navigated some big recent changes, including a team change and a coaching change (27:45)
• What Sinclaire's training looks like right now (42:00)
• How Craig proposed to Sinclaire (47:30)
• What's on Sinclaire's 2025 racing calendar — including a distance debut later this year (53:20)
• Sinclaire's advice for anyone feeling stuck right now (59:20)

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