Road to the Trials

Ainsley Pressl: She Didn’t Think She Was Ready to OTQ

Ainsley Pressl showed up to the McKirdy Marathon calling it a “soft attempt.” She wasn’t convinced she was ready to run the OTQ standard. Her plan was simply to get in th

Anne-Marie Blaney: Racing to Win at Twin Cities

Anne-Marie Blaney has built her marathon career one steady step at a time. After finishing 16th at the 2024 Olympic Trials and running 2:29, the Hansons-Brooks athlete is

Mitch Ammons: A 2:14 Breakthrough, Addiction, and Life Without Running

Mitch Ammons joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about his 2:14 breakthrough at CIM that secured his spot at the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials, and the challenging months that

Stephen Jones Is Having Way Too Much Fun Running 2:11

Stephen Jones joins Lindsey and Peter after a breakout 2:11 performance at the Marathon Project secured his Olympic Trials qualifier and opened the door to an opportunity

Paige Wood: Taking the Pressure Off the Clock and Betting on Consistency

Paige Wood joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about the long road back to her best after becoming a mom and what she’s learning as she builds toward her first Olympic Marath

Anna Benedettini: Three Marathon Starts, Two OTQs

Anna Benedettini is already headed back to the Olympic Trials. She ran 2:33:13 for third at Indy Monumental last fall, earning her second OTQ in just her third marathon s

Kodi Kleven on Leading Boston and Breaking 2:25

Kodi Kleven had one of the biggest breakthroughs of the spring, running 2:24:48 at Boston after finding herself at the front of the race early on. She joins Peter to talk

Brooke Wildermuth Went From 4:11 to 2:35

Brooke Wildermuth’s first marathon was a 4:11. She was fresh out of college, working in consulting, traveling Monday through Thursday, and running mostly because she love

Colin Bennie: Two Top-10 Olympic Trials Finishes and More in the Tank

Colin Bennie has already proven he can show up when it matters, finishing ninth at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and tenth in 2024. Now officially qualified for 2

Hillary Bor: From Olympic Steeplechaser to 2:08 Marathoner

Hillary Bor built his career as one of America’s top steeplechasers, becoming a two-time Olympian before making the move to the marathon. Now, after running 2:08 in Rotte

Road to the Trials: The Road Ahead

Hi all! We wanted to pop on with a quick update from the Road to the Trials team, revisit a few of our past episodes, and share a little of what’s ahead. We’re taking a

Sarah Czuprynski Went From a 4:04 Marathon to an OTQ

Sarah Czuprynski will be the first to tell you that the marathon has never come naturally to her. In fact, she’ll also tell you she hates it. Her first marathon took mor

Breanna Sieracki: Baby #3, Another Olympic Trials, and the Belief That Sub-2:30 Is Coming

Breanna Sieracki joins Lindsey and Peter on Road to the Trials after qualifying for her second Olympic Marathon Trials and with baby number three on the way. Breanna’s p

Carrie Ellwood’s Rise From First Grade Teacher to 2:22 Marathoner

Carrie Ellwood is having the kind of year that can change a running career. She finished 10th overall and fourth American at the Boston Marathon in 2:22, signed her first

Patreon preview...

Hey running geeks, we're getting going on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrials Please join us over there for special deep dives, Q&As, and other special con

Murphy Smith Ran 2:08 in Just His Second Marathon

Just one year removed from competing at the NCAA Championships, Murphy Smith has already established himself as one of the brightest young marathoners in the United State

Inside Robert Miranda's Breakthrough 2:09 Marathon

Robert Miranda's marathon breakthrough didn't happen overnight. After narrowly missing his goals in Chicago, withdrawing from the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials, and learni

From Walk-On to Boston PR: Charlie Sweeney's Road to the Trials

Charlie Sweeney joins us after a personal best at the Boston Marathon to talk about the next chapter of his marathon career and why he believes he's just getting started.

How Rachel Schilkowsky Finally Solved the Marathon

Rachel Schilkowsky joins us after earning her spot at the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with a breakthrough 2:35:51 and second-place finish at the Vermont City Marath

Lily Anderson: From Teaching in Brooklyn Classrooms to Brooklyn Track Club & an OTQ

Lily Anderson joins us fresh off another strong marathon that secured her spot at the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Lily shares how she went from teaching in New Yor