779. Erika Kemp, 2:22 Marathoner
Ali on the Run Show
"Kurt’s seen it and my teammates have seen it. I’ve gotten better every single week for two years straight. So the world is seeing this massive jump, but for me, it’s over 100 weeks of improvement. That’s super steady. At some point it was going to be reflected in one big performance. It didn’t happen overnight." In March 2023, Erika Kemp was gearing up to make her marathon debut. The six-time collegiate All-American and multiple-time USATF national champion was on a racing hot streak, having earned titles from the 5K up to the 20K. She had just signed with Brooks Running, and was...
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778. Allie Ostrander, Professional Runner for Oiselle
Ali on the Run Show
"It was horrible and wonderful at the same time." Ali and Allie on the run! Professional track, trail, and road runner Allie Ostrander returns to the Ali on the Run Show today to talk about signing with Oiselle, and about her goals for her 2025 racing season. Allie will be making her half marathon debut at the Mesa Half Marathon in just a few weeks, and in this episode she talks about why she's intrigued by the distance, and what she hopes to accomplish in 13.1 miles. Plus, her reflections on her first injury-free year since 2019, what it's like being a full-time runner and content...
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777. Nell Rojas, on Life Lately
Ali on the Run Show
"Take away the paces. Take away the expectations. And approach every single interval or every single mile like you’re listening to your body and understanding that this isn’t an exterior thing you’re doing for someone or to achieve something. It’s you inside, and that’s all that matters." It's been a hard year and a half for Nell Rojas. The Nike-sponsored professional athlete had a speedy ascent in the world of marathoning. She won the 2019 Grandma's Marathon, and was the top American woman at the 2021 and 2022 Boston Marathons. In this conversation, Nell explains what's been going...
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776. The 2025 State of the Ali on the Run Show
Ali on the Run Show
"There will be more sunshine. You just keep going. It’s not always going to suck. I promise." It's tradition: Happy New Year, and welcome to the annual State of the Ali on the Run Show episode! In this solo episode, I'm recapping 2024 — the personal highs and lows, the professional highs and lows, and the beauty and chaos in between all of it. Last year, the Ali on the Run Show surpassed 23 million downloads. There were 92 episodes of the show with 63 guests (40 first-timers, and 33 recurring and returning guests), plus 14 solo episodes. (The guest with the most podcast...
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775. A Holiday Message from Ali
Ali on the Run Show
I love you. I appreciate you. In this short solo episode, I'm wishing you the happiest holidays and reflecting a bit. I'm delighted to report that I'm heading into 2025 with a renewed sense of self, and a lot of joy, happiness, and peace. I wish the same for you. And if you're not there right now, that's OK. The sun will come out tomorrow, next week, next month, next year — whenever you're ready for it. You've got this. (You're doing great!) SPONSOR: UCAN: to get a FREE UCAN Edge sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), including the new Mocha + Caffeine gel...
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774. Lee Glandorf, Sports Marketer & Creator of The Sweat Lookbook
Ali on the Run Show
"I mean, it's Taylor Swift Girlhood 101." Lee Glandorf is a lifelong athlete. The former Yale University rower turned marathoner has also had a lifelong passion for fashion. So it makes perfect sense that Lee's latest endeavor is the launch of , a weekly newsletter that covers the intersection of sports and style. In this conversation, Lee shares her 2024 hits and misses, from BFF-inspired twinning sets at road races to surprising collaborations between big brands. Plus, she talks about how running — and fashion — have factored into her life during her recent pregnancy and now, with a...
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773. Emily Saul, Sports Psychology Coach, on End-of-Year Anxiety & New Year Goal Setting
Ali on the Run Show
"If we can move from a place of fear to a place of curiosity — from a place of resisitance to a place of learning — we’ll get a lot farther. We’ll enjoy the process a lot more if we can be in the space of learning and curiosity rather than fear and resistance." Fan favorite Emily Saul returns to the Ali on the Run Show to hold all of our hands as we navigate end-of-year stress and navigate new-year anxieties. Emily is a licensed mental health counselor, sport psychology coach, and founder of . She’s a former Division-1 collegiate rower, she’s a lifelong athlete, she’s...
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772. Emily Palmer, Investigative Crime Reporter & Marathoner
Ali on the Run Show
"I couldn’t be just an observer or a reader. I had to be this person that could see everything and find the story." Emily Palmer's work is intense. As an investigative crime reporter who has worked for the New York Times and People Magazine, and whose work has appeared in the Boston Globe, ProPublica, Cosmopolitan, and Elle, Emily has spent a great deal of time at crime scenes, in courtrooms, and even in Mexico with members of El Chapo's cartel. In this conversation, Emily talks about how and why she has pursued a life of crime — covering crime, that is. She...
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771. Sara Hall's 2024 in Review
Ali on the Run Show
"I felt really relieved and happy and proud, and just so thankful that I took a chance on myself and chose to keep believing in myself." Sara Hall just ran her fourth — and fastest — marathon of 2024. At the Valencia Marathon, Sara ran 2:23:45, smashing her own American Masters Marathon Record by three minutes, and finishing tenth overall. From the Marathon Trials to Boston to Chicago to Valencia, today Sara returns to the Ali on the Run Show for a year-end reflective. Plus, what Sara's excited about in 2025. SPONSORS: Sidekick: to get 15% off any recovery tool....
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770. Meghann Featherstun's 2024 in Review
Ali on the Run Show
"We all have fears in life. We all have things that hold us back from doing some really cool stuff. But I kept reminding myself, 'Meghann, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. You can hear those fears, but you’re going to push them aside and you’re going to figure this out.'" Fan favorite sports dietitian Meghann Featherstun returns to the Ali on the Run Show today for her 2024 in review, including the highs (London!), the lows (none come to mind!), the group runs (O-H-I-O!), and the completion of her Abbott Six-Star journey. FOLLOW MEGHANN SPONSOR: New...
info_outline"Kurt’s seen it and my teammates have seen it. I’ve gotten better every single week for two years straight. So the world is seeing this massive jump, but for me, it’s over 100 weeks of improvement. That’s super steady. At some point it was going to be reflected in one big performance. It didn’t happen overnight."
In March 2023, Erika Kemp was gearing up to make her marathon debut. The six-time collegiate All-American and multiple-time USATF national champion was on a racing hot streak, having earned titles from the 5K up to the 20K. She had just signed with Brooks Running, and was being coached by Kurt Benninger. But, Erika insisted, she hadn't had her big, breakout, career-defining performance yet.
That changed this past weekend at the Houston Marathon. Erika finished second in 2:22:56 — and 11-minute personal best, and comfortably under the world standard. She remains the fastest American-born Black woman in the marathon. In this conversation, Erika talks about her breakout day in Houston, and about what it took to make such a massive improvement in the marathon. Plus, the advice and affirmation Erika got from Des Linden before the race, her snapshot moment from the day, and how she learned to embrace the "marathoner" title.
FOLLOW ERIKA @imtinyrik
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- Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase.
In this episode:
- How Erika is feeling after Houston (1:50)
- “Erika Kemp, Marathoner” (4:30)
- Erika’s snapshot moment from the 2025 Houston Marathon (5:10)
- Erika’s time goals for Houston (8:00)
- How Erika has learned to trust herself on race day, and the advice she got from Des Linden before Houston (10:50)
- How Erika recovered physically and mentally after a DNF at the Olympic Marathon Trials last year (15:10)
- Why Houston? (17:10)
- Erika’s takeaways from her Houston training (18:00)
- How Erika knew Houston was going to be her day (30:15)
- Why Erika ran the race with her friend, Jonas Hampton (34:50)
- What Erika eats the night before a marathon, and what her morning routine is like (38:00)
- What Erika was hoping to get out of Houston (43:00)
- What it felt like standing on the start line (45:40)
- Erika recaps her Houston Marathon experience (46:45)
- How Erika celebrated (57:30)
- A look at Erika’s 2025 racing calendar (1:01:45)
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