792. Parker Valby, Professional New Balance Athlete & Olympian (With Special Guest Vernon Norwood)
Release Date: 03/18/2025
804. LIVE at the Boston Marathon Expo with Hellen Obiri, Conner Mantz, and Dakotah Popehn, Presented by Shokz
Ali on the Run Show
"How can I not have success when I have this many people coming and supporting me?" On the Friday before the Boston Marathon, I hosted a panel at the race expo featuring three of Shokz-sponsored athletes: Hellen Obiri, , and . Hellen entered the race at the two-time defending champion, and she went on to finish second in 2:17:41, a significant personal best in a fast, gritty race. Conner, one of the best professional marathoners the United States has ever seen, ran hard and with heart, finishing fourth in 2:05:08, just seconds off the podium. And Dakotah, the smiley, speedy Paris Olympian,...
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803. LIVE at the Boston Marathon Expo with Jess McClain & Emma Bates
Ali on the Run Show
"You ran with some kahunas!" Every year, I host a panel at the Boston Marathon Expo featuring some of the top American women in the professional field. This year, that meant getting to chat with and on the Friday before the 2025 Boston Marathon. Jess went on to become the top American woman in Boston, finishing seventh overall in 2:22:43 (a more than three-second personal best!). Emma was the third American woman to finish, crossing the line in 13th place in a time of 2:25:10. Follow Ali: SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please . Spread the run...
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802. LIVE in Boston at The Track at New Balance with Heather MacLean
Ali on the Run Show
"I'm a Boston girlie through and through." Welcome to The Track at New Balance during Boston Marathon weekend! This was a 725-person party featuring New Balance Boston athlete and Olympian , and it was one for the books. Heather had us all laughing with stories about shopping carts, witch family members, tinned fish Tok, and so much more. Thank you to everyone who joined us — here's to the next one! FOLLOW HEATHER SPONSOR: New Balance: Until April 25, using code ALIRUN20 at checkout! Follow Ali: SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show,...
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801. Jess Sims, Boston Marathoner & Peloton Instructor (Rerun)
Ali on the Run Show
“She said, ‘This is how it was supposed to be. This is how it was supposed to feel.’ And at that moment, I realized the magnitude of what we gave to each other.” Rerun alert! In honor of the in just a few days, we're throwing it back to 2022, when fan favorite and beloved Peloton instructor surprised the world by showing up at the start (and finish!) line of the Boston Marathon. And she had a good reason for keeping her marathon debut on the down-low. In this very special conversation, Jess talks about receiving a fateful message from Boston Marathon bombing survivor — a...
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800. Aisha Praught Leer, on Life After Professional Running
Ali on the Run Show
"There’s a stigma about retiring from pro running, that it’s this huge thing and it’s so hard. And there are parts of it that are challenging. But I’m seriously so great. I’m loving life." Aisha Praught Leer is no stranger to the Ali on the Run Show. She returns today for her fifth appearance — but it's her first in this new phase of life. Last year, Aisha officially retired from professional running. The longtime Puma athlete, two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games champion, and six-time Jamaican record holder is now embracing a career in corporate America, while also...
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799. Caroline Moss Wants to Run a Marathon, Episode 1
Ali on the Run Show
"If we get to the end of my life, and I look back and say the regrets that I have, I know one of them would be, 'You never ran the New York City Marathon.' Not a marathon. I don’t want to run a marathon. I want to run the New York City Marathon." Caroline Moss has a dream: to run the New York City Marathon. As a New Yorker, it's her favorite day of the year. The catch: Caroline isn't a runner. Yet. In this new series, we're following author, creator, and professional shopper as she embarks on a quest to start running, and, sometime in the next few years, run the race of her dreams. ...
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798. Gabi Rooker, Ready to Run the 2025 Boston Marathon
Ali on the Run Show
"I want to go out there and just absolutely smash it out of the park." Next week, the pros and everyday runners alike will descend on Boston, MA, to run the 129th . For most of these runners, getting to run Boston is a longtime goal or dream. One they worked hard at for years. And that's true even for professional runner . In this conversation, the former gymnast turned Nike-sponsored athlete and internal medicine physician assistant (what can't she do?!) talks about the road to her Boston Marathon debut. Gabi will race her first Boston this year, and it's been a journey to get to the start...
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797. Laura Galeazzo, 2:49 Marathoner
Ali on the Run Show
"I set this goal. I made a promise to myself that I wanted this, so I’m going to do it. And no, that’s not always fun. Maybe that means a late treadmill run or whatever it may be. But those little wins against your brain — and the battle to not do something — help you on race day. Because when it gets hard, you’ve already practiced doing it when you don’t want to, or when it hurts, or when the conditions aren’t ideal, or when you’re not comfortable." In 2018, Laura Galeazzo — then Anderson — came on the Ali on the Run Show to talk about getting back on the run after...
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796. Everything You Need to Know About the 2025 Boston Marathon
Ali on the Run Show
"It's gonna be epic!" We are less than three weeks away from the 129th running of the world’s oldest marathon. This year’s Boston Marathon takes place, as always, on the third Monday of April — this year, that’s April 21. In this mega-episode, I (along with a team of experts and insiders) am attempting to answer all of your questions about all things Boston. Katie Hawkes and Lauren Proshan from the Boston Athletic Association are here to talk logistics (take some deep breaths — the journey to the start line is doable, and you won’t be waiting around for too long once you get...
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795. Jinger Gottschall, New Balance Director of Sports Research
Ali on the Run Show
"I am nowhere near close to being an expert, and that’s part of why I wanted this job — a challenge." Imagine you're a real-life woman in STEM. Someone who loves numbers, data, hypotheses, constants, and thoroughly researched experiments with scientifically-backed outcomes. Imagine you're also an athlete. A triathlete, specifically. So, what's the dream job? Triathlete in STEM Jinger Gottschall found it: Director of Sports Research at New Balance. In her role, Jinger oversees a team whose job it is to create, research, test, and design shoes and apparel that maximize...
info_outline"There are so many ways to get to the start line. There is not one way to do it. You just have to find what works best for you."
Parker Valby was a collegiate phenom. At the University of Florida, Parker set multiple collegiate records in the 5000m and the 10,000m. She earned six NCAA and SEC titles, including five NCAA titles in one year alone. She wrapped up her career as a Gator by competing at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials, earning a spot on Team USA, and competing at the Paris Olympics, where she finished 11th in the 10,000m final and was the youngest runner in the top 15.
Now, 22-year-old Parker has officially gone pro. She signed with New Balance and joined Team New Balance Boston, where she trains alongside teammates — and fellow Olympians — including Elle Purrier St. Pierre, Heather MacLean, and Emily Mackay.
This conversation was recorded at The TRACK at New Balance during the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet. Enjoy as NB Olympian Vernon Norwood drops in mid-chat and takes over hosting duties!
FOLLOW PARKER @parkervalby
FOLLOW VERNON @vernon400m
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Does Boston feel like home? (2:40)
- Can Parker still do a split? (4:00)
- On adjusting to life as a professional athlete (6:30)
- Parker’s experience joining Team New Balance Boston (7:30)
- What Parker was like growing up, and how her dad became her agent (10:35)
- Parker’s “going pro” support network (16:45)
- Is it hard to be the best? (18:20)
- What it was like winning the Bowerman Award — and just how much it weighs (23:55)
- What it was like making her pro debut at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix (26:00)
- All about Team New Balance Boston and coach Mark Coogan (31:10)
- Parker’s preferred methods of cross training (39:45)
- What it’s like getting recognized on the run in Boston (48:00)
- Vernon Norwood takes over hosting duties (59:00)
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- New Balance: Click here to shop New Balance's latest releases for the season.
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