Ali on the Run Show

"It's a cool feeling, to feel like you belong somewhere. And I finally feel that way."

At last weekend's TCS New York City Marathon, Jess McClain stormed to a second-place finish, overtaking defending champion Hellen Obiri in the final steps of the race. (A tangent-running queen!) In this conversation, the beloved Brooks-sponsored pro breaks down every part of race weekend, from the omakase, the press conference, and the elite athlete tech meeting, to how she nabbed her first podium finish at a World Marathon Major. Plus, takeaways from the banner day in NYC, the moments she'll remember...

"This is way more stressful than Wicked!"

We returned to Jazz at Lincoln Center for another sold-out live show celebrating New York City Marathon weekend, this time with special guest and Wicked star Jordan Litz! Biggest thanks to New Balance for supporting this show and making it all possible, and thank you so much to everyone in the audience for being the very best. Being serenaded by Fiyero as the sun set over Columbus Circle two days before the marathon? A Friday evening in NYC very well spent!

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"The energy I give the first athletes when they cross is the same as I give the final finishers." —TCS New York City Marathon Race Director Ted Metellus

Every year on the first Sunday of November, athletes take over the five boroughs for one reason: the TCS New York City Marathon. This episode is your unofficial guide to the iconic 26.2-mile race, which this year is expected to see a record-breaking 60,000 runners on the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course. Two jam-packed hours of New York City Marathon-related information. Let's have some fun! (See you at the fini...

"It's less scary if you face it. If you avoid it, it grows. It becomes scarier. Sometimes it's better to just face things head on."

In April 2022, Siobhan Donovan was 33 years old. She was 36 weeks pregnant with her third child when she thought she had a clogged milk duct. It turned out to be stage IV breast cancer that had already spread to her bones. The doctors induced labor, and when Siobhan's son was four days old, she went to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to begin aggressive treatment, starting with 27 grueling rounds of weekly chemotherapy — with a newborn in...

"It was nice to be in Chicago and not feel like my life was imploding."

I'm just about recovered from the 2026 Chicago Marathon weekend, where I was in town as a part of the finish line announcing team and co-host of the Champions Reception. That means it's time to recap it all in exhaustive detail. In this solo episode, I'm covering everything I did, everywhere I went, and everyone I saw, from the parties and events to the 5K, the boat ride, and, of course, race day. 

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"I took a selfie with Deena and Joanie yesterday! That's the coolest moment of my life. I literally think that was the best two seconds I've ever lived. It's never gonna get better than this."

She's a marathoner — and she's the fastest first-time marathoner in American history! This weekend, Emma Grace Hurley made her much-anticipated 26.2-mile debut at the Chicago Marathon, and she knocked it out of the park. Emma Grace ran 2:20:47, the fastest marathon debut for an American woman, and finished seventh overall. In this conversation, recorded the day after the race, she breaks it all do...

"Remember the entire journey, because it's very special."

Welcome to Chicago Marathon week! The 48th running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon takes place this Sunday, October 11, and this episode is jam-packed with information you'll want to hear before you head to the start line. (And yes, you really should plan to get there two hours early.) The elite fields are, as always, stacked, and those athletes will be followed by 55,000 of you en route to 26.2-mile glory. Get ready. Get psyched. And get that Goose Island at the finish!

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"I don't want to just read names and countries the whole time. That gets boring. I like to talk to runners, too. 'If this is your first New York City Marathon, throw your hands in the air!' And then half the hands go up, and you're like, 'Oh my gosh, this is so amazing!' I don't know why after all this time I'm still surprised they're listening to me!"

Even if you don't know her name or her face, you probably know her voice. Karla Bruning is one of the longtime announcers and emcees for...

"I think one of my biggest problems is I finish every race and think, 'I think I can go faster!'"

If you follow the sport, you probably recognize Alana Levy. The New York City-based runner and member of Brooklyn Track Club is seemingly everywhere these days. From local staple races like the New York Mini 10K and the Fifth Avenue Mile (where Alana just won the open division in a personal best 4:38) to major marathons, like the 2025 Chicago Marathon where Alana earned her Olympic Trials Qualifier, running 2:36:53, to this year's Boston Marathon, where she improved her...

"Don't let anyone or anything make you feel like less of a runner."

There's a chill in the air. It's officially fall. And that means it's officially fall marathon season. Whether you're gearing up for your first or your 50th, it's likely that your weekends right now are consumed by long runs, your shopping cart is filled with gels and Body Glide, and you're eagerly awaiting the day your race city's weather is available in the 10-day forecast. (You can keep checking, but trust that it'll keep changing.) In the spirit of the marathon, this is a...

"It's running friendship in true form. We would not otherwise be friends. We're different ages, our kids are different ages, we live completely different lifestyles. She's as organized and type A as it gets, and I could not be further from that. And it works. Running brings people together, and it's so special to have that connection. We make fun of how different we are in the rest of our lives, but in running, we jive."

On the day we recorded this episode, Arielle Chernin dropped her three daughters off at school. She has three girls ages...

"But I'm really grateful. I had so much time to make mistakes, look stupid, look cringe, not know what I'm doing — so that when the opportunity arose, I was ready to go. I knew who I was, and I was ready to hit it."

Cody Rigsby is undoubtedly one of the most popular — and most loved — fitness instructors on the planet. With a big personality, endless sass, and pop-heavy playlists, it's not surprising that Cody's Peloton classes are taken by millions. (From Pink to Prime Ministers, you're likely to see some buzzy names on the leaderboard during any gi...

"Sometimes you've gotta just get a little messy."

"It's such a rewarding job because you're working on things that affect your actual community. Some of the big stories are down the road from my house."

When Tara Rincón was in college, she needed an internship to graduate. She was a communications major, so she decided to apply for an internship at her local news station, News 12 Long Island. Now, more than two decades later, Tara is still very happily at News 12, where she is a senior content producer. In this conversation, Tara — one of my best buds from Quinnipiac University, and a fellow journalism maj...

"Don't let bodily things make you not show up."

Welcome to the fourth episode in a new series on the Ali on the Run Show called "No Stupid Questions." This is where experts come in to answer everything you've always wanted to ask about running. Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught Leer kicked off the series answering questions about professional running (and so much more); Jinger Gottschall, New Balance Director of Sports Research, answered questions about shoes and sports bras; and professional runner and coach Kim Conley offered loads of advice about how to be a better, stronger, fast...

"The days leading up to this race were rough, and the days after have been bright and full of sunshine."

For the first time since 2019, lululemon's SeaWheeze half marathon and festival were so back! I had the honor and privilege of hosting a live show during the PreWheeze pre-race festivities with lululemon pro runner Phily Bowden, and was one of the start and finish line emcees on race day alongside Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby. The best part: I got to bring my daughter, Annie, along for all the fun. This is my recap from a few days...

"Chaos can be a part of the journey."

For the first time since 2019, lululemon's wildly popular SeaWheeze half marathon and festival returned to Vancouver, British Columbia — and I was there! I hosted a live show the day before the race with lululemon professional athlete and fan favorite Phily Bowden, who went on to win the race the next day. We talked about big dreams and goals, dealing with disappointment, and managing the very real post-race blues. 

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"That's part of the loss. It isn't how it was. But that doesn't mean it's not worth doing."

This past weekend, Kara Goucher ran her first half marathon in seven years, and her first since being diagnosed with runner's dystonia in 2022. The former pro, author of The Longest Race, cohost of Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara, broadcaster, analyst, wife, and mom has had a long road to getting back on the run. From being told she'd never run again to breaking the tape at the City Tri Half Marathon alongside longtime friend Carrie Birth-Davis ("CB"), this...

"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's been a few years since Jay Holder has been on the Ali on the Run Show, and today he returns as USA Track & Field's Chief Content & Communications Officer. Jay talks about how he got the job a year ago, what the first year in the role has been like, and what impact he hopes to h...

"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 trying very hard this week to rest and recover. Before going into surgery, though, I answered some listener questions here. This might be the longest, least cohesive Ask Ali ever. Sorry! A lot going on at the moment. Love ya!

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"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 make any moves, try anything big, or go for it. It was like a protective thing. 'I just want to play it safe so I can race as well as possible but not risk anything.' I think with this one, I went into this with nothing to lose. I'm gonna go out and try to race as...

"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 standard dropped from 2:45 to 2:37, she thought it would never happen. But after a quick cry, she decided not to give up on the dream. In November 2025 — after multiple failed attempts — Alyssa got her OTQ, running 2:34:28 at the Indy Monumental Marathon. Two weeks later, she made her Hyrox debut. She thought she would simply dip her toes into the now-trending "hybrid fitness" competition world. But...

"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 twice. But as Rachel says, "You don't start and finish Cocodona as the same person." And this year, Rachel finished the race as a history-maker and record breaker. The women's defending champion became the first woman to win Cocodona outright. She finished the 253.3-mile race from Phoenix to Flagstaff — through the desert and the mountains, climbing more than 39,000 feet along the way — in 56 hours 9 minutes and...

"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 conversation, Emma and Parker talk about how they became friends, and how Parker ended up being coached by Emma's husband (and coach) Joe Bosshard in Boulder, CO. (Joe makes another brief appearance in this episode!) Parker talks about her 14:39 5000m personal best at the USATF Distance Classic this summer, and Emma reflects on this season's return to racing after injury.

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"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 did in your career. It opened up new doors, it opened up new opportunities, I met new people. Some of those people who changed my life completely and it impacted me in ways I would never have imagined. But none of that would have happened if I didn't have the courage to trust myself to make the scary decisions and not...

"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 trends, running fashion, and up-and-coming brands. In this conversation, she talks about what she's seeing at the halfway point in 2026, from the Eras Tour effect on road racing and what everyone's wearing at local half marathons, to where she sees holes, gaps, and opportunities in the industry. She offers thoughtful, critical analysis of running headlines, buzzy brands, and her take on the...

"I'm terrified in a whole new way now."

We got PET scan results — along with a whole lot of unexpected emotions. 

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"If you're writing my obituary, whoever's in charge, please include this! Because I feel very proud of it!"

For this Throwback Thursday episode, we're headed to January 2023 with actress and marathoner Ellie Kemper. It's my all-time favorite episode! In this conversation, Ellie (best known for her role as Erin on The Office) recaps her 26.2-mile debut at the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon. 

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"We put ourselves on the line to help other people accomplish their dreams, and that was pretty freaking awesome."

It's another Throwback Thursday, and this time we're going back to December 2019 for one of my all-time favorite episodes. At the 2019 California International Marathon (CIM), 72 women ran faster than 2 hours 45 minutes, officially qualifying to run the 2020 Olympic Trials in the marathon. Leading several dozen of those women were Menso de Jong, Chris Stehula, and Ken Rakestraw — the official sub-2:45 pace group leaders. None of them had ever run a 2:45 marathon before. This is their story.

(This is suc...

"I trained and I ran it and it changed my life. Something happened out on that course, and I was transformed forever."

It's Throwback Thursday, and we're going all the way back to June 2018 (I was 20 weeks pregnant with Annie!) for the first-ever Ali on the Run Show LIVE. It was a sold-out event at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, with special guests Meb Keflezighi, Andrea Barber, Chris Heuisler, and Des Linden. Enjoy this trip down memory lane!

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"I love winning."

Welcome to the third episode in a new series on the Ali on the Run Show called "No Stupid Questions." This is where experts come in to answer everything you've always wanted to ask about running. We're covering a wide range of topics including personal running and coaching, the business of running, and "no such thing as TMI." Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught Leer kicked off the series answering questions about professional running (and so much more), and then Jinger Gottschall, New Balance Director of Sports Research, answered questions about shoes and sports bras. 

"Life has not been easy. Life, for the better part of the past few years, has been very hard and messy and stressful and exhausting. And I will give myself the tiniest bit of credit for surviving it. And for finding a way to be happy."

The month of May brings up all kinds of stuff for me. A birthday, Mother's Day, all of the school and extracurricular activities for Annie — and the anniversaries. In May 2023, my life was upended when I was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma: breast cancer. Exactly two years later, I was di...

"It was really hard for me to distinguish who was a friend and who was actually going to win the Boston Marathon, and I just hugged them all the exact same."

She's back — and this time, she's a Boston Marathoner! Cousin Jackie — my cousin and bestie, Jacqueline Adair, ran this year's Boston Marathon, and not only did she run a personal best in Boston, she also raised more than $20,000 for cancer research as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. In this episode, recorded the morning after the marathon, Jackie talks about her training, her fundraising, and why...

"It felt so good to be reminded of all the reasons I love to do this."

There's nowhere I'd rather be on the third Monday in April than at the Boston Marathon finish line! This year, I was honored to be asked back to perform a variety of roles in Boston. I hosted a panel at the Expo along with two live shows. I was one of the race announcers at the finish line on Marathon Monday, and I was the finish line reporter for the world feed broadcast. It was a big, busy, fun, rewarding weekend...

"I'm so proud of all of us. I'm so proud of anyone who decides to even run a mile."

Of the 30,000 runners who completed this year's Boston Marathon, only one is a former resident of the White House. Chelsea Clinton — a mom of three, podcast host, activist, author, avid runner, and former First Daughter — is now and forever a Boston Marathoner. In this episode (her second appearance on the Ali on the Run Show!), recorded just 48 hours after the race, she talks about running Boston with her best friend, Jen, and about what it took to run a pe...

"Go out there and send it within reason."

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 Puma and Minnesota Distance Elite's Annie Frisbie and Brooks athlete Amanda Vestri on the Friday before the 2026 Boston Marathon. Annie went on to lead much of the race, ultimately finishing eighth overall and as the second American woman in 2:22:00 (and 81-second personal best). Amanda, in only her second marathon, finished 15th overall and as the eighth American woman in 2:24:49 — a...

"Winning is really fun!"

On Saturday afternoon during Boston Marathon weekend, more than 775 of us took over The TRACK at New Balance for a super fun live show with Off the Rails cohosts Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught Leer. No further intro needed.

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"I have severe FOMO. All I want to do is run this marathon on Monday."

Claire Holt is an actress best known for her work on Pretty Little Liars, H20: Just Add Water, The Vampire Diaries, and Mean Girls 2. She's a mom of three who lives in Miami. And she is a runner and a marathoner. Claire came to Boston to do this live show with us, and to take in all the weekend vibes, and I think it's safe to say she'll be back. Biggest thanks to Shokz for supporting this episode and for making all...

"I went back to Boston, and I found myself again. I found the Ali I knew was in there. The Ali who lives and breathes running. The Ali who had felt so isolated for so long, but who craves community and connection, and knows exactly where to find it."

We're just days away from the 130th Boston Marathon! Last year, I was honored to be asked to be the keynote speaker at the Boston Athletic Association's annual partner summit at the Museum of Science. I used the opportunity to share my Boston Marathon story. My story, as...

"Doubt and belief can coexist. In the book, you see a ton of my doubts and struggles with confidence. But then there's also this untouchable belief that's always there, too. So it's almost like, which voice are you going to listen to?"

It's a big week for professional runner Sara Hall! She turns 43 tomorrow, and then heads east to race the Boston Marathon on Monday. And while most marathoners are recovering on Tuesday, Sara, in true Sara form, will be doing the opposite: It's book launch day! Sara's debut memoir, For the Love of the Grind, comes o...