Women's Running Stories
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Jen Kanyugi is running her 20th consecutive Boston Marathon this year. Her journey to get to this point is about this one event, and so much more. In this time, Jen went from not running more than 20 minutes on the treadmill to being a steady presence at this, one of the most recognized and celebrated running events in the world. In that time she became a mom, three times (she ran two of her Boston Marathons while pregnant). She learned the joy of completing those 26.2 miles, and that it's so special she continues to want to do it, again and again, every year. She's learned the power of support, finding groups to train with and create community with, like Girls on the Run and Black Girls Run. Jen has also learned the tragedy of trauma, having run Boston 2014, the year of the bombing. And she understands what it means to come back and reclaim spaces that were threatened. And she's learned the power of giving and volunteering: for years Jen has raised money for charities she is passionate about, and she regularly volunteers for the running groups she is a part of. Jen Kanyugi shares all of this in this episode of celebration. In honor of her 20th consecutive Boston Marathon and all that she does for the running community, Jen has also been chosen to be a member of Team Bevans. Team Bevans comprises exceptional Black women marathoners running the Boston Marathon. They run in honor of Marilyn Bevans, the first American born Black woman to run the marathon in under 3 hours. This is just one of many accolades Bevans earned as one of the best marathoners of her day. Kanyugi and the other women on the team embody the spirit of Black woman excellence in marathon running sparked by Bevans, and help solidify her incredible legacy. Keep Up with Jen Kanyugi Facebook: facebook.com/patandjen Jen Kanyugi's Camp Shriver donation page Mentioned in This Episode Black Unicorn Marathoners: blackunicornmarathoners.org Team Bevans: facebook.com/blackunicornmarathoners Black Girls Run: blackgirlsrun.com Girls on the Run: girlsontherun.org Roads to Boston series: womensrunningstories.com/home-2/roads-to-boston-9-runners-1-finish-line Boston Marathon Expo Live Stage event, Sun., April 14, 2pm: "Making a Statement: Breaking Barriers in Women's Running" featuring Briana Boehmer, Kelly Bruno, Alisa Harvey; moderated by Cherie Turner, Julie Sapper, Lisa Levin; presentation of Team Bevans takes place immediately following this conversation Oiselle, the apparel brand rooted in running; made by women, for women: oiselle.com Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of Playtoh SergePavkinMusic, via Pixabay artmucis.janevo, via Pixabay Coma-Media, via Pixabay Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/444164966663627 Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, part 4 of this series, Cherie tells the story of her return to formal training and workouts after recovering from an injury. And, back at it, Cherie returned to racing and experienced a frustrating bought of race anxiety. This set Cherie down a path to tackle this difficult barrier and think deeply about what this goal means to her and the importance of believing in abilities. Cherie discusses the strategies she been practicing to overcome race anxiety and big wins she's experienced by putting these strategies in place. She also identifies her next big challenge in this process: pacing well in racing. This goal, Cherie sees, is like putting together a puzzle, and piece by piece, it's coming together. And, Cherie is grateful for the support she's getting all along the way, especially from her coach, Verity Breen, and her husband. In June of 2023, Women's Running Stories host and producer Cherie Turner closed the chapter on running longer distance races (at least for now), like marathons and ultras, and turned her attention to the 5k. Her goal: break 20 minutes in the 5km. Cherie is currently 54 years old and she has never dipped under 20 minutes at this distance. The closest she's ever gotten was back over a decade ago, when she ran 20:19. This update spans January to March 2024. Part 1 of this series concluded with Cherie setting a baseline time of 21:10 on August 30. Part 2 ended with Cherie learning more about how to train well and some of the lessons she's continuing to work on. In part 3, Cherie discusses how she experienced a non-running injury that took her out of structured training and workouts for 8 weeks but ended up being a healthy reset. Please click the links below to hear those episodes (they're not prerequisites to this episode, but they do provide details and context). The release of this this episode also marks the 4 year anniversary of the podcast! In conjunction with this milestone, Cherie is launching a new Instagram account focused on this 5k project. There, you can find more details and more frequent updates about this journey, in between podcast updates, which come out every few months. Please follow! @over50sub20_5k_project. Come along for the journey. Mentioned in this episode NEW! The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project Instagram account: @over50sub20_5k_project Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 1, Setting the Baseline: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-the-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-1-setting-the-baseline Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 2, Learning to Train Well: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-the-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-2-learning-to-train-well Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 3, The Reset: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-3-the-reset Self Care Simplified interview with Dr. Caroline Leaf: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PbGZ4OVqbREbSNC7atvVt?si=9Q8mtfEKQl2ZwlhNQ5U-kg Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Facebook: facebook.com/WomensRunningStories Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/444164966663627 Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Liz Rock is a marathoner and community leader, focusing on women and diversity: "We [women] are so powerful and I wish we knew that more," she says. "We are powerful and we need to lead with that more often than not." Rock tells her running story with a focus on training for the 2024 Boston Marathon, and her journey is about so much more than putting in the miles. Rock's reasons for running Boston this year, her second Boston Marathon, are deeply embedded in her work as a community leader and her personal health and wellness journey. This will be Rock's fifth marathon, and her motivations and approach are different this time than for marathons in the past. This year, Rock is running for community, and specifically for the Mile 21 Cheer Zone, which is organized by the TrailblazHers and the Pioneers Run Crew. As on one the co-founders of TrailblazHers, Rock has helped organize this long-standing cheer zone and she's cheered thousands of other runners on from this spot. This year, she'll be on the receiving end. This is particularly meaningful in light of what went down last year, 2023: the police were called and subsequently surround this cheer zone, front and back, because of the way that they were cheering. The Mile 21 Cheer Zone is the largest gathering of race supporters who are Black and people of color along the race course; their cheer zone is on the predominantly white, affluent town of Newton. This unnecessarily aggressive response from the Newton police caused distrust and trauma in the BIPOC running community that continues to reverberate. Rock was there cheering, and she's returning as a runner to celebrate this cheer zone and take back this narrative and the joy that was threatened last year. Preparation for this year's Boston also has personal significance in Rock's health and wellness journey. She's hired a running coach and a nutritionist for the first time, to help guide her through marathon training, and beyond. Rock gets into all of this in her powerful, inspirational story. Liz Rock is the co-founder of the Boston-based TrailblazHers Run Crew—which is created by and specifically focuses on serving the BIPOC community; she is also the co-founder of the empowering and beloved annual women's running event the Bra Run. And she is a member of the Boston Running Collaborative (BRA), an organization within the Boston Athletic Association (BAA, the organization puts on the Boston Marathon) that works to diversify the running community. And, Rock is a marketing manager for Puma. Keep Up with Liz Rock Instagram: @lizzy_rockz Mentioned in This Episode TrailblazHers website: trailblazhersrunco.com TrailblazHers Instagram: @trailblazhersrunco Abeo Powder coaching: @holisticwithhotfoot Runner's World article "My Run Club Was Profiled for 'Cheering While Black'—Here's Why It Only Reaffirms Our Mission," as told to Emilia Benton by Sidney Baptista: runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a43878096/my-run-club-was-profiled-for-cheering Boston Running Collaborative (BRC): baa.org/get-involved/boston-running-collaborative Oiselle, the apparel brand rooted in running; made by women, for women: oiselle.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Minnesota Distance Elite Team member and Puma professional marathoner and long-distance road racer Annie Frisbie shares how it all went down at the 2024 15k National Championships, which took place March 2, 2024, in Jacksonville, FL, at the Gate River Run. Frisbie had a great race at the 15k, for some interesting and special reasons. And she gets into it. And, this episode is a bit of a twofer because what happened at the 15k champs was directly influenced by the previous race on Frisbie's calendar, the 2024 US Olympic Trials Marathon. So, she covers that race as well. The marathon trials was, to put it mildly, Frisbie's A race. It was the one chance that comes every four years to make an Olympic team. For Frisbie, it did not turn out to be the day she dreamed of. She finished a terrific 10th place in a hugely competitive field, but the goal had been top 3, because the first three women to cross the finish line were automatic selections for the team heading to Paris. Frisbie tells the whole story in this episode: the build-up to the marathon, how it went down that day, her processing the deep disappointment of not making the Olympic team, and her return to racing. Frisbie's first post-trials race was indeed the 15k, and she shares what happened there and why it was a great return to racing. Annie Frisbie is a top American distance racer. Her thoughtful insights into competition, including the mental and emotional side of racing, make this an inspirational inside look into life as a professional runner. Just like last year, you can expect a Race Report episode for each race of the USATF Road Circuit series of races. Each episode features one top 10 runner telling the story of how the race went down, from her perspective. And because a race is never just about what happens on race day, you will get to know a little bit more about each one of the runners featured and how this race figures into their larger running story. The USATF 15k National Championships is a part of the USATF Running Circuit championship series of races. These are races that happen throughout the United States all year long and each race serves as a national championship for the distance or the type of race that is being run. Also, at each one of these races, in addition to vying for a national title, runners earn cash prizes and they earn points. The points go toward the series overall, which is determined at the end of the year. The next race on the circuit is the 10-Mile National Championships taking place in Washington, D.C., on April 7. A WRS Race Report will publish shortly thereafter. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss it! Keep Up with Annie Frisbie Instagram: @anniefrisb3 Photo Credit Clay Shaw, Runner's Gazette: @clay50sub4, runnersgazette.com Also, thank you to Karen Mitchell: @kmitchpa Mentioned in this episode Race Report: Emily Durgin + 2024 US Olympic Trials Marathon: https://womensrunningstories.com/race-report-emily-durgin-2024-usatf-olympic-trials-marathon Race Report: Katie Camarena + 2024 USATF Cross-Country National Championships: https://womensrunningstories.com/race-report-katie-camarena-2024-usatf-cross-country-national-championships Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Professional middle distance track racer Rebecca Mehra shares her professional running story. It's been marked by great success, two years of disappointing hurdles, to now: coming into 2024 healthy and ready, with a new perspective, new coach, and new set of training partners. Rebecca Mehra is a professional middle distance track racer, sponsored by Oiselle. She specializes in the 800 and 1500 meter. For her collegiate career, Mehra raced for the legendary running powerhouse Stanford. A year after graduation, in 2018, she became a member of Oiselle's Littlewing Athletics Elite Team, coached by former professional runner, now award-winning author Lauren Fleshman. As a new pro, Mehra's star was on the rise. She was setting PRs, going head to head in top competitions, and winning races. She was racing at top invitational meets throughout the US, and in Europe. Until 2021. Over the past few years, Mehra has experienced a series of frustrating events. Sickness and injury have set her racing plans back, time after time. There was more than one occasion when Mehra considered her career as a professional racer over. Coming into 2024, however, things began to shift. Mehra has been healthy, and she's found a new team to train with and she has a new coach. She's also bringing her years of experience and wisdom, and a refreshed commitment to her professional racing career. It's an Olympic year, and Mehra is ready to get in the mix. Ways to Keep Up with Rebecca Mehra Instagram: @rebecca_mehra Mentioned in this Episode Oiselle: https://www.oiselle.com Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World, by Lauren Fleshman: https://www.laurenfleshman.com “Lauren Fleshman's Feminist Approach to Coaching,” by Michelle Hamilton, New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/sports/lauren-fleshmans-feminist-approach-to-coaching.html Both/And, by Huma Abedine: https://www.huma-abedin.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list
Kelly Bruno has been an athlete since she was a child. Because of a birth defect on her right leg, she went through a below-the-knee amputation, and competes with a prosthetic. Competitive sports has played a fundamental role in her life and her development, and throughout, Bruno has been a role model in the para-athlete world, pushing the limits of what's possible. She's here to tell the story. Throughout her long athletic career, Bruno has excelled in distances from 100 meters to 100 miles, and she competed for years in the sport of triathlon. In her teen years she set world records as a sprinter, has competed in world championships as a triathlete, including the Hawaii Ironman, and this year, she'll race as part of the professional para-athlete field at the Boston Marathon, after running a half-marathon PR of 1:31 in 2023. Very importantly, that half-marathon PR and Bruno's excitement about running Boston have come after a needed hiatus from competitive sports. In the process of going through COVID as well as some major life changes and traumas, Bruno began to rethink her relationship to running over the last several years and stepped away from competition. She returned to structured training and racing last year, 2023, with a fresh, more balanced approach to where the sport fits into her life. In this episode, Bruno tells the whole story. Of the her first memories of being an athlete and what that meant, through her sprinting and triathlon years; her move into ultra trail running and then stepping away from the sport, to now, as she looks forward to racing the Boston Marathon. Keep Up with Kelly Bruno Instagram: @kellybrunomd Mentioned in This Episode Ari Hendrix: Journey to the Olympic Trials Marathon, A Quest to Top The List: https://womensrunningstories.com/ari-hendrix-journey-to-the-olympic-marathon-trials-a-quest-to-top-the-list Briana Boehmer: A Difficult Decision and the Power of Support: https://womensrunningstories.com/briana-boehmer-a-difficult-decision-and-the-power-of-support Black Unicorn Marathoners: blackunicornmarathoners.org Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Adidas professional runner Emily Durgin shares how it all went down at the 2024 USATF Olympic Trials Marathon, which took place February 3, 2024, in Orlando, FL. On the line at this race, in addition to a national championship title, cash awards and series points, racers were vying for a spot on Team USA going to the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was the most anticipated US marathon of the last four years, and the competition was deeper and faster than ever. Marathon racing in the US is on fire, and this event was a terrific demonstration of just that. There were many racers lining up who had a legitimate shot at making the Olympic team, and Emily Durgin was one of them. The goal was simple: finish in the top 3 because those runners are automatic selections for the team; 4th place is the alternate. While Durgin is relatively new to the marathon, she's already had some stellar performances: in the one and only marathon she'd completed before the trials, the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, she'd clocked a 2:26, which ranked her 16th going into the trials (to note: she had lined up to debut at the 2022 NYC Marathon, but the day did not go her way and she did not finish). Durgin also has a blazing half-marathon PR of 1:07. And, she has a lot of experience with championship racing. Durgin's raced against the US's top competition and put herself on the podium several times. And coming into race day, she was ready: mentally, emotionally, and physically. In fact, an area where Durgin shines is in being able to arrive to the line with rock solid belief herself, which she goes into in this story. Because self-belief, unshakable confidence, it isn't something that just happens. It's the result of years of work. And of course, Durgin shares all the exciting details about the marathon itself, including her final moments before the finish line, which were not at all what she expected. Durgin is a consummate professional and it's cool to hear from an athlete who is so on her game. Just like last year, you can expect a Race Report episode for each race of the USATF Road Circuit series of races. Each episode features one top 10 runner telling the story of how the race went down, from her perspective. And because a race is never just about what happens on race day, you will get to know a little bit more about each one of the runners featured and how this race figures into their larger running story. The USATF Olympic Trials Marathon is a part of the USATF Running Circuit championship series of races. These are races that happen throughout the United States all year long and each race serves as a national championship for the distance or the type of race that is being run. Also, at each one of these races, in addition to vying for a national title, runners earn cash prizes and they earn points. The points go toward the series overall, which is determined at the end of the year. The next race on the circuit is the 15k National Championships taking place in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 2nd. A WRS Race Report will publish shortly thereafter. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss it! You can catch up on last year's Race Reports on our website or on your favorite podcast app. Keep Up with Emily Durgin Instagram: @em_durgin Photo Credit Felipe Guajardo, @felipe_guajardo Mentioned in this episode Race Report: Katie Camarena + 2024 USATF Cross-Country National Championships: https://womensrunningstories.com/race-report-katie-camarena-2024-usatf-cross-country-national-championships Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Emma Grace Hurley is an exciting young professional runner, now running for the newly formed all-women's team, the Heartland Track Club. Emma Grace was first featured on WRS in March 2023, in our Race Report episode about the USATF 15k National Championships, which was held on March 6, 2023, at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida. In this episode, get caught up with what's happened since; it's been an exciting time, and you'll hear all about it. That 15k championships was a breakout performance for Emma Grace: she came in 2nd place to seasoned pro Emily Sisson, earning her first podium spot on the national stage. But that wasn't Emma Grace's only podium performance last year, which her first full year racing as a professional distance runner on the roads. In addition to her big successes, Emma Grace did experience her share of challenges. And, she's been through some significant changes. She moved teams, from the Atlanta Track Club to Heartland. And, this change necessitated a physical move as well, from her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, to Indianapolis, Indiana. One key element that has stayed the same is her coaches, Andrew and Amy Begley. In this episode, Emma Grace tells the story of how her time as a pro has been unfolding, including starting 2024 with another outstanding performance. Get inspired, and get ready to keep cheering Emma Grace on as she embarks on a big racing season this year! Keep Up With Emma Grace Hurley Instagram: @emmagracehurley Photo credit: Karen Mitchell: Instagram: @kmitchpa; Website: runnersgazette.com Mentioned in This Episode Race Report: Emma Grace Hurley + 2023 USATF 15k National Championships: https://womensrunningstories.com/race-report-emma-grace-hurley-2023-15k-national-championships Race Report: Katie Camarena + 2024 USATF Cross-Country National Championships: https://womensrunningstories.com/race-report-katie-camarena-2024-usatf-cross-country-national-championships Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com
Jay Ell Alexander is a runner and the CEO of one of the largest running groups in the United States: Black Girls Run, aka BGR, with 258,000 members. Alexander has been leading BGR for six years now, after working as marketing and PR lead for the previous six years. And she has a very clear understanding of the women she is inspiring and motivating because she is her own target audience. The goal of BGR is to "encourage and motivate Black women to practice a healthy lifestyle." Statistically, African-American women have the highest rates of being overweight, and along side that disproportionately experience health issues associated with a poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. Alexander herself came to running as a response to her own health issues, which she began to experience in her 20s. She's knows first hand the transformative power of running and how it can help people participate in their own wellness. Along the way, she also discovered what a terrifically unique group of people runners are. This is Jay Ell Alexander's running story, from why she first started lacing up, through to becoming a leader in the running community and navigating motherhood, twice, as a CEO and runner, to what goals she's got for herself today, as she continues to lead a movement that is shifting the wellness stats for African-American runners throughout the country. Keep Up with Jay Ell Alexander Instagram: @jayellalexander Mentioned in this episode Black Girls Run website: blackgirlsrun.com Black Girls Run Instagram: @officialblackgirlsrun WRS episode featuring Tiffany Chenault: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Emerging professional runner and new member of Tinman Elite out of Boulder, Colorado, Katie Camarena tells the story of how it all went down from her viewpoint racing in the 2024 USATF Cross-Country National Championships, which took place January 20, 2024, in Richmond, VA. On the line at this race, in addition to a national championship title, cash awards and series points, racers were vying for a spot on Team USA going to the Cross Country World Championships, which will take place March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia. There was a lot on the line! This is Katie's first championship race as a member of her first professional team and shortly after moving to Boulder, so the pressure was on. Katie is a relatively recent college grad. She graduated in 2022. Katie started off her NCAA running career racing for UCSB, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and she finished her collegiate career racing for a short time for Portland State University, in Portland, OR. Post-graduation, Katie was introduced to seasoned pro and Olympian Colleen Quigley, whose terrific support brought Katie into an outstanding crowd of professional runners in the pro running hub of Flagstaff, AZ. While there, she trained and learned and solidified her determination to race as a pro. After some ups and downs, but steadily building her race ability and speed, Katie landed a spot on Tinman. This race is a terrific culmination of patience, belief, support, and determination. Just like last year, you can expect to a Race Report episode for each race of the USATF Road Circuit series of races. Each episode features one top 10 runner telling the story of how the race went down, from her perspective. And because a race is never just about what happens on race day, you will get to know a little bit more about each one of the runners featured and how this race figures into their larger running story. The USATF Cross-Country National Championships is a part of the USATF Running Circuit championship series of races. These are races that happen throughout the United States all year long and each race serves as a national championship for the distance or the type of race that is being run. Also, at each one of these races, in addition to vying for a national title, runners earn cash prizes and they earn points. And of course all of that is dependent on where they finish. The points go toward the series overall, which is determined at the end of the year. This year, like in years past, the series will finish off in November at the 5k National Championships, which happen in New York City as part of the New York City Marathon Weekend of events. This was the first race of the circuit in 2024. The next race on the circuit is the 15k National Championships taking place in Jacksonville, Florida on March 2nd. A WRS Race Report will publish shortly thereafter. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss it! You can catch up on last year's Race Reports on our website or on your favorite podcast app. Keep Up with Katie Camarena Instagram: @katieecamarena Mentioned in this episode: Tinman Elite: tinmanelite.com Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Michelle Sikes's story centers around how her collegiate running career is inextricably linked to her first book, Kenya's Running Women: A History, published in December 2023. This is the first academic monograph to focus on the history of any women's sport in Africa. Back when she was in her collegiate years, Sikes became a Rhodes Scholar and the 2007 NCAA outdoor 5K national champion. The story of her surprise win in that race over Sally Kipyego—who was dominating the longer distances that year and would go on to become an Olympic medalist—is outstanding all on its own; it's a classic underdog story. (It's also noteworthy that Michelle was coached by women all the way up through her first year as a pro, which is almost her entire running career.) It was in fact that NCAA victory that led Sikes to focus her graduate studies on the pioneering women runners of Kenya, and then tell their stories in her just published book. As Sikes says, "History matters." Sikes is now an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, African Studies, and History at Penn State. This summer, she'll be teaching an African sport history class and Kenya's Running Women will be part of the curriculum. Hear the whole story in this episode. Mentioned in this Episode Kenya's Running Women: A History: https://msupress.org/9781611864816/kenyas-running-women/ "Long hours, poor pay, discrimination: Why the number of women in collegiate coaching remains low" by Alison Wade for Fast Women: https://fastwomen.substack.com/p/long-hours-poor-pay-discrimination Sally Kipyego: Becoming a Mother Runner, Navigating Pregnancy Toward a Bid for the Olympics: https://womensrunningstories.com/sally-kipyego-becoming-a-mother-runner-navigating-pregnancy-toward-a-bid-for-the-olympics-sally-kipyego-becoming-a-mother-runner-navigating-pregnancy-toward-a-bid-for-the-olympics Molly Huddle: 2023 NYC Marathon, Postpartum Bone Health, and What Comes Next: https://womensrunningstories.com/molly-huddle-2023-nyc-marathon-postpartum-bone-health-and-what-comes-next Race Report: Molly Huddle + 2022 Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
"I don't think I really liked running until maybe two or three years in of actually trying to run. I wouldn't even call myself a runner at that point at all, but just somebody trying to get their life right and trying to have some balance. It really started to open up a new world for me." Sister Liz Sjoberg's running journey started out as an interest and need to improve her health and lose weight, but over the years, it became a strong and steady force in her life. Running became something she enjoyed; the sport became a pathway not only to physical health, but also psychological and spiritual health. As Sister Liz said, it opened a whole new world to her. As her interest in running grew, Sister Liz built up to running marathons, and added a fundraising element to her running. Thus was born Sisters on the Run. Over the past few years, Sister Liz, in the company of a growing number of participants both in person and virtually, has raised money for the community organization she serves in Brownsville, Texas, Proyecto Juan Diego. PJD provides low-income families in the Lower Rio Grande Valley with a wide variety of support and guidance, in realms such as health, education, and immigration. This year, 2024, Sister Liz will serve as race director for the first ever chip-timed Sisters on the Run event: a 5k and 1-mile walk/run. The event takes place Saturday, January 27, in Brownsville. This is a virtual and in-person event, and it does raise funds for PJD. Earlier on that day, beginning at 5am, Sister Liz will be contributing to the running efforts in a slightly different way: she will, once again, run a marathon, accompanied by whomever wants to join her. And that is what this story is ultimately all about: how running is both personal and can be so much more. Keep Up with Sister Liz Sjoberg Instagram: @runswiththewind Sisters on the Run 2024 5k and 1 mile Race, registration, donation page: PROYECTO JUAN DIEGO INC - Sisters On The Run 2024 (networkforgood.com) Proyecto Juan Diego Website: www.proyecto-jd.org Instagram: @proyectojuandiego Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/proyectojuandiego TikTok: @proyectojuandiego YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@proyectojuandiego/videos Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Anita Cardinal is an ultra trail runner, advocate for the indigenous community, race director, and community builder who lives in Northwestern Canada in the beautiful city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In her story, Anita gets into why running has been a powerful force in her life from a very early age, and how the impact of the sport continues to evolve for her. A First Nations woman, Cardinal has a specific focus on empowering and honoring others in the indigenous community. She does this through the Indigenous Runner YEG (Edmonton) running group she founded, and through the Orange Shirt Day Walk/Run Every Child Matters events she created. These events, which take place on the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, honor survivors of the notoriously abusive residential schools, as well as those who did not survive. Also, to quote Cardinal, these events are a time of "celebrating one another and recognizing that we are resilient and we are a community and we can move forward together in a good way while still always remembering." It is from this great base of empowerment and support and experience and resilience that Anita has been able to tackle the challenging running goals she sets for herself. Goals that she goes after because of the wisdom, healing, bonds, and confidence she gains through these experiences. Most recently, Cardinal went after the 2023 100k race at the Javelina Jundred, an ultra trail event that takes place each year in Arizona, right around Halloween. This is the longest event Cardinal has entered, and this was her second time here, after having a DNF in 2022. Cardinal ran Javelina as a member of the Native Women Running team, and this year, her race was both an incredible success, as well as a great redemption. Cardinal went through many ups and downs on her way to ultimately reaching the finish line. She will tell you all about it, including how her son paced her to the finish line, inspiring her with just enough tough love to keep her going strong all the way through the final kilometers. Have some tissues at the ready. Keep Up with Anita Cardinal Instagram: @runswiththewind Indigenous Runner and Orange Shirt Day Walk/Run Every Child Matters Website, : www.indigenousrunner.com Instagram: @indigenousrunner Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/844745502931986 Mentioned in This Episode Verna Volker Instagram: @hozhorunner4 Native Women Running Instagram: @nativewomenrunning Website: NativeWomenRunning.com Verna Volker on WRS: Verna Volker: A Journey of Health and Healing, Culture and Community Javelina Jundred Instagram: @javelinajundred Website: https://aravaiparunning.com/network/javelinajundred Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
In this episode, part 3 of this series, Cherie shares how a freak non-running injury caused her to take time away from structured workouts and formal training. While the injury was a bummer, in the end, it provided a healthy reset. Cherie shares how the recovery process has gone and why she feels like navigating this period of relative downtime has finally resulted in her truly enjoying the process of going after a tough goal. In June of 2023, Women's Running Stories host and producer Cherie Turner closed the chapter on running longer distance races (at least for now), like marathons and ultras, and turned her attention to the 5k. Her goal: break 20 minutes in the 5km. Cherie is currently 54 years old and she has never dipped under 20 minutes at this distance. The closest she's ever gotten was back over a decade ago, when she ran 20:19. This update that spans November and December 2023. Part 1 of this series concluded with Cherie setting a baseline time of 21:10 on August 30. Part 2 ended with Cherie learning more about how to train well and some of the lessons she's continuing to work on. Please click the links below to hear those episodes (they're not prerequisites to this episode, but they do provide helpful context). Come along for the journey. Mentioned in this episode Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 1, Setting the Baseline: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-the-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-1-setting-the-baseline Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 2, Learning to Train Well: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-the-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-2-learning-to-train-well Sue McDonald: 9 Times a Masters World Record Holder: https://womensrunningstories.com/sue-mcdonald-9-times-a-masters-world-record-holder Cherie Turner at Comrades 2023: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-louise-turner-2023-comrades-marathon-experiencing-the-magic-again-and-better Cherie Turner at Comrades, a Collaboration with Hear Her Sports 2022: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-comrades-marathon-a-hear-her-sports-special-collaboration Shane Benzie, Running Reborn: https://runreborn.com/ Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
For this episode, I chose a variety of clips from 10 episodes published in 2023 that have stuck with me and made an impact. This isn't a "best of" so much as a celebration of the huge variety of experiences and motivations women have in this sport. I hope you'll find something in here to motivate and inspire you, and perhaps spark a new interest for 2024. It's incredible how much this sport brings to so many people and the myriad ways it can show up and change throughout a lifetime. Enjoy! Clips were pulled from these 10 episodes Caroline Su: Her First Trail Adventures, Why Representation Matters: https://womensrunningstories.com/carolyn-su-her-first-trail-adventures-why-representation-matters Sabrina Pace-Humphreys: A Quest to Reach Her Red Line: https://womensrunningstories.com/sabrina-pace-humphreys-on-a-quest-to-reach-her-red-line Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 2, Learning to Train Well: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-the-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-2-learning-to-train-well Celeste Yvonne: Outrunning Mommy Wine Culture: https://womensrunningstories.com/celeste-yvonne-outrunning-mommy-wine-culture Jasmine Santiago: Finding Her Voice, Living Out Loud: https://womensrunningstories.com/jasmine-santiago-finding-her-voice-living-out-loud Molly Huddle: 2023 NYC Marathon, Postpartum Bone Health, and What Comes Next: https://womensrunningstories.com/molly-huddle-2023-nyc-marathon-postpartum-bone-health-and-what-comes-next Ari Hendrix: Journey to the Olympic Trials, A Quest to Top The List: https://womensrunningstories.com/ari-hendrix-journey-to-the-olympic-marathon-trials-a-quest-to-top-the-list Race Report: Jeralyn Poe + 2023 USATF 10k National Championships: https://womensrunningstories.com/jeralyn-poe-10k Lindsey Cortes: One Runners Nourishment & Body Acceptance Journey: https://womensrunningstories.com/lindsey-cortes-one-runners-nourishment-body-acceptance-journey Sika Henry + Comrades Marathon: An Experience Like No Other: https://womensrunningstories.com/sika-henry-comrades-marathon-an-experience-like-no-other Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list
Natalie Barlatier has a determination when it comes to her running that is truly remarkable. Barlatier discovered a love of track and field in her youth, but took a break from running when she entered college. She returned to the sport after being diagnosed with MS in her late 20s, and began to explore distance running. Barlatier worked her way up to marathons over time, and running has been an important part of maintaining her health: mental, physical, and emotional. She has continued to run despite a major MS relapse, and she's returned to running after having her two children. Barlatier has run nine marathons, but that's not without some notably unusual set-backs along the way, beginning with the first two marathons Barlatier trained for. The first marathon was NYC 2012, which was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. Next up, Boston 2013, the year of the bombing: Natalie was one of the many runners who was stopped just about a mile from the finish. This experience also resulted in lasting trauma that almost spelled an end to Barlatier's marathon ambitions. Barlatier did finally reach the finish line of a marathon on her third try, and followed that up with several more marathons after that. Then came COVID, which put an end to Barlatier's training and plans for running the 2020 Boston Marathon, but she returned to run in 2021 and again in 2023, and most recently she completed the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Beyond her commitment to meeting her own running goals and serving as an example to others impacted by MS of what can be possible, as well as being a role model to her two young children, Barlatier has discovered the joy and strength of her local running community, in particular Black Girls Run. Mentioned in this Episode Black Unicorn Marathoners: https://www.blackunicornmarathoners.org/ Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list
Briana Boehmer had dreamed about qualifying for an Olympic trials since she was young. But she'd let go of that dream as she moved into her 40s. In her mind, she had aged out. That all changed in 2020. Boehmer's first competitive sport was running, which she did through college. After college, she became a competitive triathlete, eventually working up to racing the Ironman distance, which involves swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles, and then running the distance of a marathon, 26.2 miles. With the onset of COVID in 2020, however, Boehmer returned to running only and decided to run a marathon. This was an event she'd never done on its own, without having swum and cycled for hours before. In her first marathon, the 2021 California International Marathon or CIM, which took place in December 5, Boehmer shocked herself by running 2:33. With that time, she set the Masters 40+ course record and earned 7th place in the open women's field. Additionally, those scuttled Olympic trials dreams were suddenly back up for grabs: the Olympic trials qualifying (OTQ) time for the 2024 trials was 2:37. But there was one big hiccough: the window to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials didn't open until January 1, 2022. After that debut marathon, Boehmer was plagued by a series of injuries that kept her from getting that OTQ. Her final opportunity was CIM 2023, on December 3, and she was eager to race in the kit of her new sponsor Oiselle, as part of the company's innovative Underbirds program. Unfortunately, an injury flare up just one week out from CIM ultimately led to Boehmer making the incredibly tough but necessary decision to not start CIM. This is the story of what it looks like to face the fears and disappointment of making the difficult choice not to race, when there are big dreams at stake. This is also what it looks like to remove limiting beliefs and experience the power of unwavering support. To borrow Boehmer's words: "I've already won." Ways to Keep Up with Briana Boehmer Instagram: @briboehmer Mentioned in this Episode Oiselle: https://www.oiselle.com/ Oiselle Underbirds sponsorship program: https://www.oiselle.com/pages/year-of-the-underbird Ari Hendrix episode on WRS: https://womensrunningstories.com/ari-hendrix-journey-to-the-olympic-marathon-trials-a-quest-to-top-the-list Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list
Professional distance and marathon runner Neely Spence Gracey has been a competitive runner since she was in her teens and running has been a part of her life since she was born: both of her parents were competitive runners, and her father was an internationally competitive marathoner. In recent years, however, Neely's running focus and motivation has shifted, in large part because she began to balance new priorities. In addition to remaining committed to being an elite level competitor, Neely wanted to become a mom. This story follows Neely's running career from the high highs of her phenomenal 2016 debut in the marathon, through to today, including becoming the mother of two boys, Rome and Athens. Her journey has been full of ups and downs, but as the uncertainties that come with pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding have come to pass, Neely finds herself appreciating running in new ways and finding competitive fun in unexpected places. Along the way, Neely has set a world record in the stroller mile, she's had some epic races at Disney World, and she's earned her way into Olympic Trails Marathon, which will happen February 3, 2024. Keep Up with Neely Spence Gracey Instagram: @neelysgracie Twitter: @neelysgracey Mentioned in This Episode Breakthrough Women's Running: Dream Big and Train Smart by Neely Spence Gracey and Cindy Kuzma Starting Line 1928 podcast JAMBAR energy bars WRS episode: Jennifer Maxwell: Running to Her Own Beat WRS episode: Maegan Krifchin: An Epic Marathon PR Story Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Elite marathon runner Ari Hendrix did not grow up dreaming of running. Up through college, Hendrix’s athletic heart was firmly focused on the basketball court. But when professional prospects didn’t pan out after her college career ended, Hendrix had to face the harsh fast reality that the sport that had defined her days and shaped her dreams was over. This is the story of letting go of one dream, and being open to discovering what new, unexpected dreams can arise. So while Hendrix never considered running a sport of interest when she was young, her father–who died just before Hendrix’s senior year of college–thought differently. He was amazed by her sprinting speed. With the enthusiasm of a proud dad, he would say that she could be fast enough to go to the Olympics. When Hendrix was faced with the loss of her basketball dreams, she decided she needed a focus, a big challenge that would require a big commitment. Remembering her father’s vision of her becoming a runner, she decided to give it a go. Hendrix wanted to do the hardest thing she could think of, so she signed up for a marathon. In this episode, Hendrix traces her journey to running from basketball and how she went from completing that first marathon to now: Ari is currently training for the Olympic Trials Marathon as a sponsored athlete with the Oiselle Underbirds program. To qualify for the trials, runners must have run a 2:37 for the marathon or a 1:12 half marathon. To put this in basic terms: that is extremely difficult. Hendrix qualified with a 2:35 marathon at the 2022 California International Marathon, more commonly known as CIM. This race is one that many athletes use to run their fastest times. In addition to earning her spot at the trials, Hendrix is the third fastest runner on The List. (Erika Kemp is current first on The List; she ran 2:33 at the 2023 Boston Marathon). The List is an accounting of all of the American-born Black women who have broken 3 hours in the marathon. There are currently 31 women on The List. Ari Hendrix's goal is to be first on The List. Ways to Keep Up with Ari Hendrix Instagram: @ari_hendrix1 Mentioned in this Episode Oiselle: https://www.oiselle.com/ The Underbirds sponsorship program: https://www.oiselle.com/pages/year-of-the-underbird The List: https://tedcorbitt.com/black-female-marathon-history/ Breaking Three Hours documentary: https://blackmarathoners.org/breaking-three-hours.shtml Additional Women's Running Stories episodes featuring runners on The List Erica Kemp: Championships, Challenges, and a Marathon Debut, at Boston Sika Henry + Comrades Marathon: An Experience Like No Other Erica Stanley-Dottin: A Sub-3-Hour Marathon Goal, A Team Dream Soars LIVE EVENT: Podium Pioneers Panel (ft Marilyn Bevans, Patty Dillon, Jacqueline Hansen), 2023 Boston Marathon Expo LIVE EVENT: Marilyn Bevan & Meagan Krifchin: Celebrating 50 Years of Women Running Boston Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list
The story behind becoming 2023 USATF Masters Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Masters 60+ track and field athlete Sue McDonald has been a competitive athlete most of her life. And she's been a competitor in a wide variety of events: she'd started out her collegiate career as a heptathlete and has since continued to enjoy working at multiple disciplines, as well as trying new events (like the steeple!). So in 2022, when Sue was looking ahead at entering the 60+ masters age bracket, she didn't have just one event she was aiming to rewrite the records books in, she targeted several. In the end, Sue set 9 world records in the W60-64 category: indoors 800 and 1500; outdoors 400, 800, 300H, 1500, and Mile, as well as the Steeplechase and the Heptathlon. For her stellar achievements, Sue McDonald was named the 2023 USATF Masters Track and Field Athlete of Year. This is the story of what it took for Sue to be ready for a record-setting year. She left no area unconsidered: nutrition, mental prep, coaching, strength, lifestyle, physical training. And she gets into it all. This is what it took her to become a champion, many times over, and raise the bar for masters athletes. Ways to Keep Up with Sue McDonald Instagram: @suemcdonaldfitness Website: SueMcDonaldFitness.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list
Top American distance pro runner Molly Huddle tells the story around her 2023 NYC Marathon, her first time racing this distance since having her first child, Josephine, in April 2022. WRS featured Huddle in March of this year, 2023, to tell the story of her postpartum return to racing and how it all went down at the 2023 NYC Half Marathon. Immediately after that, Huddle was diagnosed with a serious injury. In this episode, Huddle catches us up on her injury recovery, why she decided to run the NYC Marathon on November 5, as well as how the marathon unfolded, and her plans going forward. Huddle also shares what she's been doing for the running community outside of racing, including raising money for &mother in conjunction with running NYC and helping to further the conversation around being a career athlete and becoming a mom. Molly Huddle is already a legend in the running world, and her racing story continues to develop. She's a two-time Olympian, multi-time national champion, and former American record holder in the 5000m and 10,000m. In addition, she is a strong voice in the women's running space, as a writer, podcaster, and activist: she's published many articles, co-wrote the book How She Did It: Stories, Advice, and Secrets to Success from Fifty Legendary Distance Runners, and is the co-host of the women's sports podcast Keeping Track. Huddle has been very deliberate about sharing her pregnancy and postpartum journey as a professional runner as a way of moving the sport forward and advocating for more support of professional running moms and moms to be. Add to all that, Huddle shares fascinating details about running and racing at the professional level of the sport. Her insights are really cool. Ways to Keep Up with Molly Huddle Instagram: @mollyhuddle Keeping Track podcast website: https://keeping-track.com/ Keeping Track podcast on Instagram: @keeptrackmedia How She Did It book website: https://howshediditbook.com/ How She Did It on Instagram: @howshediditbook Mentioned in this Episode Race Report: Molly Huddle + 2023 NYC Half Marathon: https://womensrunningstories.com/race-report-molly-huddle-2023-new-york-city-half-marathon &mother website: https://andmother.org/ &mother Instagram: @andmother_org Dr. Kate Ackerman on Instagram: @drkateackerman Hear Her Sports interview with Dr. Kate Ackerman: https://www.hearhersports.com/#/ep149-dr-kate-ackerman-female-athlete-program/ Fastr at Stanford University: https://fastr.stanford.edu/ Dr. Adam Tenforde, The Running Center: https://spauldingrehab.org/research/programs-labs/spaulding-running-center/about Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list
Elite runner and Olympian Rachel Smith tells the story of how it all went down from her viewpoint racing in the 2023 USATF 5km National Championships, which took place November 4, 2023, in New York City. This is Smith's first big event back since having her first child, her daughter, Nova, 6 months ago. Smith shares her experiences running through pregnancy, returning to training post-partum, and navigating breastfeeding as an elite level racer. And she shares her total joy of returning to competition and earning a podium spot, and what that looks like as a new mom. Smith makes note of how much she appreciates the growing support for racers who become moms. Specifically, she shouts out the pioneering organization &mother, founded by Olympian and former professional runner Alysia Montaño. The USATF 5km National Championships is a part of the championship series of races, for various different distances, that happen around the country throughout the year. Racers have a chance to earn a national title, as well as to earn prize money and points based on finishing places; points go toward the overall circuit placing. This was the final race of the circuit in 2023, so the circuit champion has been decided: the winner of the 2023 USATF Running Circuit is Ednah Kurgat, followed by Emma Grace Hurley, and in third is Nell Rojas. All three of these runners have been featured in our Race Report episodes this year. You can catch up on earlier road races in the series through our Race Reports. Each report features one runner's perspective on how it all went down, to give you an inside look at these championship events. WRS will be following all of the USATF Running Circuit action in Race Reports next year, 2024, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Keep Up with Rachel Smith Instagram: @rachschneid18 Twitter: @rachschneid18 Mentioned in this episode: &mother, website: andmother.org &mother, Instagram: @andmother_org Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Verna Volker first started running as a way to improve her health. Over time, however, her relationship to the sport has grown and changed, to become a more personal and powerful part of her life. She started out pursuing road marathons and then moved to the trails, stretching her limits in ultra trail running. As her journey has evolved, so have her motivations. This is a story about how Volker has shaped her running journey to best serve her, her family, and her community. Volker is from the Navajo Nation: she clarifies, "My clans are the Tódích'íi'nii (Bitterwater) nishlíi, Hashtl'ishnii (Mud People) bashishchiin, Ta'neeszahnii (Tangle) dashicheii, and Tó' áheedlíinii (Water Flows Together) dashinalí." As she got more involved in running, Volker noticed the absence of stories and experiences of other Native women in the media and online. She decided to help change that by launching Native Women Running, to highlight those experiences and also to support and create community and running opportunities for women like herself. Volker's running pursuits have also brought her closer to her own ancestry; running is integral to Navaho culture. This was something Volker had known throughout her life, but she hadn't felt that connection until experiencing the sport for herself in adulthood; she is now passing that lived knowledge on to her children. In hand, Volker has also discovered the healing powers of running, which have helped her work through past traumas. And she has a strong appreciation for the strength created through developing a supportive running community. Keep Up with Verna Volker Instagram: @hozhorunner4 Keep Up with Native Women Running Instagram: @nativewomenrunning Website: NativeWomenRunning.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
In June of this summer, 2023, Women's Running Stories host and producer Cherie Turner closed the chapter on running longer distance races (at least for now), like marathons and ultras, and turned her attention to the 5k. Her goal: break 20 minutes in the 5km. Cherie is currently 54 years old and she has never dipped under 20 minutes at this distance. The closest she's ever gotten was back over a decade ago, when she ran 20:19. This is Part 2 of Cherie's journey, an update that spans September and October 2023. Part 1 of this series concluded with Cherie setting a baseline time of 21:10 on August 30. Please click the link below to hear that episode; it's not a prerequisite for listening to this episode, but it will give you more context and background on this project. In this episode, Cherie covers what she's learned over the past few months and what her racing and training efforts have looked like. Come along for the journey. Mentioned in this episode Jae Gruenke, The Balanced Runner: https://www.balancedrunner.com/ Shane Benzie, Running Reborn: https://runreborn.com/ Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 1, Setting the Baseline: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-the-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-1-setting-the-baseline Stories of Womens' Experiences at Comrades: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-comrades-marathon Cherie Turner at Comrades 2023: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-louise-turner-2023-comrades-marathon-experiencing-the-magic-again-and-better Cherie Turner at Comrades, a Collaboration with Hear Her Sports 2022: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-comrades-marathon-a-hear-her-sports-special-collaboration Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Jennifer Maxwell is best known as the co-founder of PowerBar with her late husband, Brian Maxwell. Not only did the couple found a hugely successful company, they created the energy bar sector. Before PowerBar, which launched in 1986, there were no energy bars. While Jennifer's passion for running certainly played into her interests in creating an energy bar company, her life as a runner started long before then. Jennifer has been running since she was a child, and running continues to be an important part of Jennifer's life and identity. Over these many years, the part running has played in Jennifer's life has morphed to suit her needs. And her needs have changed dramatically over the years. This is the story of how running has helped shape Jennifer's life and in turn how Jennifer has utilized this sport to navigate some of life's most difficult challenges, including the loss of her husband, just months after the their sixth child was born: her story is testament to the many ways we can weave running into our lives, and how truly remarkable the relationship to this sport can be. Keep Up with Jennifer Maxwell and JAMBAR Website: jambar.com Keep Up with The Masters of Running Podcast Instagram: @themastersofrunningpodcast Episode with Sue McDonald and Terry Howell: https://shows.acast.com/the-masters-of-running-podcast/episodes/sue-mcdonald-terry-howell Website: shows.acast.com/the-masters-of-running-podcast Keep up with The Planted Runner Instagram: @theplantedrunner Website: theplantedrunner.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Elite runner and PhD student Jeralyn Poe tells the story of how it all went down from her viewpoint racing in the 2023 USATF 10km National Championships, which took place September 23, 2023, in Northport, NY, at the Great Cow Harbor 10km. Poe is in a relatively new phase of her racing journey, having finished her collegiate career just a couple years ago. Specifically, over the past two years, she's gone from the collegiate level of racing to the pro/elite field, and she's switched from track racing to racing on the roads. In addition, she's focused on a whole new distance: the marathon. Poe has always preferred longer distance races, and in college, the furthest she could race was the 10k. Now in her post-collegiate life, she's excited to focus on the marathon. To get there, she's gradually been upping her race distances and will debut in the marathon at the 2024 Olympic Trials Marathon, which will take place in Florida, in February. The Olympic Trials is Poe's A goal. This 10k champs then plays into a much bigger picture of Poe's running plans. Poe tells the whole story in this episode. The USATF 10km National Championships is a part of the championship series of races, for various different distances, that happen around the country throughout the year. Racers have a chance to earn a national title, as well as to earn prize money and points based on finishing places; points go toward the overall series placing. The top three places in the series after the 10km champs are Ednah Kurgat, Nell Rojas, and Emma Grace Hurley. All three of these runners have been featured in our Race Report episodes this year. You can catch up on earlier road races in the series through our Race Reports. Each report features one runner's perspective on how it all went down, to give you an inside look at these championship events. Stay tuned for the next and final race of 2023 series: the USATF 5km National Championships taking place November 4, 2023, in New York City. Keep Up with Jeralyn Poe Instagram: @jeralynkiprotich Twitter: @jeralynpoe Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys understands what pushing through, putting one foot in front of the other in the face of great pain and on the edge of breaking feels like. She's been doing it her whole life. But it wasn't until she discovered the world of ultra trail running that she truly understood how deeply empowered this had made her. She's now on a quest to discover just how far she can push her boundaries, for herself and for others: to represent and inspire. This is the story of how Pace-Humphreys went from growing up as the only Black identified person in a rural UK town where she experienced devastating racism and isolation to becoming a limit-pushing ultra runner and one of most dynamic, influential voices in trail running today. When Pace-Humphreys began her running journey, she was in the throws of deep post-natal depression. Getting through her first one-mile walk/jog—a suggestion from her doctor—was a tremendous challenge. But it sparked something inside her, and set her on a life-altering journey. In her quest to find her ultimate ultra challenge, Pace-Humphreys has completed some of the most challenging ultra events in the world, including the multiday stage race the Marathon des Sables and the 268-mile Spine Race, in addition to numerous other ultra and trail endeavors. Her next challenge is the 200-mile Winter Downs, which takes place December 2023. Among her many accomplishments as an activist and game-changer, Pace-Humphreys has authored the powerful and important memoir Black Sheep: A Story of Rural Racism, Identity, and Hope; she co-founded the Black Trail Runners; and she hosts the podcast Sabulous. In addition to all that, Pace-Humphreys, 45, is the mother of four children and grandmother of three, has recovered from addiction, and is an award-winning businesswoman. Keep up with Sabrina Pace-Humphreys Instagram: @sabrunsmiles Sabulous Podcast: https://www.sabrinapacehumphreys.com/sabulous-podcast Black Sheep memoir: https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/sabrina-pace-humphreys/black-sheep/9781529418576/ Website: www.sabrinapacehumphreys.com Keep Up with Black Trail Runners Instagram: @blacktrailrunners Website: www.blacktrailrunners.run Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Claire Bartholic shares how she went from being a first-time marathoner trying for, but not quite reaching, a goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon, to running a sub-3-hour marathon: for context, only 1% of women marathoners have achieved this sub-3-hour milestone. It all started when Bartholic was in her mid-30s looking to get in shape for a high school reunion. It was then that she decided to start running. Then she got the running bug, and started marathoning: she was 38, the mother of two children, working as a real estate agent when she ran her first marathon. Four years later, she would reach her sub-3-hour goal. This story gets into the details of how Bartholic became a passionate student of the marathon on her way to achieving her big time goal. She tells about how she mastered pacing and mental toughness, the mis-steps along the way, and the great satisfaction of figuring out the complex puzzle of how to run a marathon really well. Today, Bartholic continues to run and has found tremendous passion in helping others achieve their running goals through her coaching business. She is also the host of the running podcast The Planted Runner, where each episode, she shares one actionable topic that runners can apply to their own training. In addition, Bartholic is the author of the book The Planted Runner: Plant Based Nutrition for Running at Your Best. Keep up with Claire Bartholic and The Planted Runner Instagram: @theplantedrunner Website: theplantedrunner.com Offers, Freebies, Discounts from Bartholic: theplantedrunner.com/link Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Carolyn Su is a runner and the founder of Diverse We Run, a space to build racial diversity and amplify diverse voices and stories in running on Instagram. Until 2020, Su was a road runner. She hadn't run on the trails, let alone race. And when she documented her friend's experiences at the 2019 Trans Rockies, a multi-day trail running stage race, she thought it looked amazing, but it didn't even occur to her that this was something she'd be capable of. But then, on one fateful day, she got a call from her friend Mirna Valerio. Valerio had an invitation for Su to participate in the 2021 version of the Trans Rockies, that same multi-day race Su's friend had done. That invitation sparked something in Su's curious, adventurous spirit, and she decided to say yes. No doubt, Su, who is Chinese-American, was excited to embark on an epic adventure. In addition, she was strongly motived to help create space in this sport for people who look like her: she wanted to represent and to be seen. This is the story of Su's fears and joys, as well as her triumphs and exhaustion, navigating the predominantly white and male world of trail running, helping to carve out space for BIPOC runners. Su's story elevates concerns, racism, danger, and frustrations that white runners can largely overlook or don't even notice, but which make this sport far less welcoming and more laborious for BIPOC runners. Su's story is testament to why diverse voices and representation in running, especially trail running, matter. Keep up with Carolyn Su Instagram: @IRunForTheGlory Website: irunfortheglory.com Making Strides Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-strides/id1687742311 Keep Up with Diverse We Run Instagram: @DiverseWeRun Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Professional runner for Team ZAP Endurance Tristin Van Ord tells the story of how it all went down from her viewpoint racing in the 2023 USATF 20km National Championships, which just took place September 4 in New Haven, CT. This 2023 season has been full of success as well as learning experiences for Van Ord. She started the year running her fastest marathon ever—she set a PB by over two minutes—placing first American and fourth woman at the Houston Marathon in January. Going into the summer, however, Van Ord, who has OCD, began to experience worsening symptoms of the disorder. In particular, those manifested in intense performance anxiety and insomnia. But through the summer to now, more race experience and therapeutic work has put Van Ord on a path to better manage the impact of OCD, to the benefit of her running and racing. The story of the 20k champs is testament to Van Ord's progress and also to her growing savvy and strength in the elite ranks of US road running. Van Ord tells the whole story in this episode, about experiencing and managing OCD, how she's learned and grown from her challenges, how she's improved as a competitor, and how the 20k champs unfolded, to an excellent result. The USATF 20km National Championships is a part of the championship series of races, for various different distances, that happen around the country throughout the year. Racers have a chance to earn a national title, as well as to earn prize money and points based on finishing places; points go toward the overall series placing. The top three places in the series after the 20km champs are Ednah Kurgat, Nell Rojas, and Emily Sisson. Both Kurgat and Rojas have been featured in our Race Report episodes this year. You can catch up on earlier road races in the series through our Race Reports. Each report features one runner's perspective on how it all went down, to give you an inside look at these championship events. Stay tuned for the next race in the series, the USATF 10km National Championships taking place in Northpoint, NY, September 23, 2023. That will be followed by the final race on the circuit this season, the USATF 5km National Champions, which take place November 4, 2023, in New York City. Keep Up with Tristin Van Ord Instagram: @tristinvanord Twitter: @tristinvanord Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
