Caitlin Adams is living a full Hannah Montana double life – high school teacher by day, emerging marathon star by… also day. In this episode, Caitlin joins Elise to unpack a year she almost fell out of love with the sport, how she found her groove again on the roads, and her latest achievement: winning her debut marathon at Melbourne.

She takes us inside the juggle of teaching and why she had to completely rework her training week to protect her energy, mental health and her love for running. From three progressively faster half marathons (Melbourne, Launceston, Gold Coast) to a marathon block built around long-run pick-ups and 3:30/km “cruise” reps, Caitlin explains how she and long-time coach Adam Didyk (plus fiancé and coach-in-waiting Lachy) set up a first crack at 42.2 km.

Caitlin also lifts the curtain on race day in Melbourne: the nerves that had her vomiting the night before, being chaperoned by a killer pacing crew, the moment at 30 km when she finally let herself believe she could win, and what it actually feels like to run into the MCG knowing the tape, the flames and the roar are all for you.

--

Caitlin Adams is a two-time Australian representative at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, and came 12th in the 5k at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023. She placed second in the Australian Half Marathon Championships on the Gold Coast earlier this year (1:10:26), and just won her debut marathon in Melbourne (2:30:26).

--

Subscribe to Run With It wherever you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss a thing!

--

Follow us on Instagram:

--

Intro/outro music by Dan Beacom