"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.

SPONSOR:

• Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What's making Emma and Parker happy today (4:00)
• Where in the world is Parker Valby? (6:00)
• Why Parker has always looked up to Emma, and all about their first memories of meeting each other (6:50)
• How Parker and Emma became friends and training partners (13:40)
• Parker reflects on the first year of her professional career, dealing with injury, coaching changes, and multiple moves (23:50)
• What Parker was looking for in a coach, and why Joe Bosshard was a fit (30:15)
• How Parker and Emma both worked their ways back from their respective injuries (33:35)
• Parker and Emma reflect on their returns to racing (41:00)
• What's next on the racing calendar for Parker and Emma (52:55)
• How Emma and Parker are most alike, and how they're different (55:30)
• On the pressure of being Emma Coburn (1:01:00)
• What does it mean to be The Next Emma Coburn? (1:05:45)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon
• Subscribe to the newsletter

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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 stay in something that was no longer working because it was safe.' I just needed someone to remind me of that."

Last year, Laura Thweatt chose to retire from professional running. Now, she's the Assistant Road Team Coach for On Athletics Club in Boulder, CO, and she's thriving. But the road to post-pro fulfillment wasn't easy. In this conversation, Laura talks about that heavy retirement decision, and shares the advice she got from fellow retired pro Jenny Simpson that made the decision a little easier. She talks about how she approached the next chapter in her life, about learning the art of the corporate interview, and about the emotional side of life after going pro. Plus, how she got the OAC job, why she feared her first day on the job would also be her last, and what it's like traveling the world with Hellen Obiri.

SPONSOR:

• Oofos: The best in the recovery footwear game. Click here to check out Oofos's new CLUB+ line! Your feet are going to be so happy!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Laura's "Summer of 10Ks" traveling the east coast (2:00)
• What race-day nerves are like as a coach (5:45)
• What's making Laura happy today (7:55)
• What Laura's into right now (14:40)
• Laura plays favorites with her OAC athletes (25:00)
• Laura talks about her decision to retire from professional running, and the life-changing advice she got from Jenny Simpson in the process (30:00)
• On figuring out "what's next?" (37:35)
• Laura recounts her first day as an On Athletics Club coach (52:30)
• On getting comfortable in a coaching role (1:02:00)
• Has Laura ever questioned whether retiring was the right decision? (1:05:30)
• What race weekends are like as a coach (1:10:05)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon
• Subscribe to the newsletter

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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 tastemakers on the run. (Listen to Lee's previous appearances on the show here and here.)

FOLLOW LEE @leeglandorf

SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to get your hands on the beautiful, just-released, hot pink Ellipse Breathe sneakers. What a dream!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How Lee is celebrating "Lee Week!" (2:00)
• Lee reflects on her relationship with running throughout pregnancy, the postpartum period, and motherhood (3:15)
• Lee's trend report from her local half marathon (10:00)
• The Eras Tour effect on the running industry (14:55)
• Why is Bandit so popular? (23:00)
• Who are the biggest tastemakers in running right now? (27:00)
• How Lee finds small, cool brands that are doing exciting things (33:40)
• Where Lee sees holes, gaps, and opportunities in the industry (38:15)
• What it takes for a boutique brand to make it in running (43:20)
• All about The Rec Room, the pop-up Lee and her team hosted on Newbury Street during Boston Marathon weekend (54:45)
• Reflecting on two years of The Sweat Lookbook — and what's next (1:06:15)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

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

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

SPONSORS:

• Lagoon. My favorite pillows and pillowcases! Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you, and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order.
• Shokz! My favorite headphones! Use code ALI for $10 off your next Shokz purchase. (I love the Open Run Pro 2.)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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.

SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to get your hands on the beautiful, just-released, hot pink Ellipse Breathe sneakers. What a dream!

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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 such a lovely, wholesome conversation with three men who took their roles at CIM that year incredibly seriously, and who had the utmost respect for the women in the field chasing their biggest goals. The women who ran with Menso, Chris, and Ken spoke so highly of them after the race, and I was delighted to get to interview all three of them together.)

SPONSORS:

• Lagoon. Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you, and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order.
• New Balance: For a limited time only, click here and use code TEAMALI for up to 25% off your next New Balance order! (Offer valid through May 31, 2026.)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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!

SPONSOR:

• Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase.
• Oofos: The best in the recovery footwear game. Click here to check out Oofos's new CLUB+ line! Your feet are going to be so happy!

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon
• Subscribe to the newsletter

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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.

Today, we're tackling personal running and coaching questions with two-time Olympian in the 5000m and coach with Next Best Run, Kim Conley. Kim has coached athletes to personal bests in the mile up to the marathon, she has helped runners complete their first races ever, and she has supported them as they've qualified for the Boston Marathon and beyond.

FOLLOW KIM @kfconley

SPONSOR: Lagoon. Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you, and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Kim's advice for finding a running coach and the benefits of working with one (12:25)
• Kim answers questions about getting faster and stronger (15:00)
• Breaking down running terminology (34:40)
• Fueling Q&A (47:10)
• Running through stages of life (52:25)
• The mental game (57:00)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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 diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer that had spread to my bones. So yeah, May hits highs, lows, and grey spaces. Fortunately, there's nothing tragic to report in this episode! No status update, no big diagnosis reveal. Just some musings on my April vacation week with Annie, my Ali on the RunWAY debut, and how I'm feeling heading into 41. Plus, my thoughts on legacies and the mark we leave on the world while we're here. (Thank you for being here. I'm still here!)

SPONSOR: Shokz! The official headphone of the Boston Marathon! Use code ALI for $10 off your next Shokz purchase. (I love the Open Run Pro 2.)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"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 running this race was important to her. She talks about our weekend together in Boston, about what it was like out on the course, and about everyone she hugged along the way. Plus, some big life updates: Jackie, who currently lives in D.C. and works for the federal government, is moving to London with her family this summer! (Sad for me! Exciting for them!)

SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to check out the brand new Ellipse, New Balance's just-released everyday trainer. (It's gorgeous!)

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Join the Facebook group
• Support on Patreon

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!