“I think as I run more and more and get more miles on my legs, I'll be able to hang with that lead pack later and later. But I stuck to my guns. I didn't really have a race plan going in other than taking the first few miles to feel it out. Then really just believing that I belonged in that lead pack for as long as I could hang with them.”

My guest for today’s episode is Jess McClain, who just wrapped up a heck of a year with an eighth-place finish at the New York City Marathon, running 2:27:19 and finishing as the second American.

It was Jess’s first World Marathon Major, and she showed incredible grit, moving steadily from 11th to 8th in the final miles and securing a spot among the top marathoners in the world.

As we’ve explored on this show with her in January, Jess’s journey to the marathon stage has been anything but typical. A former Stanford standout who took a hiatus from professional running, she’s reemerged with stunning results. Earlier this year, she finished fourth at the Olympic Marathon Trials, making her the alternate for Team USA and nearly earning a spot at the Paris Olympics. She’s since signed with Brooks and built a strong racing resume, including wins at the USATF Road 10K Championships and a second-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships.

Today, we’ll dive into her self-coached approach, her bold comeback, and what drives her heading into 2025.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Jess McClain | @jesstonn

Previous episodes with Jess McClain:

Jess McClain On Signing With Brooks Running (Again) + Deciding To Return To The Track

Jess McClain After Finishing Fourth At The 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (2:25:46) + How She Did It Self-Coached and Unsponsored | Race Recap 

Time stamps:

3:15 - Reflections on her 8th place finish at the NYC Marathon

5:58 - Rediscovering her love for racing

8:03 - Why she decided on racing NYC as her fall marathon 

10:34 - Details on her training throughout her build 

13:34 - Importance of being grounded outside of running 

16:31 - How her training setup has evolved + what she wants to change next 

19:39 - How she strikes the balance between working and training

24:01 - Nerves before the race 

27:35 - Starting line + first few miles

29:37 - Story about accidentally reversing her bibs

35:49 - Thoughts when the big move was made during the race 

43:07 - Feelings after crossing the finish line

45:38 - Looking ahead to future marathons 

49:01 - Thoughts on racing a track 10K next year

51:16 - Overrated/underrated: training methods

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