Some think Jessica McClain was the "tough luck kid" of 2024. After all, she finished 4th in both the Olympic Marathon Trials and the Olympic Track Trials 10,000. And fourth is the worst position, right?

Excited about her life, her work, and her running, she sees the past 10 months as evidence that she's on a great path: happy, healthy, running strong.  And she thinks it's a sustainable path that could carry her all the way to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

McClain, who recently won the USATF 10K Road Championship, will race next in the New York City Marathon on November 3. 

In this podcast, she discusses her training to get ready for New York. It's going great.

She also talks about:

# Her last-minute trip to the Paris Olympics when she was called to be a possible alternate. She didn't know for whom, or even for which event--10,000 or the marathon. It was an unfortunate and little discussed situation for all involved.

# Her early love for running--she started when she was 12--and how she developed into a 4-time Footlocker XC finalist as a high schooler. 

# Her move from Phoenix to Seattle to become a pro runner after graduating from Stanford. And why that didn't work out so well.

# The many life changes she experienced during several Covid years, and how they eventually brought her back to her essential love of running. But not quickly.

# Why so many top women runners seem to be better after they have taken a few years away from the sport ... for whatever reason.

# The fulfillment of working for several nonprofits that support fostering children and adopting dogs.

# And much more.

You can learn more about Jessica McClain by following her on Instagram. 

If you'd like to support her work on behalf of foster kids and dog adoptions, visit the Love Up Foundation and/or the Love Pup Foundation.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download podcast apps from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Apple

Spotify

Audible

Pandora

I Heart Radio

YouTube

"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels."

Run Long, Run Healthy" is Amby’s weekly newsletter with the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners.