My First Marathon

By My First Marathon

Join host Taylor as she sits down with runners from all walks of life to delve into their unforgettable first marathon experiences.

From the nerves at the starting line to the euphoria of cro... more

4.9

2828 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about My First Marathon:

How many episodes does My First Marathon have?

The podcast currently has 167 episodes available.

My First Marathon episodes:

January 12, 2026 107: Slow, Smiling, and Still Strong: A Former College Athlete’s First Marathon w/ Gabby Averill
Gabby’s running journey didn’t start with a finish line goal or a desire to be fast. It started after stepping away from Division I college sports, when the structure she’d built her identity around suddenly disappeared and movement no longer had a clear purpose.
In this episode, Gabby walks us through what it looked like to relearn running on her own terms. From seeing running as punishment growing up, to signing up for a half marathon on a whim, to slowly building confidence through consistency, community, and letting go of pace expectations. Over the course of a few years, that approach led her to her first marathon at the Every Woman’s Marathon in Arizona, where she focused on fueling well, smiling often, and finishing strong without a time goal attached.
We talk about pace inclusivity, why slow and steady actually works, how community shaped her training and race day, and what it meant for her to cross the finish line feeling proud without tying her identity to one result. This is a conversation about rewriting what success in running can look like, especially for former athletes learning how to move without a coach or a clock.
Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me!
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
...more
48min
January 07, 2026 19: How To Set Your Next (or first) Marathon Goal (Mini Epsiode)
It’s a New Year mini episode and we’re talking marathon goal setting! In this episode, I break down why time goals are not the only goals that matter and how relying on a single goal can set yourself up for failure.
We walk through a simple three-layer approach to marathon goals: outcome goals, process goals, and the personal why that actually carries you through the long runs and hard weeks. If you’re feeling motivated one minute and overwhelmed the next after signing up for a marathon, this episode is for you.
Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources
Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me!
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
...more
6min
January 05, 2026 106: 26 Before 26: Trusting Yourself Back to Running w/ Kelly Waddleton
Kelly Waddleton never thought she was a runner. She was the slowest kid on the team, hated conditioning, and fully stepped away from running in college. Years later, during a tough mental health season and a moment where she needed something solid to hold onto, running quietly found its way back in. What started as a scary decision to sign up for a half marathon with her dad turned into momentum, confidence, and eventually a bold goal of running 26 miles before turning 26.

In this episode, Kelly walks through her full journey to the Philadelphia Marathon, from rebuilding consistency, navigating injury and nausea, trusting her body without a rigid training plan, and leaning on family, faith, and self belief when things got hard. We talk about hitting the wall, redefining success on race day, and what it means to carry every past version of yourself across the finish line. If you’ve ever thought “maybe one day I’ll run a marathon” but weren’t sure you were capable, this one might feel uncomfortably relatable in the best way.

Follow along with Kelly on Instagram at @kellysproductions !

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

...more
39min
December 29, 2025 105: When Peak Week Breaks You: Dropping to the Half and Coming Back for 26.2 w/ Andie Becker
This week Andie Becker is sharing a story that will feel painfully familiar to anyone who’s ever made it deep into a training block only to have everything fall apart right at the worst moment.

Andie didn’t grow up a runner. She found running later, first as something to do during lockdown, then as a way to feel more connected to her body and her community. What started as “just running for fun” quickly turned into half marathons, run clubs, and eventually signing up for a full marathon in her home state of Oregon. But when peak week hit, her body said no. She made the tough call to drop down to the half in Eugene, trusting her fitness and listening to what her body needed, even if it wasn’t the original plan.

In this conversation, Andie walks through the decision to start over, what she changed the second time around, and how community carried her all the way to the start line of the Marine Corps Marathon. We talk about balancing training with real life, learning when to listen to your body, and what it feels like to finish your first marathon on a day that doesn’t go according to plan, but still counts in every way that matters.

Follow along with Andie on Instagram and Tiktok at @anderbecks!

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

...more
56min
December 24, 2025 18: Guided Body Scan For Your Next Long Run (Mini Episode)
This Wednesday mini episode is for those long runs where your mind starts wandering, the miles feel heavier, and everything turns into pace math and quiet spirals. I'm guiding you through a simple body scan you can use while you’re running to check in from head to toe, soften unnecessary tension, and come back to the moment you’re actually in. It’s a gentle reset you can return to anytime you need to feel grounded, steady, and reminded that forward is still forward.

Follow along with the show:
Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440
...more
6min
December 22, 2025 104: Running Without Rushing: A Joy-First Marathon Journey w/ Ariel Greenstein
Ariel Greenstein didn’t grow up as an athlete. She didn’t fall in love with running early. And for a long time, movement just wasn’t part of her life. But in her early 30s, something shifted. What started as Broadway-themed Peloton classes during the pandemic slowly turned into outdoor runs, then half marathons, and eventually a very intentional, very patient build toward her first marathon at the Chicago Marathon.

In this conversation, Ariel walks us through what it looks like to take your time with the sport. She shares how releasing pace and time expectations helped her actually enjoy running, how documenting her slower-paced journey online helped other runners feel seen, and why community, strength training, and consistency mattered far more than rushing to the next distance. We talk about training with a run group, navigating the mental side of marathon prep, handling tough long runs, and what it was like to race 26.2 miles through her home city with zero pressure beyond finishing and having fun.

This episode is a reminder that anybody can go the distance, that there is no timeline you need to follow, and that running can be something you build slowly, joyfully, and on your own terms.

Follow along with Ariel at @arielgreenstein_ on Instagram and TikTok!

Follow along with the show:
Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

...more
54min
December 17, 2025 17: My Top 3 Winter Running Hacks (Mini Episode)
This week’s Wednesday mini episode is all about making winter running a little more bearable. I’m breaking down my top three cold weather running tips that I’ve been sharing in my December daily running tip series, from keeping your hands and feet warm, to starting your run slightly cold on purpose, to fueling earlier than you think when temps drop.

I also share a simple bonus tip that makes a huge difference once you get home from a cold, sweaty run. If winter miles feel harder than they should, this one’s a quick listen with practical hacks you can use right away.

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

...more
5min
December 15, 2025 103: Running as Resistance: Health Battles, Healing, and a First Marathon w/ Heather Anderson
Heather Anderson’s running journey didn’t start with a training plan or a finish-time goal. It started with survival. From growing up running with her mom, to using running as a lifeline through trauma, chronic illness, surgery, and multiple injuries, Heather’s first marathon was built on years of resilience. In this episode, she shares how running became an act of resistance against everything trying to pull her away from herself.

We talk about racing without time goals, rebuilding trust in your body after illness and injury, and why finishing your first marathon can feel more like a beginning than an ending. Heather’s story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is keep showing up.

Follow along with Heather on Instagram at @hip_bean

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

...more
1h 12min
December 10, 2025 16: BE TOO MUCH (Mini Episode)
This week’s mini episode dives into something a little different: the power of being too much. I grew up hearing that phrase constantly and spent years trying to shrink myself so no one would think I cared too much or tried too hard. But running marathons, hosting this show, and setting big goals flipped that script for me. Today I’m sharing how embracing that “too much” energy has pushed me toward the start and finish lines of some of my biggest dreams and why it might be the very thing that gets you where you want to go too.

If you’ve ever been told you’re too much, this one is for you. Let it be your reminder that caring deeply, going all in, and taking up space is exactly what big goals require.

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

...more
9min
December 08, 2025 102: Carried by Community: Fundraising, Representation, and a First NYC Marathon w/ Karina Chiqui
This week, I’m chatting with Karina Chiqui, whose first marathon story is layered with community, culture, and a whole lot of heart. Karina started running at 12 after getting cut from her middle school soccer team, which led her into a lifelong relationship with distance running and eventually a collegiate career she accidentally signed up for. After graduation she moved across the country, rebuilt her running community, and later found her way back to New York where she pitched a charity partnership that ultimately secured her spot in the NYC Marathon. Her journey to the start line was shaped by representation, fundraising creativity, and the people who showed up for her again and again.

In this conversation, she walks through the highs, lows, ankle mishaps, and the emotional moments that carried her through all 26.2 miles. Karina’s story is a reminder of how powerful it is to be surrounded by people who believe in you and how deeply running can connect us to our roots, our why, and each other.

Follow along with Karina - @karinaachiqui on Instagram!

Follow along with the show:
👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays
🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod
📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast
🌐 Website & extras: myfirstmarathon.co & myfirstmarathon.co/resources

Book a free 1:1 Coaching Call with me! -> https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37408473&appointmentType=85354440

...more
1h 9min

FAQs about My First Marathon:

How many episodes does My First Marathon have?

The podcast currently has 167 episodes available.

More shows like My First Marathon

The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll

The Rich Roll Podcast

11,865 Listeners

Marathon Training Academy by Angie and Trevor

Marathon Training Academy

1,504 Listeners

Another Mother Runner by Feisty Media

Another Mother Runner

1,329 Listeners

I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast by SandyBoy Productions

I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast

2,047 Listeners

The Strength Running Podcast by Jason Fitzgerald

The Strength Running Podcast

1,343 Listeners

Ali on the Run Show by Ali Feller

Ali on the Run Show

4,131 Listeners

Run4PRs by Run4PRs

Run4PRs

198 Listeners

Some Work, All Play by David Roche and Megan Roche

Some Work, All Play

1,880 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

29,207 Listeners

Fuel for the Sole by Fuel for the Sole

Fuel for the Sole

14 Listeners

Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara by Des Linden and Kara Goucher

Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara

1,783 Listeners

The Running Channel Podcast by The Running Channel

The Running Channel Podcast

165 Listeners

Tread Lightly Running Science Podcast by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris

Tread Lightly Running Science Podcast

365 Listeners

The Runna Podcast by Runna

The Runna Podcast

43 Listeners

Marathon Handbook Podcast by Marathon Handbook

Marathon Handbook Podcast

65 Listeners