In 2020, Keira D’Amato had arguably the best year of any American distance runner. She set PR’s at nearly every distance including an American record in the 10 mile. She then transitioned from the country’s best amateur runner/real estate broker to a Nike pro runner. An amazing transformation for any runner in their mid-30’s and an inspiration to runners all over.

Keira is now considered among a core group of talented favorites in the 10k for the Olympic Trials. Learn all about her remarkable transformation and much, much more.

The Road to the Trials have returned for season two and we are fired up! We will be bringing you a behind the scenes look at the training and racing of some of America's best track athletes as they prepare for the Olympic Track Trials in June. Specifically, we will be following Keira D'Amato, Dana Giordano, Olivia Baker, Frank Lara, Tyler Day, and Abe Alvarado.

In this episode we are joined by Lindsey Hein and Mario Fraioli, hosts of the highly rated I'll Have Another  and Morning Shakeout podcasts, and we set the stage for the lead-up to the trials. We discuss the year long gap between now and the Olympic Marathon Trials, whether we thought the Olympics would even happen, our favorite Olympic track & field memories, the events and athletes we are most excited to follow this spring, and we discuss where the six athletes we will be following this season compare to their peers in the lead-up to what will be an extremely entertaining track season.

Diljeet Taylor is the women’s cross country and distance coach at BYU and one of the best coaches in the country, at any level. Last fall her Cougars finished second in the NCAA Championships after improving year after year since she took over. How did that same team do during the Indoor Championships? Cancelled. How about the Track Championships? Cancelled. In this episode Diljeet dives into how COVID-19 has affected her athletes, her team, their training, her coaching, and her potential recruits.

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In the lead-up to the Olympic Marathon Trials, Jared Ward was considered to be the safest bet to make the Olympic team on the men's side. While no means a guarantee, he was perceived to be in a very good position to represent the U.S.A in Japan. His years of success, and consistency were at the heart of this belief. Yet, when race-day came, Jared did not have the race he envisioned earning a 27th place finish. In this episode, Jared displays extraordinary candor and introspection in detailing exactly what happened in Atlanta physically, mentally, and emotionally as well as what the future holds.

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In our Olympic Trials wrap-up with Lou Serafini we hear from an amazingly self-aware runner who has started to channel his inner drive and goals. Lou did not run the time that he anticipated but he still achieved his over-arching goal. In addition, Lou talks about all of the work that he and colleagues at Tracksmith have done over the past year to help OTQ runners make their dreams come true. What Lou has done for the running community exceeds even his most amazing athletic accomplishments. 

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What an amazing year 2019 turned out to be for Roberta Groner. The World Championships then six weeks later NYC Marathon was a marathon double of epic proportions. Unfortunately, the Olympic Trials did not go her way. Roberta did not finish the race and was forced to leave the course around mile 17. In this episode, Roberta shares the details about that experience, the amazing successes she has experienced, and the wonderful advice she has for other runners who are hoping to achieve their wildest dreams. 

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In the most emotional episode we have published, Sarah Bishop details the overwhelming response she had to bringing her children to the Olympic Trials to watch her compete. Sarah is one of the most competitive, no-nonsense, people we have had on this show, which makes this interview all the more special. In the past year she has rebuilt her body from a severe injury, adopted a new sport (triathlon), turned pro in that sport, competed at the World Championships, won a marathon with a shiny new PR three weeks before the Olympic Trials, then finished top-5 in a 70.3 in New Zealand a week later. Good luck finding a more inspiring athlete than Sarah Bishop.

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In our first Olympic Marathon Trials recap we catch-up with Kellyn Taylor after she finished 8th in a time of 2:29:55. We talk about the complexity of falling short of her goal while being elated for her teammates, the shin/calf issue affected her training and race, her thoughts on going into a big race with a “Plan B,” and what the short term future holds. 

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What an amazing event the Olympic Marathon Trials turned out to be. The men’s and women’s races were absolutely spectacular. In this episode I am joined by Jason Fitzgerald, from the Strength Runner Podcast, immediately after the finish and we take a deep dive into both races, the course, and all things Olympic Trials. 

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In our final episode before the Olympic Marathon Trials we reconnect with Kellyn Taylor. Kellyn details her recovery post-NYC Marathon, the challenges of starting a new marathon cycle, how her coach Ben Rosario changed this up time around, and her outlook for the Trials. Kellyn also details her family's experience with foster care and how that impacted her life over the last few months.

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