Women's Running Stories

Professional distance and marathon runner Neely Spence Gracey has been a competitive runner since she was in her teens and running has been a part of her life since she was born: both of her parents were competitive runners, and her father was an internationally competitive marathoner. In recent years, however, Neely's running focus and motivation has shifted, in large part because she began to balance new priorities. In addition to remaining committed to being an elite level competitor, Neely wanted to become a mom. This story follows Neely's running career from the high highs of her phenomenal 2016 debut in the marathon, through to today, including becoming the mother of two boys, Rome and Athens. Her journey has been full of ups and downs, but as the uncertainties that come with pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding have come to pass, Neely finds herself appreciating running in new ways and finding competitive fun in unexpected places. Along the way, Neely has set a world record in the stroller mile, she's had some epic races at Disney World, and she's earned her way into Olympic Trails Marathon, which will happen February 3, 2024. Keep Up with Neely Spence Gracey Instagram: @neelysgracie Twitter: @neelysgracey Mentioned in This Episode Breakthrough Women's Running: Dream Big and Train Smart by Neely Spence Gracey and Cindy Kuzma Starting Line 1928 podcast JAMBAR energy bars WRS episode: Jennifer Maxwell: Running to Her Own Beat WRS episode: Maegan Krifchin: An Epic Marathon PR Story Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/

Elite marathon runner Ari Hendrix did not grow up dreaming of running. Up through college, Hendrix’s athletic heart was firmly focused on the basketball court. But when professional prospects didn’t pan out after her college career ended, Hendrix had to face the harsh fast reality that the sport that had defined her days and shaped her dreams was over. This is the story of letting go of one dream, and being open to discovering what new, unexpected dreams can arise. So while Hendrix never considered running a sport of interest when she was young, her father–who died just before Hendrix’s senior year of college–thought differently. He was amazed by her sprinting speed. With the enthusiasm of a proud dad, he would say that she could be fast enough to go to the Olympics. When Hendrix was faced with the loss of her basketball dreams, she decided she needed a focus, a big challenge that would require a big commitment. Remembering her father’s vision of her becoming a runner, she decided to give it a go. Hendrix wanted to do the hardest thing she could think of, so she signed up for a marathon. In this episode, Hendrix traces her journey to running from basketball and how she went from completing that first marathon to now: Ari is currently training for the Olympic Trials Marathon as a sponsored athlete with the Oiselle Underbirds program. To qualify for the trials, runners must have run a 2:37 for the marathon or a 1:12 half marathon. To put this in basic terms: that is extremely difficult. Hendrix qualified with a 2:35 marathon at the 2022 California International Marathon, more commonly known as CIM. This race is one that many athletes use to run their fastest times. In addition to earning her spot at the trials, Hendrix is the third fastest runner on The List. (Erika Kemp is current first on The List; she ran 2:33 at the 2023 Boston Marathon). The List is an accounting of all of the American-born Black women who have broken 3 hours in the marathon. There are currently 31 women on The List. Ari Hendrix's goal is to be first on The List. Ways to Keep Up with Ari Hendrix Instagram: @ari_hendrix1 Mentioned in this Episode Oiselle: https://www.oiselle.com/ The Underbirds sponsorship program: https://www.oiselle.com/pages/year-of-the-underbird The List: https://tedcorbitt.com/black-female-marathon-history/ Breaking Three Hours documentary: https://blackmarathoners.org/breaking-three-hours.shtml Additional Women's Running Stories episodes featuring runners on The List Erica Kemp: Championships, Challenges, and a Marathon Debut, at Boston Sika Henry + Comrades Marathon: An Experience Like No Other Erica Stanley-Dottin: A Sub-3-Hour Marathon Goal, A Team Dream Soars LIVE EVENT: Podium Pioneers Panel (ft Marilyn Bevans, Patty Dillon, Jacqueline Hansen), 2023 Boston Marathon Expo LIVE EVENT: Marilyn Bevan & Meagan Krifchin: Celebrating 50 Years of Women Running Boston Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list

The story behind becoming 2023 USATF Masters Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Masters 60+ track and field athlete Sue McDonald has been a competitive athlete most of her life. And she's been a competitor in a wide variety of events: she'd started out her collegiate career as a heptathlete and has since continued to enjoy working at multiple disciplines, as well as trying new events (like the steeple!). So in 2022, when Sue was looking ahead at entering the 60+ masters age bracket, she didn't have just one event she was aiming to rewrite the records books in, she targeted several. In the end, Sue set 9 world records in the W60-64 category: indoors 800 and 1500; outdoors 400, 800, 300H, 1500, and Mile, as well as the Steeplechase and the Heptathlon. For her stellar achievements, Sue McDonald was named the 2023 USATF Masters Track and Field Athlete of Year. This is the story of what it took for Sue to be ready for a record-setting year. She left no area unconsidered: nutrition, mental prep, coaching, strength, lifestyle, physical training. And she gets into it all. This is what it took her to become a champion, many times over, and raise the bar for masters athletes. Ways to Keep Up with Sue McDonald Instagram: @suemcdonaldfitness Website: SueMcDonaldFitness.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list

Top American distance pro runner Molly Huddle tells the story around her 2023 NYC Marathon, her first time racing this distance since having her first child, Josephine, in April 2022. WRS featured Huddle in March of this year, 2023, to tell the story of her postpartum return to racing and how it all went down at the 2023 NYC Half Marathon. Immediately after that, Huddle was diagnosed with a serious injury. In this episode, Huddle catches us up on her injury recovery, why she decided to run the NYC Marathon on November 5, as well as how the marathon unfolded, and her plans going forward. Huddle also shares what she's been doing for the running community outside of racing, including raising money for &mother in conjunction with running NYC and helping to further the conversation around being a career athlete and becoming a mom. Molly Huddle is already a legend in the running world, and her racing story continues to develop. She's a two-time Olympian, multi-time national champion, and former American record holder in the 5000m and 10,000m. In addition, she is a strong voice in the women's running space, as a writer, podcaster, and activist: she's published many articles, co-wrote the book How She Did It: Stories, Advice, and Secrets to Success from Fifty Legendary Distance Runners, and is the co-host of the women's sports podcast Keeping Track. Huddle has been very deliberate about sharing her pregnancy and postpartum journey as a professional runner as a way of moving the sport forward and advocating for more support of professional running moms and moms to be. Add to all that, Huddle shares fascinating details about running and racing at the professional level of the sport. Her insights are really cool. Ways to Keep Up with Molly Huddle Instagram: @mollyhuddle Keeping Track podcast website: https://keeping-track.com/ Keeping Track podcast on Instagram: @keeptrackmedia How She Did It book website: https://howshediditbook.com/ How She Did It on Instagram: @howshediditbook Mentioned in this Episode Race Report: Molly Huddle + 2023 NYC Half Marathon: https://womensrunningstories.com/race-report-molly-huddle-2023-new-york-city-half-marathon &mother website: https://andmother.org/ &mother Instagram: @andmother_org Dr. Kate Ackerman on Instagram: @drkateackerman Hear Her Sports interview with Dr. Kate Ackerman: https://www.hearhersports.com/#/ep149-dr-kate-ackerman-female-athlete-program/ Fastr at Stanford University: https://fastr.stanford.edu/ Dr. Adam Tenforde, The Running Center: https://spauldingrehab.org/research/programs-labs/spaulding-running-center/about Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as one of the top 20 Women's Running podcasts by Feedspot: https://blog.feedspot.com/womens_running_podcasts/ Women's Running Stories is proud to be featured as #4 on the GoodPods top Running podcasts list

Elite runner and Olympian Rachel Smith tells the story of how it all went down from her viewpoint racing in the 2023 USATF 5km National Championships, which took place November 4, 2023, in New York City. This is Smith's first big event back since having her first child, her daughter, Nova, 6 months ago. Smith shares her experiences running through pregnancy, returning to training post-partum, and navigating breastfeeding as an elite level racer. And she shares her total joy of returning to competition and earning a podium spot, and what that looks like as a new mom. Smith makes note of how much she appreciates the growing support for racers who become moms. Specifically, she shouts out the pioneering organization &mother, founded by Olympian and former professional runner AlysiaMontaño. The USATF 5km National Championships is a part of the championship series of races, for various different distances, that happen around the country throughout the year. Racers have a chance to earn a national title, as well as to earn prize money and points based on finishing places; points go toward the overall circuit placing. This was the final race of the circuit in 2023, so the circuit champion has been decided: the winner of the 2023 USATF Running Circuit is Ednah Kurgat, followed by Emma Grace Hurley, and in third is Nell Rojas. All three of these runners have been featured in our Race Report episodes this year. You can catch up on earlier road races in the series through our Race Reports. Each report features one runner's perspective on how it all went down, to give you an inside look at these championship events. WRS will be following all of the USATF Running Circuit action in Race Reports next year, 2024, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Keep Up with Rachel Smith Instagram: @rachschneid18 Twitter: @rachschneid18 Mentioned in this episode: &mother, website: andmother.org &mother, Instagram: @andmother_org Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/

Verna Volker first started running as a way to improve her health. Over time, however, her relationship to the sport has grown and changed, to become a more personal and powerful part of her life. She started out pursuing road marathons and then moved to the trails, stretching her limits in ultra trail running. As her journey has evolved, so have her motivations. This is a story about how Volker has shaped her running journey to best serve her, her family, and her community. Volker is from the Navajo Nation: she clarifies, "My clans are the Tódích'íi'nii (Bitterwater) nishlíi, Hashtl'ishnii (Mud People) bashishchiin, Ta'neeszahnii (Tangle) dashicheii, and Tó' áheedlíinii (Water Flows Together) dashinalí."As she got more involved in running, Volker noticed the absence of stories and experiences of other Native women in the media and online. She decided to help change that by launching Native Women Running, to highlight those experiences and also to support and create community and running opportunities for women like herself. Volker's running pursuits have also brought her closer to her own ancestry; running is integral to Navaho culture. This was something Volker had known throughout her life, but she hadn't felt that connection until experiencing the sport for herself in adulthood; she is now passing that lived knowledge on to her children. In hand, Volker has also discovered the healing powers of running, which have helped her work through past traumas. And she has a strong appreciation for the strength created through developing a supportive running community. Keep Up with Verna Volker Instagram: @hozhorunner4 Keep Up with Native Women Running Instagram: @nativewomenrunning Website: NativeWomenRunning.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/

In June of this summer, 2023, Women's Running Stories host and producer Cherie Turner closed the chapter on running longer distance races (at least for now), like marathons and ultras, and turned her attention to the 5k. Her goal: break 20 minutes in the 5km. Cherie is currently 54 years old and she has never dipped under 20 minutes at this distance. The closest she's ever gotten was back over a decade ago, when she ran 20:19. This is Part 2 of Cherie's journey, an update that spans September and October 2023. Part 1 of this series concluded with Cherie setting a baseline time of 21:10 on August 30. Please click the link below to hear that episode; it's not a prerequisite for listening to this episode, but it will give you more context and background on this project. In this episode, Cherie covers what she's learned over the past few months and what her racing and training efforts have looked like. Come along for the journey. Mentioned in this episode Jae Gruenke, The Balanced Runner: https://www.balancedrunner.com/ Shane Benzie, Running Reborn: https://runreborn.com/ Cherie Turner: The Over 50, Sub 20, 5k Project: Part 1, Setting the Baseline: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-the-over-50-sub-20-5k-project-part-1-setting-the-baseline Stories of Womens' Experiences at Comrades: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-comrades-marathon Cherie Turner at Comrades 2023: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-louise-turner-2023-comrades-marathon-experiencing-the-magic-again-and-better Cherie Turner at Comrades, a Collaboration with Hear Her Sports 2022: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-comrades-marathon-a-hear-her-sports-special-collaboration Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/

Jennifer Maxwell is best known as the co-founder of PowerBar with her late husband, Brian Maxwell. Not only did the couple found a hugely successful company, they created the energy bar sector. Before PowerBar, which launched in 1986, there were no energy bars. These days, Jennifer continues to reinvent in the energy bar space with the launch of JAMBAR. While Jennifer's passion for running certainly played into her interests in creating an energy bar company, her life as a runner started long before then. Jennifer has been running since she was a child, and running continues to be an important part of Jennifer's life and identity. Over these many years, the part running has played in Jennifer's life has morphed to suit her needs. And her needs have changed dramatically over the years. This is the story of how running has helped shape Jennifer's life and in turn how Jennifer has utilized this sport to navigate some of life's most difficult challenges. Her story is testament to the many ways we can weave running into our lives, and how truly remarkable the relationship to this sport can be. Keep Up with Jennifer Maxwell and JAMBAR Website: jambar.com Keep Up with The Masters of Running Podcast Instagram: @themastersofrunningpodcast Episode with Sue McDonald and Terry Howell: https://shows.acast.com/the-masters-of-running-podcast/episodes/sue-mcdonald-terry-howell Website: shows.acast.com/the-masters-of-running-podcast Keep up with The Planted Runner Instagram: @theplantedrunner Website: theplantedrunner.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/

Elite runner and PhD student Jeralyn Poe tells the story of how it all went down from her viewpoint racing in the 2023 USATF 10km National Championships, which took place September 23, 2023, in Northport, NY, at the Great Cow Harbor 10km. Poe is in a relatively new phase of her racing journey, having finished her collegiate career just a couple years ago. Specifically, over the past two years, she's gone from the collegiate level of racing to the pro/elite field, and she's switched from track racing to racing on the roads. In addition, she's focused on a whole new distance: the marathon. Poe has always preferred longer distance races, and in college, the furthest she could race was the 10k. Now in her post-collegiate life, she's excited to focus on the marathon. To get there, she's gradually been upping her race distances and will debut in the marathon at the 2024 Olympic Trials Marathon, which will take place in Florida, in February. The Olympic Trials is Poe's A goal. This 10k champs then plays into a much bigger picture of Poe's running plans. Poe tells the whole story in this episode. The USATF 10km National Championships is a part of the championship series of races, for various different distances, that happen around the country throughout the year. Racers have a chance to earn a national title, as well as to earn prize money and points based on finishing places; points go toward the overall series placing. The top three places in the series after the 10km champs are Ednah Kurgat, Nell Rojas, and Emma Grace Hurley. All three of these runners have been featured in our Race Report episodes this year. You can catch up on earlier road races in the series through our Race Reports. Each report features one runner's perspective on how it all went down, to give you an inside look at these championship events. Stay tuned for the next and final race of 2023 series: the USATF 5km National Championships taking place November 4, 2023, in New York City. Keep Up with Jeralyn Poe Instagram: @jeralynkiprotich Twitter: @jeralynpoe Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys understands what pushing through, putting one foot in front of the other in the face of great pain and on the edge of breaking feels like. She's been doing it her whole life. But it wasn't until she discovered the world of ultra trail running that she truly understood how deeply empowered this had made her. She's now on a quest to discover just how far she can push her boundaries, for herself and for others: to represent and inspire. This is the story of how Pace-Humphreys went from growing up as the only Black identified person in a rural UK town where she experienced devastating racism and isolation to becoming a limit-pushing ultra runner and one of most dynamic, influential voices in trail running today. When Pace-Humphreys began her running journey, she was in the throws of deep post-natal depression. Getting through her first one-mile walk/jog—a suggestion from her doctor—was a tremendous challenge. But it sparked something inside her, and set her on a life-altering journey. In her quest to find her ultimate ultra challenge, Pace-Humphreys has completed some of the most challenging ultra events in the world, including the multiday stage race the Marathon des Sables and the 268-mile Spine Race, in addition to numerous other ultra and trail endeavors. Her next challenge is the 200-mile Winter Downs, which takes place December 2023. Among her many accomplishments as an activist and game-changer, Pace-Humphreys has authored the powerful and important memoir Black Sheep: A Story of Rural Racism, Identity, and Hope; she co-founded the Black Trail Runners; and she hosts the podcast Sabulous. In addition to all that, Pace-Humphreys, 45, is the mother of four children and grandmother of three, has recovered from addiction, and is an award-winning businesswoman. Keep up with Sabrina Pace-Humphreys Instagram: @sabrunsmiles Sabulous Podcast: https://www.sabrinapacehumphreys.com/sabulous-podcast Black Sheep memoir: https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/sabrina-pace-humphreys/black-sheep/9781529418576/ Website: www.sabrinapacehumphreys.com Keep Up with Black Trail Runners Instagram: @blacktrailrunners Website: www.blacktrailrunners.run Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: [email protected] Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/