Road to the Trials: The Road Ahead

Anna Benedettini is already headed back to the Olympic Trials. She ran 2:33:13 for third at Indy Monumental last fall, earning her second OTQ in just her third marathon start and taking nearly two minutes off the time she ran to qualify for the 2024 Trials.Anna joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about her breakthrough at Indy, how she rebuilt her relationship with running after five stress fractures in college, and why better fueling, recovery, and a healthier approach to the sport have allowed her to thrive post-collegiately. She also shares what it’s like being coached by her brother, balancing elite-level running with her job at rabbit, and why having a full life outside of running is central to the way she approaches the sport.With her 2028 qualifier already secured and the Trials coming to her hometown of St. Louis, Anna has time to experiment, chase faster times, and enjoy racing before it’s time to fully lock in again.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrialsSupport our Sponsors:Kila makes custom performance insoles using super shoe foams, designed specifically for your feet. Just download the Kila app, scan your feet in less than five minutes, and your custom insoles are built and shipped to you. They’re comfortable, responsive, and bring super shoe technology to a personalized insole. Get $50 off your first order at kilarun.com with code ROADTOTHETRIALS.

Kodi Kleven had one of the biggest breakthroughs of the spring, running 2:24:48 at Boston after finding herself at the front of the race early on. She joins Peter to talk about what it felt like to lead the Boston Marathon, why she was able to stay calm in the moment, and how a performance she once couldn’t imagine became her new PR.Kodi also shares how training with Ed Eyestone’s Run Elite group has changed her running, the lessons she’s learned from years of injuries, underfueling, and overtraining, and why nutrition, recovery, strength work, and learning to trust the people around her have become such a big part of her progress.They also talk about her background in trail running, why she still sees trails in her future, working through her current injury, and what it will take to stay healthy and make it to the 2028 Olympic Trials in St. Louis.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrialsThank you to our sponsors:Kila makes custom performance insoles using super shoe foams, designed specifically for your feet. Just download the Kila app, scan your feet in less than five minutes, and your custom insoles are built and shipped to you. They’re comfortable, responsive, and bring super shoe technology to a personalized insole. Get $50 off your first order at kilarun.com with code ROADTOTHETRIALS.

Brooke Wildermuth’s first marathon was a 4:11. She was fresh out of college, working in consulting, traveling Monday through Thursday, and running mostly because she loved it. Fast forward a few years and Brooke is a 2:35 marathoner headed to the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.Brooke joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about the huge progression that started when she joined Brooklyn Track Club and decided she wanted to see how good she could get. After running 3:14 at New York and 2:44 at Chicago, Brooke had her son and faced a much harder postpartum return than she expected, including a serious infection and a femoral stress reaction that forced her to stop running.She shares how she rebuilt through cross-training, returned to marathon training, and ultimately ran 2:35:48 at McKirdy to secure her Olympic Trials qualifier. Brooke also talks about balancing running with motherhood and future family plans, what she hopes to chase at CIM this fall, and why she’s still curious to find out just how fast she can go.Thank you to our sponsors:Kila makes custom performance insoles using super shoe foams, designed specifically for your feet. Just download the Kila app, scan your feet in less than five minutes, and your custom insoles are built and shipped to you. They’re comfortable, responsive, and bring super shoe technology to a personalized insole. Get $50 off your first order at kilarun.com with code ROADTOTHETRIALS.

Colin Bennie has already proven he can show up when it matters, finishing ninth at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and tenth in 2024. Now officially qualified for 2028, he joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about what’s next.Colin shares the highs and lows of his marathon career, from becoming the top American at Boston to taking big swings that don’t always pay off. He talks about training mostly solo under longtime coach Chris Fox, trusting what works instead of chasing massive mileage, and balancing elite running with his full-time data engineering job for the Miami Marlins.With a baby on the way, Colin is putting family first this fall before turning his attention back to racing and another Olympic Trials buildup. He talks about longevity in the sport, learning from tough races, and why he still wants the chance to find out just how fast he can run.Thank you to our sponsors:ZBiotics is a genetically engineered pre-alcohol probiotic designed to help break down an alcohol byproduct associated with rough mornings. Take it before your first drink to enjoy your night without sacrificing the next day. Get 15% off your first order at zbiotics.com with code TRIALS26.Kila makes custom performance insoles using super shoe foams, designed specifically for your feet. Just download the Kila app, scan your feet in less than five minutes, and your custom insoles are built and shipped to you. They’re comfortable, responsive, and bring super shoe technology to a personalized insole. Get $50 off your first order at kilarun.com with code ROADTOTHETRIALS.

Hillary Bor built his career as one of America’s top steeplechasers, becoming a two-time Olympian before making the move to the marathon. Now, after running 2:08 in Rotterdam, he has his sights set on going sub-2:06 and making another Olympic team in 2028.Hillary joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about what he’s learned through his first two marathons, how marathon training compares to the steeplechase, and why patience, fueling, and endurance have become such a big focus. He also shares his remarkable path from coming to the U.S. on a college scholarship to serving in the Army while training at an elite level, and why he credits the military with helping shape both his running career and his mindset.They also talk about studying his competitors, averaging 130 miles per week, learning from training partners, and why he believes the 2028 Olympic Trials could be one of the most competitive yet.In this episode:Transitioning from the steeplechase to the marathonRunning 2:08 in Rotterdam and chasing sub-2:06His goal of making a third Olympic teamServing in the U.S. Army while training professionallyWhy the military shaped his approach to competitionLearning marathon fueling and race strategyTraining 130-mile weeksStudying his competitors ahead of 2028Looking ahead to Valencia and the Olympic TrialsThank you to our sponsors:ZBiotics is a genetically engineered pre-alcohol probiotic designed to help break down an alcohol byproduct associated with rough mornings. Take it before your first drink to enjoy your night without sacrificing the next day. Get 15% off your first order at zbiotics.com with code TRIALS26.Kila makes custom performance insoles using super shoe foams, designed specifically for your feet. Just download the Kila app, scan your feet in less than five minutes, and your custom insoles are built and shipped to you. They’re comfortable, responsive, and bring super shoe technology to a personalized insole. Get $50 off your first order at kilarun.com with code ROADTOTHETRIALS.

Hi all! We wanted to pop on with a quick update from the Road to the Trials team, revisit a few of our past episodes, and share a little of what’s ahead.We’re taking a down week, but there’s a lot coming this fall. We have a ton of great interviews lined up with more athletes on their Road to the Trials, so buckle up. We’re just getting started!And if you’ve been enjoying the show, consider supporting us on Patreon. Your support helps us keep telling these stories and fueling the Road to the Trials.Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrials

Sarah Czuprynski will be the first to tell you that the marathon has never come naturally to her. In fact, she’ll also tell you she hates it.Her first marathon took more than four hours. She eventually qualified for Boston, broke three hours for the first time at New York, dropped her PR to 2:43, and then ran 2:36 at CIM to qualify for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Most recently, she lowered her PR again to 2:35 at Grandma’s Marathon. Her progression is pretty incredible, but Sarah’s story is about so much more than the times she’s run.Sarah takes Peter through her entire marathon journey, including the heartbreaking story behind her first marathon. Her dad, who was her biggest supporter, unexpectedly passed away just before he was supposed to fly to Los Angeles to watch her race. When Sarah finally ran the LA Marathon the following year, she carried his ashes and a cross around her neck for all 26.2 miles.This is an inspiring episode, enjoy!Kila RunKila makes custom performance insoles using super shoe foams, designed around your unique foot shape. The process takes less than five minutes using your phone, and your custom insoles are shipped directly to you.Get $50 off your first order at KilaRun.com with code ROADTOTHETRIALS.Road to the Trials PatreonWant even more Road to the Trials? Join Peter and Lindsey on Patreon for bonus episodes, deep dives, Trials predictions, Q&As, and plenty of marathon geekery as we count down to 2028.Join the Road to the Trials Patreon at Patreon.com/relayandtrials.

Breanna Sieracki joins Lindsey and Peter on Road to the Trials after qualifying for her second Olympic Marathon Trials and with baby number three on the way.Breanna’s path to the marathon is such a good one. She came out of college as a steeplechaser and 5K runner who swore she would never run a marathon. Then, during her first pregnancy, she started wondering what it might look like to train for one postpartum. She debuted at CIM 10 months after having her first daughter, then came back at Grandma’s Marathon in 2023 and ran 2:33 to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trials.We talk about how motherhood has changed Breanna as an athlete, learning to give herself more grace in training, and what she’s learned through multiple postpartum rebuilds. She also takes us inside Minnesota Distance Elite, her relationship with Coach Lundstrom, and the individualized training that has helped her grow from a relatively low-mileage college runner into someone who thrives during 80–110 mile marathon weeks.Breanna also opens up about her difficult day at Boston, the vulnerable post about her race that unexpectedly went viral, and how hard it was to deal with criticism and comments about her body while already processing the disappointment of the race itself. We talk about the patience required when you know the fitness and the potential are there, but life means the next opportunity may still be a ways off.Her message at the end of this conversation says it best: you can chase multiple dreams. Your path might look different from someone else’s, but that doesn’t mean you have to choose only one.

Carrie Ellwood is having the kind of year that can change a running career. She finished 10th overall and fourth American at the Boston Marathon in 2:22, signed her first professional contract with ASICS shortly after, and has firmly put herself in the conversation as someone to watch heading toward the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials. Carrie spent seven years as a first grade teacher while continuing to train and compete at a high level. Two years ago, she stepped away from the classroom without a big contract waiting for her or a breakout race guaranteeing that professional running would work out. She simply knew she would regret it if she didn’t give herself the chance to see how good she could be. Now, that bet on herself is paying off.Thank you to our sponsors:ZBiotics is a genetically engineered probiotic designed to support your body before drinking. Their pre-alcohol probiotic is formulated to break down the byproduct of alcohol that can lead to rough mornings, helping you feel better the next day while still enjoying a social night out. Developed by a team of PhD microbiologists, it’s designed to be taken before your first drink as part of a more intentional approach to alcohol consumption. If you’re looking to balance enjoying a night out without sacrificing how you feel the next day, you can learn more and get 15% off your first order at zbiotics.com using the code trials26 at checkout.Precision Fuel & Hydration offers a personalized approach to fueling and hydration, helping athletes dial in exactly what their body needs before, during, and after training. With a wide range of products including drink mixes, gels, chews, and electrolyte solutions, it makes it easy to build a fueling strategy that fits your routine, whether you're heading out for a long run or racing. What sets them apart is their individualized fueling plans, designed around your specific sweat rate and sodium needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. You can learn more and get 15% off your first order at precisionhydration.com using the code trials26 at checkout.

Hey running geeks, we're getting going on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrialsPlease join us over there for special deep dives, Q&As, and other special content we've got cooking up.In this preview we share a clip of our 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials episode, my oh my was it fun to dive back into the now 2-year past of USA marathoning, which begins to serve as a preview for the Trials in St. Louis in under 24 months.Thank you for your support of this project of love!