Episode Rundown:

• Tommie’s brutal 100K race recap (13,000 ft of climbing)
• Trail running realities: climbs, descents, and survival mode
• Fueling strategies: gels, Coke, and potatoes
• Aid station dynamics and race strategy
• Post-race recovery and what 100K does to your body
• Animal encounters on runs… especially squirrels

Thank you to our sponsor Noogs!

NOOGS are sour energy chews made for endurance athletes who want fuel that actually tastes good during training and racing. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and made with natural colors and flavors. If you want to try them, head to ⁠noogsnutrition.com⁠ and use code RELAY15 for 15% off at checkout.

Topics discussed:

- Erika Kemp wins New Bedford Half and uses it as a Boston build workout

- New York Half performances and how fast the men’s field has become

- NCAA indoor track drama, DQ controversy, and rising personalities in the sport

- Doping conversations, testing challenges, and clean sport concerns

- Barcelona Marathon 2:10 performance and confusion around record legitimacy

Episode rundown:

- USATF half marathon championship aftermath and updates
- LA Marathon chaos, the mile 18 medal debate, and surprising performances
- New York City Marathon lottery frustration and the internet pile-on
- Fred Kerley’s ban, whereabouts failures, and the Enhanced Games conversation
- Books, podcasts, and pop culture detours

-US Half Marathon Championships leaders going off course and the fallout for podium, prize money, and team selection
-Course marking, lead vehicles, and why “athletes should know the course” is a bad take
-USATF response, rulebook rigidity, and what a fair resolution could look like
-Indoor championships highlights including Nikki Hiltz, Cole Hocker, Noah Lyles, and Cooper Lutkenhaus
-Enhanced Games conversation plus doping, whereabouts failures, and how fans feel about watching

Thank you to our sponsor Noogs!

NOOGS are sour energy chews made for endurance athletes who want fuel that actually tastes good during training and racing. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and made with natural colors and flavors. If you want to try them, head to noogsnutrition.com and use code RELAY15 for 15% off at checkout.

• Gabby Hentemann joins as guest host

• Hyrox crossover and runners entering the hybrid athlete world

• Track talk and records: Keely Hodgkinson, “sketchy” marks, and the women’s 800

• The women’s 100-mile world record and what 12+ hours of running does to your brain

• Eating disorder messaging, recovery, and the pressure cooker of marathon culture (taper week, body image, GLP-1 conversations)

• Indoor season heating up: Cole Hocker’s American record, BU vs JDL, and banked vs flat tracks

• Elite track culture vs road culture: pace lights, meet atmospheres, and where pros choose to race

• Trail running momentum: Black Canyon, golden tickets, and Molly Seidel’s transition

• Half marathon and championship conversations: US Half Champs, World Half Champs, and timing builds for Boston

• The content era of running: blue jeans marathons, influencer racing, and performance vs storytelling

Episode Rundown:

Winter running survival: treadmill acceptance, frostbite fears, and training through deep cold

Injury rehab reality check: Lindsey’s post-surgery boot decisions and the case for PT

Indoor track culture: BU’s “illegal fast” track, infield chaos, and track time scheduling

Elite race logistics: buses, credentials, start-line waiting, and why pros deal with plenty of nonsense too

Olympics and sports fandom: Lindsey Vonn discourse, learning new sports fast, and choosing new Winter Olympic events to follow

Episode Rundown:

• Lindsey recaps the Donna Marathon finish line and why it is the best vibe in racing

• Indoor track is back and Peter is fully locked in on tactics, angles, and meet energy

• Millrose mile reactions, plus how storylines can flip in half a lap

• World record expectations vs actual racing, and why racing can be the whole point

• The 16-year-old mile conversation, pressure, and the burnout question

• Running fan etiquette: how to hype pros up without making it weird

• Winter Olympics draft: what we’re watching, what we’re learning, and what is secretly terrifying

• Anna Gibson story time and why ski mountaineering is a wild crossover

• The Boston Cop Slide moment and why it is basically luge training

• Training through brutal winter: treadmill strategies, safety, and avoiding dumb injuries

In this Relay episode, we’re sharing a conversation from Road to the Trials that feels especially relevant right now. Peter Bromka sits down with JP Trojan, an Olympic Trials qualifier who ran 2:10 and finished fourth at the California International Marathon, a breakthrough performance that put him firmly on the map as we look ahead to the 2028 Trials.

JP’s path is anything but typical. He ran collegiately at William & Mary and later used eligibility while attending Syracuse Law School, building his running career alongside a demanding academic track. Today, he trains with Minnesota Distance Elite while working full time as an immigration attorney in Minneapolis. JP shares what it looks like to hold both worlds at once, how he structures training around a high-responsibility job, and why he races with a competitor’s mindset instead of chasing a time.

In light of what’s happening in Minnesota and the broader climate in our country, JP also talks about his work in immigration law and what this moment has been like on the ground. He offers tangible ways listeners can support affected communities, including two trusted organizations doing critical work. Our hearts are with Minnesota and with everyone experiencing fear, uncertainty, and trauma right now.

Links to support:
Advocates for Human Rights: https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/donate
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

Today on group chat, we have Lindsey Hein, Peter Bromka, and Erika Kemp.

Episode Rundown:

• The 2026 Boston Marathon women’s professional field and how stacked it is

• Erika Kemp’s decision to commit to Boston and what changed post-Tokyo

• Marathon race strategy, decision fatigue, and why you must run your own race

• Training alone vs with partners and why empty-bleacher workouts matter

• Winter training realities, treadmill debates, and tuning out online noise

In this episode, we have Lindsey Hein, Peter Bromka, and Erika Kemp.

Episode Rundown:

• Houston Half weekend energy and early-season racing mindset

• Erika Kemp’s race, PR, and returning to Houston after last year’s marathon breakthrough

• Should Houston be the USATF Half Marathon Championships?

• How pros use the half marathon in a spring marathon build

• Brooks teammate camaraderie and in-race pack dynamics

• Tallahassee World Cross course madness and obstacles

• Team USA 4x2K relay selection and why it changes the field

• Training in winter conditions, treadmill debates, and staying consistent