We’ve got Jess McClain on the show today! She’ll be running her fifth marathon in Boston next weekend—can you believe Marathon Monday is almost here? This will be Jess’s second time on the podcast; the first was shortly after the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials, where she placed fourth and had everyone wondering, “Wait, who is this woman?” But Jess definitely didn’t come out of nowhere.
She’s a former 5,000m standout, an All-American at Stanford, and a high school star coached by Dr. Jeff Messer—who, by the way, was on this podcast as part of our coaching series last year (check that one out if you haven’t – episode 578!). Jess took a break from professional running during COVID but was previously training with the Brooks Beasts. She’s now back, stronger than ever, and her fourth-place finish at the Trials came with a four-minute PR—running 2:25:46.
Since then, she’s gone on to place fourth in both the 10,000m at the Olympic Trials on the track and the USA Half Marathon Championships. Fourth place again and again—but what stands out about Jess is the grace she shows after each race. In this episode, she shares how she’s taken the pressure off chasing podiums and learned to embrace racing for more than just the result.
Jess ran her first major last fall in New York, where she placed eighth in 2:27:19. Now she’s headed to Boston for her second major, carrying lessons learned and a fresh mindset. She also won the USA 10K title last year at the Great Cow Harbor 10K and has been back on the track—something she didn’t think she’d return to.
In addition to running professionally for Brooks, Jess works full-time with the Love Up and Love Pup Foundations. The Love Up Foundation supports children in foster care and spreads love and kindness in the community. Her energy is incredible, and I just love celebrating all that she’s doing in and beyond the sport. Can’t wait to see what she does in Boston!
What we talked about:
5:00- How training for Boston has looked
16:45- Finding peace in the results
30:45- Breaking 31 in the 10k alongside Emily Infeld
37:00- What it has looked like in her return to professional running
54:50- Running for Brooks
58:00- Thoughts on Grand Slam
Show notes:
Episode 578 with Dr. Jeff Messer (Jess’ high school coach!!)
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