Road to the Trials
by Peter Bromka, Lindsey Hein, and Matt Chittim
Co-hosts Matt Chittim, Lindsey Hein, and Peter Bromka interview every 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier along with a wide-ranging group of industry professionals in preparation for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Episodes
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Caroline Hill: From NCAA Heartbreak to a Twin Cities Marathon Podium
Caroline Hill of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project joins Road to the Trials after earning a third-place finish at the Twin Cities Marathon in just her second marathon. Caroline shares how a heartbreaking end to her collegiate career at Wake Forest led her to professional running, why she knew…
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Andrew Kaye: From College Graduate to 2:12 Marathoner in Weeks
Andrew Kaye knew the marathon was where he belonged. After six years of Division II running at Colorado School of Mines, he realized the shorter distances weren't bringing out his best. So he turned his attention to the roads, started coaching himself, and eventually made his marathon debut at…
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Ari Fisher: How Orangetheory and Unconventional Training Fueled a 2:34 Marathon
Ari Fisher isn't following a traditional path to the Olympic Trials. At 37 years old, she's running faster than ever, incorporating Orangetheory classes into her marathon training, and just ran 2:34:15 at the Twin Cities Marathon to earn her first Olympic Trials qualifying time. Ari joins Lindsey...
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Paxton Smith: From Miami Schoolteacher to Coaching 200 Runners and a Second Olympic Trials Qualification
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrials Paxton Smith is headed to his second Olympic Marathon Trials after running 2:15:51 at the McKirdy Micro OTQ. But his journey back to the Trials has looked very different from his first qualification. After running at the University of...
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Benjamin Bayless: A 2:15 Marathon Debut, Race-Day Mistakes, and Chasing 2:10
Benjamin Bayless ran 2:15:35 in his marathon debut at CIM, securing his 2028 Olympic Trials qualifier on his first attempt. A former collegiate runner at Miami University and Ole Miss, Benjamin made the jump to the marathon immediately after graduation and quickly proved he belonged at the elite...
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Jackie Gaughan: Self-Coaching, 80/20 Training, and Learning to Race Again
Jackie Gaughan is a 2:24 marathoner, Saucony-sponsored athlete, and full-time finance professional who just secured another Olympic Trials qualifier at the Berlin Marathon. After a stretch of disappointing races and training that left her feeling burned out, Jackie reconsidered what it meant to...
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Alex Price: Self-Coached to the Olympic Trials, One Water Cup at a Time
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrials Alex Price joins Peter and Lindsey after running 2:15:24 at the California International Marathon to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Trials. A former Division III runner, Alex spent years chasing the qualifying standard while balancing a...
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Diane Neubauer: 12 Seconds to Spare at CIM
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrials Diane Neubauer is a mom of two, an Air Force wife, a running coach, and an Olympic Trials qualifier who has made some remarkable breakthroughs in the marathon over the past few years. After running collegiately at Cabrini University,...
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Patrick Cullen is Chasing a 2:06 at the Chicago Marathon
Patrick Cullen is heading into the Chicago Marathon this weekend with a big goal: run 2:06 and establish himself as one of the next names to watch in American distance running. At just 24 years old, Patrick has already qualified for the 2028 Olympic Trials after running 2:13:18 in his marathon...
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Ainsley Pressl: She Didn’t Think She Was Ready to OTQ
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrials Ainsley Pressl showed up to the McKirdy Marathon calling it a “soft attempt.” She wasn’t convinced she was ready to run the OTQ standard. Her plan was simply to get in the pace group, hang on as long as she could, and learn from the...
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Anne-Marie Blaney: Racing to Win at Twin Cities
Anne-Marie Blaney has built her marathon career one steady step at a time. After finishing 16th at the 2024 Olympic Trials and running 2:29, the Hansons-Brooks athlete is already qualified for 2028 and focused on continuing to evolve as a marathoner. Anne-Marie joins Lindsey and Peter to talk…
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Mitch Ammons: A 2:14 Breakthrough, Addiction, and Life Without Running
Mitch Ammons joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about his 2:14 breakthrough at CIM that secured his spot at the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials, and the challenging months that followed. Mitch shares why higher mileage changed his running, what went right during his CIM build, and how he managed to…
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Stephen Jones Is Having Way Too Much Fun Running 2:11
Stephen Jones joins Lindsey and Peter after a breakout 2:11 performance at the Marathon Project secured his Olympic Trials qualifier and opened the door to an opportunity he’s dreamed about: racing the professional field at the New York City Marathon. Stephen talks about why he still prioritizes...
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Paige Wood: Taking the Pressure Off the Clock and Betting on Consistency
Paige Wood joins Lindsey and Peter to talk about the long road back to her best after becoming a mom and what she’s learning as she builds toward her first Olympic Marathon Trials. Paige breaks down her run at Boston, why stepping away from chasing a specific time helped her rediscover the fun of...
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Anna Benedettini: Three Marathon Starts, Two OTQs
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...
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Kodi Kleven on Leading Boston and Breaking 2:25
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…
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Brooke Wildermuth Went From 4:11 to 2:35
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...
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Colin Bennie: Two Top-10 Olympic Trials Finishes and More in the Tank
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…
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Hillary Bor: From Olympic Steeplechaser to 2:08 Marathoner
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...
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Road to the Trials: The Road Ahead
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…
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Sarah Czuprynski Went From a 4:04 Marathon to an OTQ
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…
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Breanna Sieracki: Baby #3, Another Olympic Trials, and the Belief That Sub-2:30 Is Coming
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...
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Carrie Ellwood’s Rise From First Grade Teacher to 2:22 Marathoner
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...
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Patreon preview...
Hey running geeks, we're getting going on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/relayandtrials Please 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…
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Murphy Smith Ran 2:08 in Just His Second Marathon
Just one year removed from competing at the NCAA Championships, Murphy Smith has already established himself as one of the brightest young marathoners in the United States. After debuting with a 2:11 at the California International Marathon, Murphy returned just months later to run 2:08:58 at the...
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Inside Robert Miranda's Breakthrough 2:09 Marathon
Robert Miranda's marathon breakthrough didn't happen overnight. After narrowly missing his goals in Chicago, withdrawing from the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials, and learning some hard lessons through self-coaching, he returned to Boston this spring to run a lifetime best of 2:09:40 and officially...
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From Walk-On to Boston PR: Charlie Sweeney's Road to the Trials
Charlie Sweeney joins us after a personal best at the Boston Marathon to talk about the next chapter of his marathon career and why he believes he's just getting started. The former Division II walk-on turned CU Boulder standout reflects on his unconventional path through the sport, working with...
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How Rachel Schilkowsky Finally Solved the Marathon
Rachel Schilkowsky joins us after earning her spot at the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with a breakthrough 2:35:51 and second-place finish at the Vermont City Marathon. A five-time NCAA Division I All-American at Cornell, Rachel is a biomechanical engineer, mom of two, and self-coached…
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Lily Anderson: From Teaching in Brooklyn Classrooms to Brooklyn Track Club & an OTQ
Lily Anderson joins us fresh off another strong marathon that secured her spot at the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Lily shares how she went from teaching in New York City public schools through Teach For America to pursuing the marathon at a high level while becoming a key member of…
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Andrew Colley Knows His Best Marathon Is Still Ahead
Andrew Colley has represented Team USA three times, won the USATF 25K Championships, and qualified for four U.S. Olympic Team Trials across the marathon, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters. Yet despite running 2:09 for the marathon and 60:47 for the half marathon, he believes his biggest…
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Alex Burks: Three Breakthroughs at the Same Course, a 2:15 OTQ, and Why Running Is Still Fun
Alex Burks has a unique relationship with Rockland Lake. It's where he ran his first breakout half marathon, his first major marathon breakthrough, and this spring, where he punched his ticket to the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials with a 2:15:49, qualifying by just 11 seconds. In this conversation...
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Esteban Trujillo: A Decade Away from Running, Then a 2:14 Marathon at Age 40
After walking away from running for nearly a decade, Esteban Trujillo never expected he'd one day be racing 2:14 marathons. But at age 40, he's become one of the fastest masters marathoners in the world, finishing second overall in the masters division at the 2026 Boston Marathon and running...
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Erin McDonald: Rediscovering Running and a 2:32 Marathon Breakthrough
After stepping away from competitive running for nearly four years, Erin McDonald wasn't sure she'd ever return to the sport at a high level. Now, she's a 2:32 marathoner, a 4:31 miler, and an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. Following a breakthrough performance at the 2025 CIM, Erin joins Road...
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Ryan Smith: The Finish Line Reaction Everyone Was Talking About
Ryan Smith only planned to gain experience in his marathon debut. Instead, he ran 2:15:34 at the Vermont City Marathon, won the race, and punched his ticket to the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. But as Ryan explains, the result wasn't about chasing a time. It came from years of consistent...
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Megan Connolly: The WWE Broadcaster Who Qualified for the Olympic Trials
This episode is sponsored by Kava Haven, Goodr, and Precision Fuel & Hydration. Megan Connolly's path to the Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier was anything but straightforward. A former Division I runner turned broadcaster, Megan spent years casually running marathons before deciding to fully...
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Madey Dickson: From the Mile to a 2:28 Marathon and Learning to Take Risks
Madey Dickson never planned to become a marathoner. A standout miler at Brigham Young University, she first tried the marathon almost on a whim before discovering she might be better at 26.2 than she ever expected. Less than a year after fully committing to the event, Madey has already run 2:28...
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Annie Frisbie: A 2:22 Breakthrough and Another Boston Masterclass
Fresh off a career-best 2:22 at the 2026 Boston Marathon, Annie Frisbie joins Road to the Trials to reflect on one of the biggest performances of her career. Annie finished eighth overall and was the second American across the line, continuing her remarkable success on the Boston course. She…
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Erik Linden: Trusting the Process, Reinventing the Journey, and Running 2:12
This episode is supported by Kava Haven, Wahoo, and Precision Fuel & Hydration. Erik Linden returns to the Olympic Trials stage after running a breakthrough 2:12 at the McKirdy Micro Marathon, continuing a marathon journey that has been defined by patience, curiosity, and a willingness to follow...
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Sarah Reiter: Three Olympic Trials, Staying Joyful, and Chasing Sub-2:30
This episode is supported by Kava Haven, Goodr, Precision Fuel and Hydration, and Wahoo. After qualifying for her third Olympic Trials with a 2:32 at CIM, Sarah Reiter joins the podcast to reflect on her marathon journey, from a difficult debut in Brooks Adrenalines to becoming a three-time…
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Jax Siddall’s Marathon Debut Win: From 6th Grade Teacher to Eugene Marathon Win
Jax Siddall joins Peter Bromka after a breakthrough performance at the Eugene Marathon, where he won his marathon debut and secured an Olympic Trials qualifier. A sixth-grade teacher in Colorado, Jax shares the path that took him from Eastern Kentucky University to the front of one of the…
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Joey Whelan: 35 Marathons, 6 Course Records, and Still Finding Another Gear
Joey Whelan returns to the podcast after one of the busiest stretches of racing imaginable. Since his breakout performance at CIM, he's added wins and course records in Austin and Buffalo, raced internationally in Hamburg, and continued building toward even bigger goals. Through it all, he's...
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Elena Hayday: From 2:30 to 2:24 at Boston and Chasing Something Bigger
Elena Hayday joins the podcast after a massive breakthrough at the 2026 Boston Marathon, where she ran 2:24 and officially entered a new level of American marathoning. But as she shares in this conversation, the performance was years in the making. After multiple marathons that almost came...
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Amanda Martin on Winning Eugene and Learning How to Trust the Marathon
Amanda Martin joins Road to the Trials after a massive breakthrough at the 2026 Eugene Marathon, where she ran 2:34 and won the race after years of chasing the Olympic Trials standard through injuries, setbacks, burnout, and some truly brutal marathon experiences. Amanda shares her long road from...
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Luke Maher: Inside Puma Project 3 and the Rise of the Sub-Elite Marathoner
Luke Maher joins Road to the Trials to pull back the curtain on Puma Running’s Project 3 initiative and how it’s helping fuel one of the most exciting eras in amateur marathoning. From early access to prototype super shoes to building a global community of runners chasing breakthrough…
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Aidan Reed: Chasing the Marathon While Falling in Love With the Half
This episode is supported by Kava Haven and Precision Fuel and Hydration. Aidan Reed has quietly become one of the most versatile runners in the American road scene, finding success everywhere from the 10-mile to the half marathon while continuing to chase breakthroughs in the marathon. In this...
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Andie Cozzarelli: A 14-Year Journey Back to the Olympic Trials
Andie Cozzarelli’s path back to the Olympic Trials qualifier spans nearly 14 years, from qualifying for her first Trials in 2012 through years of injuries, RED-S, surgeries, setbacks, and rebuilding her relationship with running and her body. She finally broke through again, running 2:36:59 and...
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Sean Grossman: Chasing the OTQ for 2,303 Days
Sean Grossman’s road to the Olympic Trials qualifier was anything but straightforward. After years of near misses, injuries, tough marathon lessons, and balancing elite training with a full-time career in construction management, he finally broke through with a 2:15 at the McKirrdy Micro Marathon...
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Conner Peloquin: From Walking Away From the Sport to 2:15 and Back to the Trials
Conner Peloquin’s path back to the Olympic Trials wasn’t linear. After qualifying in 2019 and DNFing at the 2020 Trials, he stepped away from the sport, battled injuries, and eventually believed a 2:16 standard was out of reach. Fast forward to today, and he’s not only back, he’s running faster...
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Hannah Rowe: Back to the Trials After Six Years and a Trail Detour
Hannah Rowe’s return to the Olympic Trials stage is anything but straightforward. After qualifying for the 2020 Trials, she spent years chasing a faster standard that once felt out of reach, navigating injuries, burnout, and a complete shift away from road racing. What followed was a two-year...
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Mason Coppi: From Accomplished Trail Specialist to OTQ Surprise
Mason Coppi didn’t line up at the Boston Marathon expecting to win the open race or chase an Olympic Trials qualifier. In fact, he had just raced the Gorge 30K days earlier and came into Boston ready to “blow up” and simply experience the course. Instead, he found himself running at the front,...
About this show
Co-hosts Matt Chittim, Lindsey Hein, and Peter Bromka interview every 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier along with a wide-ranging group of industry professionals in preparation for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Hosted by
Peter Bromka, Lindsey Hein, and Matt Chittim