753. Betsy Saina, 2:19 Marathoner & 2024 USATF 25K Champion

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Run, Health & Fitness, Women, Inspiration, Runner, Entrepreneur, Sports, Fitness, Health, Running

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 8 October 2024

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"Sometimes a short build up can do a miracle. So I’m hoping for the miracle in Chicago!"

In a stacked field of elite runners, Betsy Saina is absolutely one to watch at this weekend's Chicago Marathon. Betsy is a 2:19 marathoner — a time that makes her the third-fastest American woman marathoner (behind Emily Sisson and Keira D'Amato). She's a 2016 Olympian who competed in the 10,000m, and she's the 2024 USATF 25K Champion and women-only American record holder in that distance. She's a three-time NCAA champion who ran at Iowa State University, and she currently lives and trains primarily in Kenya. In this conversation, Betsy — who is a mom to three-year-old Kalya — talks about how she's feeling heading into the Chicago Marathon. She talks about the fall earlier this year that derailed her training and set her back several weeks, and about how she's come back from a DNF at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Plus, whether or not she's planning to go for an American Record in Chicago, what it's like training alongside Joyciline Kepkosgei, and more.

Running Chicago? Here's everything you need to know.

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What you’ll get on this episode:

How Betsy was feeling a few weeks before the Chicago Marathon, and what motherhood looks like lately (2:40)
What Betsy’s Chicago Marathon training has looked like, and all about the fall that derailed the first few weeks (6:25)
Is Betsy targeting the American record in Chicago? (10:50)
How Betsy feels about the taper (19:15)
On racing alongside training partner Joyciline Jepkosgei, and what Betsy thinks she can run in Chicago (21:30)
Betsy looks back on the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, and how she reflects on that day (26:20)
Why Betsy is running this year’s Chicago Marathon, after being shut out of the professional field in 2023 (30:15)
When and why Betsy started running (32:00)
Betsy, one week later (38:30)
What will make Chicago a success? (43:30)
Betsy’s advice for first-time marathoners, and for marathoners chasing big dreams (45:40)

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Transcript

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0:13.0	Welcome to the Ali on the Run Show. I'm your host Ali Feller and on every episode I talk with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond. From professional athletes and celebrity runners
0:16.0	to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner,
0:20.0	we are here to celebrate everyone and anyone who enjoys a life on the run.
0:25.2	Whether you are running towards something big or away from something that has been holding
0:29.2	you back, I am here to help you pick up the pace. It is officially Chicago Marathon Week.
0:35.3	Are you doing okay? Are we doing all right? The elite fields are absolutely stacked this year
0:40.5	and my guests today is most definitely one of the women to watch. It's Betsy Sama.
0:46.8	Betsy's list of accolades is longer than the marathon itself. She's a 219 marathoner that makes her the third fastest American woman marathoner behind Emily Sisson and Kira Damato.
0:58.0	She competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in the 10,000 meters.
1:02.0	She's the US ATF 25K champion and she ran a
1:06.0	women-only American record in that distance. She's a three-time NCAA
1:10.4	champion for Iowa State University. She lives in trains in Kenya right now. She competes for the United States. She's an A6-sponsored professional athlete and she is a mom to her son Kalia. In this conversation, we talk about Betsy's Chicago training,
1:24.8	including the fall that derailed her training
1:27.0	and set her back of it.
1:28.3	But she is feeling good, she's feeling fit
1:31.1	with a shorter than usual build, and I cannot wait to see what she does
1:34.6	on the streets of Chicago. This conversation was recorded in two parts which
1:38.9	you'll hear and it was actually kind of fun to get an update on Betsy's
1:42.3	training a full week after our initial conversation.
1:45.9	This woman is ready for redemption after a disappointing showing at the Olympic Marathon trials in February
1:52.2	where so many did have her pegged as one to watch,
1:55.7	as one to make the team, but unfortunately she had to drop out just a few miles from the finish.
	...

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