854. Jenny Grimshaw, 2:32 Marathoner

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Fitness, Health & Fitness, Sports, Running

4.9 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

"I had this sense of nostalgia, of we're going to look back on this as something special. We all felt a little bit of something magical going on."

She's come a long way, baby! Jenny Grimshaw returns to the Ali on the Run Show, this time as a 2:32 marathoner. Jenny just ran four-minute personal best at the California International Marathon, qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials with room to spare. This is the same Jenny who spent years trying to break three hours. The Jenny with a long history of race anxiety. The Jenny who dropped out of CIM in 2022. In this episode, Jenny, a mom to two young kids who lives in San Francisco and works full-time, talks about how she made that 2:32:50 happen, and how she has kept chipping away at her marathon time and enjoying herself along the way. Jenny also has the BRCA1 gene: She had a preventative prophylactic double mastectomy a few years ago, and will have her ovaries removed next year.

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In this episode:

Jenny's snapshot moment from CIM 2025 (2:50)
All about Peninsula Distance Club, and the power of female friendships (5:20)
How Jenny fits running and training into her days, and on learning to get over mom guilt (10:00)
How being a mom has made Jenny a better runner (15:15)
What it felt like to run a 2:32 marathon (17:40)
How Jenny reacted when, at six weeks postpartum, she learned that the Trials standards had changed from 2:45 to 2:37 (21:10)
On running 2:36 at the London Marathon this year — before the OTQ window opened for 2028 (25:50)
How Jenny has navigated big running dreams and family planning (27:40)
The decision not to run this year's Chicago Marathon, and why Jenny chose to do CIM instead (30:20)
How Jenny knew it was going to be a special day at CIM (34:20)
What it felt like standing on the CIM start line, and Jenny's goals for the day (38:30)
What happens when the CIM finish line clock hits 2:37 (50:00)
What's next for Jenny on the run (51:10)
How Jenny is feeling about needing to have her ovaries removed as a result of having the BRCA1 gene (55:15)
Jenny's advice for people who have big goals and dreams and are feeling stuck (58:20)
All about Jenny's job at Equip, which provides virtual eating disorder treatment (1:00:15)

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the Allie on the Run show. I'm your host, Allie Feller, and this is where I talk
0:08.6	with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond. From professional athletes and
0:14.0	celebrity runners to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner, we are here to celebrate
0:18.7	everyone and anyone who enjoys a life on the
0:22.1	run. So whether you're running towards something big or away from something that's been holding
0:26.4	you back, I am here to hold your hand and help you pick up the pace. I am so excited to welcome
0:32.0	Jenny Grimshaw back to the Allie on the Run show. This time as a 232 marathoner. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
0:40.7	Jenny just ran a four-minute personal best at the California International Marathon, qualifying for
0:46.2	the 28 Olympic marathon trials with room to spare. This is the same Jenny who spent years
0:52.9	trying to break three, who has a long history with race anxiety, who dropped out of CIM in 2022.
1:00.7	Yeah, that Jenny, she just ran two hours, 32 minutes, and 50 seconds.
1:06.3	In this conversation, Jenny talks about how she made it happen.
1:09.2	She is a mom to two young kids, Tate and
1:11.5	Hallie. She works full time. She also has the Brocka one gene, so she had a preventative
1:16.5	double mastectomy a few years ago, and she will have her ovaries removed next year. And she is
1:22.6	having the most fun on the run. I always love getting to talk with Jenny and hearing about
1:27.0	how she keeps chipping away at that marathon time and how she's enjoying herself along the run. I always love getting to talk with Jenny and hearing about how she keeps
1:27.6	chipping away at that marathon time and how she's enjoying herself along the way. So please
1:32.8	join me in welcoming Jenny Grimshaw to the Allie on the Run show.
1:43.5	Jenny Grimshaw, you are a 232-50 marathoner. Welcome back to the Allie on the Run show. You're a 232
1:51.8	marathoner. How many times have you said it out loud? Do you want to say it right now?
1:55.1	I can't believe. I don't know if I've said it out loud yet. Okay, say it right now. I'm a 232
	...

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