859. Hope Walz, Runner & Activist
Ali on the Run Show
Ali Feller
4.9 • 4.2K Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2026
⏱️ 71 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"I'm a firm believer that there are more good people than bad. No matter what, I believe that."
Hope Walz is a runner who works the night shift at a homeless shelter in Bozeman, MT. She is also the daughter — and running buddy — of Minnesota governor Tim Walz. This conversation was recorded the day after Governor Walz, Kamala Harris's running mate in the 2024 presidential election, announced that he wouldn't be seeking reelection in Minnesota. Hope talks about what that day (which started with a run, of course) was like from her vantage point. She talks about growing up in a political family and about the role running has played throughout her life, including on the campaign trail with her family in 2024. Plus: a very special guest pops into the Zoom room!
FOLLOW HOPE @hopewalz
SPONSOR:
- Shokz: Use code ALI for $10 off your next headphone purchase.
In this episode:
- What's making Hope happy today (3:50)
- What it was like running with dad Tim Walz the day he announced he wouldn't be seeking reelection as governor of Minnesota (5:35)
- What Hope's relationship with the news is like, and how she protects her peace online (10:00)
- Hope's role in big family decisions, and her earliest memories of being raised in a political family (12:25)
- How Hope manages public scrutiny toward her family and herself (20:45)
- How Hope found out her dad would be running alongside Kamala Harris as the vice presidential nominee in the 2024 election (22:05)
- "My dad's here if you wanna say hi!" (26:15)
- What it's like when your dad runs for Vice President of the United States (27:45)
- What it's like having a Secret Service detail (34:40)
- On the run on the campaign trail (37:10)
- How Hope maintains hope in an increasingly intense, scary, and divided world (40:30)
- Why running is a privilege, and why Hope wanted to talk about that publicly (43:30)
- Hope's take on the running community, and how running first came into her life (46:15)
- How Hope is feeling after her dad's big announcement (56:40)
Follow Ali:
SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!
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 with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond. |
| 0:12.7 | From professional athletes and celebrity runners to the everyday, amateur, and back of the pack runner, we are here to celebrate everyone and anyone who enjoys a life on the |
| 0:22.3 | run. So whether you are running towards something big or away from something that's been holding |
| 0:26.5 | you back, I am here to hold your hand and help you pick up the pace. It is our first guest on the |
| 0:32.2 | Allie on the Run show for 2026, and my guest today is Hope Walls. And while Hope is her own person in so many ways, |
| 0:40.2 | she is, yes, Tim Walz's daughter. We recorded this episode on January 6th, the day after Hope's dad, |
| 0:47.6 | who was Kamala Harris's vice presidential running mate in the 2024 presidential election, |
| 0:52.8 | announced that he would not be seeking re-election as governor |
| 0:55.6 | of Minnesota. It was a huge news day for many reasons. And we talk about that in this conversation |
| 1:02.2 | about what that day was like from Hope's vantage point. And of course, that day started with a run. |
| 1:08.5 | Running has always been a part of Hope's life and it's the big thing that she |
| 1:12.0 | shares with her dad. We talk a lot about growing up in a political family and about the role running |
| 1:16.9 | played throughout Hope's childhood and while on the road campaigning with her dad. So this of course |
| 1:22.3 | brings up something I talked about on the State of the Allie on the Run show episode last week |
| 1:26.3 | where I sort of mused about the role of political conversations on this show, something I'm always navigating. |
| 1:32.9 | The way I see it, this is a conversation with Hope Wals, a runner, a woman who works the night |
| 1:39.0 | shift at a homeless shelter in Montana, and daughter of Tim Wals, former vice presidential candidate in the United States, |
| 1:46.4 | who is really in the headlines right now. So do we talk politics? Yeah, of course we do. |
| 1:52.5 | It's a huge part of her life, her identity, and her family. But admittedly, this isn't a hard-hitting |
| 1:58.9 | interview about political scandals or polarizing headlines or even political policy. |
| 2:04.3 | It's a conversation with a runner who has a really full life. |
| 2:08.8 | And ultimately, I think it's a conversation about hope, the person, but also the outlook. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Ali Feller, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Ali Feller and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.