877. My Boston Marathon Pep Talk
Ali on the Run Show
Ali Feller
4.9 • 4.2K Ratings
🗓️ 16 April 2026
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"I went back to Boston, and I found myself again. I found the Ali I knew was in there. The Ali who lives and breathes running. The Ali who had felt so isolated for so long, but who craves community and connection, and knows exactly where to find it."
We're just days away from the 130th Boston Marathon! Last year, I was honored to be asked to be the keynote speaker at the Boston Athletic Association's annual partner summit at the Museum of Science. I used the opportunity to share my Boston Marathon story. My story, as someone who grew up 80 minutes north of Boston, who knew nothing about the Boston Marathon, and who, even as an adult working in the running industry, felt like there wasn't a place for me in Boston. This is the story about how I found — or made — my place, and about how profoundly it has changed my life. This is my love letter to Boston, to the race, to belonging, and to the running community.
SPONSOR:
- Oofos: The best in the recovery footwear game. Click here to check out Oofos's new CLUB+ line! Your feet are going to be so happy!
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 it is Boston Marathon |
| 0:09.9 | Weekend. Have you heard? Have I mentioned it? Marathon Monday is just days away, and I will have tons of |
| 0:16.2 | episodes coming your way over the next few weeks, including all of the live shows I'll be hosting in Boston, |
| 0:21.7 | my own recap of the weekend, as always, and of course, interviews with Boston Marathoners and beyond. |
| 0:28.8 | For now, something of a pep talk, Allie on the Run style. |
| 0:32.9 | Last year, the Boston Athletic Association, commonly referred to as the BAA, |
| 0:38.0 | they are the organization that puts on the Boston Marathon and they invited me to be the keynote |
| 0:41.4 | speaker at their annual partner summit. It was a really cool day. It was an honor |
| 0:45.8 | to be invited and it was at the Museum of Science in this big room overlooking the |
| 0:50.4 | Charles River, the sit-go sign, and so many of Boston's iconic sites. |
| 0:55.8 | The room was filled with people who are actively involved in the Boston Marathon every year, |
| 0:59.9 | from BAA staff members and volunteers, to people from Bank of America, Morton, Dick's Sporting Goods, |
| 1:05.5 | Adidas, Cliff, all the people who come together to make this marathon happen every year. |
| 1:10.2 | It was a great day for networking. |
| 1:11.6 | I will tell you that. |
| 1:13.1 | But mostly, it was a really special opportunity to get to share my Boston story from my vantage point. |
| 1:19.1 | For years, I felt like a Boston Marathon imposter. |
| 1:22.3 | To this day, I've never run the race myself. |
| 1:25.7 | I've never even been to the starting line out in Hopkinton. |
| 1:29.2 | So for years, I thought Boston wasn't for me. I didn't belong. I've never run the race. |
| 1:34.3 | But I found a way to belong. And I think there's an important message in there. Something about |
| 1:39.6 | not always waiting for an invitation. Finding your own way, making your own path, sending the email, |
... |
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.