C Tolle Run

Olympian and Minnesota native Dakotah Popehn just had a great day at the Chicago Marathon where she crossed the finish line with a new PR (2:24:00) and finished as the second American! Fresh off the race, Dakotah joins Carrie to break down her marathon experience, from the moments when everything clicked and the points when she had to dig deep. With years of training and racing behind her, Dakotah also reflects on how her approach to training has evolved, how the strong performances of American women in distance running have inspired her, and what excites her most about the future of the sport. But Dakotah is much more than a fast runner. She's also an author and gives us the inside scoop on her upcoming book, You Think This Hurts?, coming out in June. Dakotah has plenty to celebrate and even more to look forward to!

Over the last few years, HOKA NAZ Elite athlete Adrian Wildschutt has established himself as one of the best distance runners in the world. The South African record holder across multiple distances finished 10th in the 10,000m at both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Championships, and most recently won the United Airlines NYC Half. Now, Adrian is taking on a new challenge: the marathon at the Chicago Marathon. Adrian joins Carrie to talk about why he chose Chicago for his marathon debut, how his training has gone, and what he's hoping to accomplish on race day. They also look back at his NYC Half victory and discuss why that performance may have been a sign of what's to come in Chicago. Adrian shares his journey from growing up in Ceres, South Africa, to his successful collegiate career at Coastal Carolina and Florida State University, and his rise to the world stage. He also opens up about the mindset that has helped him find success, his goals beyond Chicago, and his upcoming autobiography set to be released in October. From his roots in South Africa to the biggest stages in the sport, Adrian's story is one you won't want to miss.

It’s been a fantastic year for newly signed Puma runner Elena Hayday and with the Chicago Marathon on the horizon, she’s hitting her stride at exactly the right time! Elena had a breakthrough performance at the Boston Marathon this spring, running 2:24:45 to finish 13th overall, and recently added another impressive result with a second-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships. But Elena is so much more than a professional runner. She’s also pursuing a PhD in neuroscience while training at an elite level. In this episode, Elena breaks down her research, how it influences the way she approaches her own training, and how she balances the demands of academics and professional running. Carrie and Elena also look back at her journey into running, how her time with Minnesota Distance Elite helped shape her into the athlete she is today, and the big goals she has for the future.
This episode is brought to you by Tailwind Nutrition. Please Visit tailwindnutrition.com and use code TOLLE20 for 20% off your order.

Rachael Rudel is having one heck of a season! Fresh off her first national title at the USATF 20K Championships, Rachael has earned the opportunity to represent Team USA in the half marathon at the 2027 World Road Running Championships in China. But getting to this point wasn't always easy. Along the way, Rachael has navigated a medical misdiagnosis, an eating disorder, injuries, and discovering that she carries the BRCA1 gene. Through it all, she's continued to push forward, balancing a full-time job with training and always finding the fun in the sport she loves. In this episode, Rachael recaps her championship-winning race (including some of her running quirks), and opens up about her journey, the mental strategies that have helped her overcome adversity, her approach to health and training, and what's next in her running career. This is an honest and inspiring conversation about resilience, health, and finding your way forward when the path doesn't always go as planned.
This episode is brought to you by Tailwind Nutrition. Please Visit tailwindnutrition.com and use code TOLLE20 for 20% off your order.

Fresh off the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, Carrie and her friend Ali Feller of the Ali on the Run Podcast take over a special edition of the Set the Pace podcast! Together, they recap all the action from the iconic New York City race, then sit down with this year’s champions, Marco Langon and Jemma Reekie. Marco and Jemma share their running journeys, break down their winning performances, talk about what it took to come out on top, and look ahead to what’s next. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at race day, straight from the athletes who won it!

This episode is brought to you by Tailwind Nutrition. Please Visit tailwindnutrition.com and use code TOLLE20 for 20% off your order.