Marathon Handbook Podcast

Jess McClain finished second at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. In the last two miles she came back from no man’s land, ran every tangent through Central Park and passed Hellen Obiri in the final steps before the finish line.
Michael Doyle and Alex Cyr sit down with Jess to go through the race. She explains the moment she decided top five wasn’t good enough, why she’d “rather die than get fourth again,” and how she stayed calm when Obiri and Sheila Chepkirui pulled away at 36K. She also tells them about Tracy Morgan crying at the start line.
Michael's article:
https://marathonhandbook.com/jess-mcclain-hellen-obiri-nyc-marathon-tangents/
Thanks to Brooks for helping set up this interview.

At the New York City Marathon edition of Mile Zero, Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr and Katelyn Tocci were joined by some surprise guests.
Olympic marathon champion Frank Shorter and NYC Marathon co-founder George Hirsch take us back to 1976, the year of the first five-borough course, and explain how a struggling city agreed to close its streets for a marathon. Next, Emma Grace Hurley talks through her record-setting Chicago Marathon debut: running 22 miles alone with her pacer, the 35/35 workout that got her ready, and why she trusts her coach more than herself. Clayton Young follows with his top-American, 2:05 finish in Chicago. He covers racing on a split hamstring tear, treating the pressure as practice for LA 2028, Vinny Mauri’s mid-race stretching breaks, and his prediction for Conner Mantz in New York. The show wraps up with a live audience Q&A on handling injuries, the pain cave, youth sports and post-race meals.
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SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:
We love Wahoo’s KICKR RUN treadmill – go to https://⁠wahoofitness.com⁠ and use promo code MHRUN to get a free $319 KICKR Headwind Fan with your treadmill order.
Michael, Katelyn, and Alex react to the 2026 NYC Marathon, covering the biggest stories and surprises of the day. 
Join Marathon Handbook's RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub
Shop Marathon Handbook Merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com
Send us a question:
https://marathonhandbook.com/podcast/
Join our newsletter:
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We talked to the top men in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon field at Thursday’s media availability. Defending champion Benson Kipruto is here, along with top Americans Conner Mantz and Zouhair Talbi. So is Sweden’s Andreas Almgren, whose marathon debut might be the most hyped in recent memory.
Almgren explains his plan to sit with the leaders and kick, and talks about the possibility of a 10,000m and marathon double at LA 2028. Talbi talks about his rivalry with Mantz, explains why he thinks he’s America’s best marathoner, and responds to people who doubt his Boston run. Kipruto, in his 10th year of marathon running, says he isn’t worried about who’s next to him at mile 25. Each athlete also does a lightning round: race shoes, carbs per hour, bicarb and Nomio, mantras, favourite runners, Harry Styles, toenails, trash talk, finishing time predictions, Kalshi odds, and lifetime bans for EPO.

Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth talked to four of the top women in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon field at Thursday’s media availability. Hellen Obiri is the defending champion, Jess McClain was the top American in Boston, Weini Kelati is making her debut, and Julia Paternain of Uruguay took bronze at the World Championships.
Jess McClain talks about her race plan, her training (mileage, doubles and workouts), and her reaction to the latest EPO news. Julia Paternain describes how her life has changed since the World Championships, what she learned in London, and what she thinks should be done about doping. Hellen Obiri, the “queen of New York,” gives her three tips for running NYC and explains why she races so well without pacers. Kelati talks about her move to the marathon, the eight-year American podium drought, and what Emma Grace Hurley’s debut means to her. Each athlete also does a lightning round: race shoes, carbs per hour, mantras, favourite runners, Harry Styles, toenails, trash talk, the Olympic qualifying window, finishing time predictions, and Kalshi odds.